Venezuela chooses president: few challengers

caracas - Venezuela goes to the polls Sunday to choose a president. All signs point to a re-election of the current head of state, Nicolás Maduro.

The former bus driver Maduro is the successor of the left populist Hugo Chávez, who died in March 2013. Under Maduro, the oil-rich country has fallen prey to a huge shortage of goods, unemployment, crime and inflation.

As a result, a large influx of refugees has started to move to neighboring countries. Especially to Colombia, but also to the Antilles. Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao are only separated from Venezuela by a piece of Caribbean sea.

Maduro has few challengers in Sunday's ballot box. Major political opponents of the left-wing president are in prison, have fled or are not allowed to exercise political office. Moreover, the opposition coalition MUD is boycotting the elections because it fears fraud by the Maduro government.

Foreign observers doubt whether a turnout of 50 percent or higher will be achieved on Sunday.

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