Opponents of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro have boycotted an election for a controversial assembly - claiming the polls are rigged and that the vote is a another move by the president to further cement his control of the country's institutions. Reports said streets in many cities were largely quiet as a trickle of people went out to vote, while tens of thousands of troops were deployed to ensure order, yet in Caracas a number of police were said to have been injured after an explosion at an anti-government protest. Mr Maduro, who was elected in 2013 following the death of Hugo Chavez, cast his vote in Caracas shortly after 6am.



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