Back in Venezuela, EU observers plead for 'patience' ahead of elections

Election observers with the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), talk with members of the National Electoral Council, ahead of Sunday's election November 21, as part of their first mission to the South American country in 15 years, in Caracas, Venezuela November 4, 2021. Picture taken November 4, 2021. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria

CARACAS/BARQUISIMETO, Venezuela - Dressed in dark blue vests bearing the logo of the European Union, two election observers toured voting sites ahead of Sunday's election in Venezuela's capital Caracas, part of their first mission to the South American country in 15 years.

The observers - among 44 deployed at the end of October in 22 of Venezuela's 23 states - visited schools that will be voting locations and are open early so citizens can learn about new voting machines. Military personnel, tasked with poll security, left the observers to poke around.