VOTERS streamed to the polls yesterday for parliamentary elections that government opponents hope will signal a popular rejection of President Nicolas Maduro and the Bolivarian revolution.

The right-wing Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) has been buoyed by opinion polls showing it has 65 per cent backing against 35 per cent for the 16-party Grand Patriotic Pole (GPP), which includes the president’s United Socialist Party and the Communist Party.

The government has undoubtedly lost some popularity recently, despite an impressive record in social provision, especially housing.