Blinken says US will not prejudge outcome of Venezuela election

By Simon Lewis

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would not prejudge the results of presidential elections taking place in Venezuela on Sunday, but called on parties to respect the democratic process.

Just before voting starts in the South American country, Blinken told a press conference in Tokyo the U.S. and the international community would be closely watching the vote.

"The United States is not going to prejudge the outcome. This is a choice for Venezuelans to make, but the Venezuelan people deserve an election that genuinely reflects their will, free from any manipulation," Blinken said.

Washington eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry last October in response to a deal between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition parties, but later reinstated the sanctions over actions that Washington said threatened an inclusive democratic vote.

Maduro, a Socialist whose 2018 reelection in the South American nation was rejected by the U.S. and most Western governments as a sham, is seeking his third term.

U.S. officials have said they will calibrate its sanctions policy toward Venezuela on how the elections are run.

Blinken said Maduro had fallen short of many of the commitments he made in that agreement, but there was still "enormous enthusiasm" ahead of the election.

"We urge all parties to honor their commitments and to respect the democratic process," Blinken said.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis in Tokyo; Editing by William Mallard)