More big parties join Venezuela ballot boycott

Venezuelan's major opposition groups edged closer Tuesday to an all-out boycott of an upcoming presidential election, warning the vote won't be free or fair. In a further potential blow to the opposition, a senior official in the ruling socialist party proposed early elections for Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress as well, cutting its term short by more than a year. Opposition lawmaker Edgar Zambrano told The Associated Press that his Democratic Action party and two other movements made the decision to boycott. That brings to four major opposition parties have decided they won't put a candidate up against President Nicolas Maduro. More…