Symbol supply, Getty ImagesImage caption, The ex-leaders, together with Panama’s Mireya Moscoso, Mexico’s President Vicente Fox and Bolivia’s Jorge Quiroga, held a information convention in Panama after the incidentArticle informationAuthor, Leonardo RochaRole, Americas Regional Editor4 hours agoPanama has accused the Venezuelan executive of blockading a flight sporting former Latin American leaders who have been because of practice presidential elections on Sunday. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino mentioned on social media that Venezuela had denied the aircraft permission to take off so long as the previous leaders have been aboard. The Venezuelan executive has rejected the allegations. Amongst the ones at the aircraft have been the ex-presidents of Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and Bolivia – all critics of the present Venezuelan executive who mentioned they have been hoping for an opposition victory.Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is looking for a 3rd consecutive time period, has mentioned he’s going to win “in some way”.”The airplane was once denied permission to take off from Tocumen so long as they continue to be on board,” Mr Mulino wrote on X, relating to Panama Town’s airport.Vicente Fox, Mexico’s former president, posted a video on social media from the airport, wherein he mentioned: “Nicolas Maduro has led to all Copa flights heading to Caracas and Venezuela to be suspended.””A nasty signal for Sunday,” he mentioned one by one, in a radio interview. “We have been got rid of from the aircraft with blackmail and drive from Venezuela.”Others on board integrated Miguel Ángel Rodríguez of Costa Rica, Jorge Quiroga of Bolivia and Marta Lucía Ramírez, former vice-president of Colombia.Panamanian International Minister Javier Martínez-Acha mentioned that Venezuela had “blocked the airspace of its nation to Copa Airways” for “a number of hours” – a declare denied by way of Venezuelan government. Closing 12 months, Mr Maduro agreed to permit world observers to be provide on this election, leading to a short lived easing of US sanctions.Alternatively closing week, Venezuela issued a decree proscribing shuttle around the nation’s border from Friday, a transfer it mentioned was once supposed to give protection to the election. However there were a string of an identical crackdowns, prompting worry that Venezuela is obstructing get entry to to world observers.The chair of the Nationwide Electoral Council, executive best friend Elvis Amoroso, uninvited EU officers who have been because of watch the vote. And Colombian officers, Spanish MPs and Chilean senators all reported being denied access at Caracas Airport.Spanish Other people’s Birthday celebration president Alberto Núñez Feijóo mentioned the Venezuelan executive “does now not need the world group to have eyes and ears in Venezuela this weekend”.Mr Maduro’s PSUV celebration has dominated for 25 years, however opposition activists hope to unseat the president on Sunday. Maximum opinion polls recommend he has an awesome lead over Mr Maduro however he fears the vote might not be unfastened and honest and that the federal government won’t concede defeat.
