Venezuela polls open for parliamentary and state governor elections | AFP

People begin voting in Venezuela as the sanctions‑hit South American country heads to the polls to elect a new parliament and 24 state governors. Last year President Nicolas Maduro claimed a third term in elections marred by violence and allegations of fraud. For this election the main opposition led by Maria Corina Machado, an engineer and former MP, has urged Venezuelans not to legitimize what they see as yet another sham election by voting.