U.S. government expresses concern over Venezuelan elections on Sunday: 'We're watching'

The U.S. Government has expressed concern over the threat of violence in this Sunday's presidential elections in Venezuela, especially after Nicolas Maduro's warning earlier this week of "fratricidal civil war" and a "bloodbath" if his party doesn't win.

John Kirby, the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, addressed the situation in his regular briefing in Washington, three days before the presidential election:

"We support peaceful elections that we expect and hope will come on Sunday. Any political repression and violence is unacceptable."

Kirby then emphasized that the U.S. is closely monitoring the events by saying that the U.S. wanted "to make it clear to Mr. Maduro that we're watching."

When asked if he believed Maduro might manipulate the election results, Kirby responded that "the elections must be free and fair, without repression, without voter intimidation, and again, regardless of who wins, our expectation is that the winner will uphold democratic institutions."

Venezuelans will go to the ballots on Sunday with Maduro seeking his third term as leader of the country. His challenger, opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, has been hot on the election trail, backed by opposition leader María Corina Machado. Both sides closed their campaigns yesterday in Caracas, the country's capital. Practically all polls show him with a commanding lead over Maduro.

However, observers and analysts have been warning about the elections not being neither free nor fair, and most expect the government to resort to different maneuvers to hold on to power. Lawmakers and political figures from around the world have been denied entry to the country during the past hours without explanation.

Residents are also claiming that criminals have been stealing IDs from people, likely an attempt to prevent them from having the necessary documentation to cast their ballots.