Voting proceeding smoothly, except for 'isolated incident': Venezuela's VP

People wait to vote during the election of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela, on July 30, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

CARACAS - Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami said on Sunday that voting was proceeding smoothly, except for an "isolated incident" in Tachira state that authorities brought under control.

He called Sunday's vote "a turning point towards a Venezuela with equality (and) social justice."

From the early morning, Venezuelans turned out in large numbers to vote for a constituent assembly to amend the constitution, said El Aissami.

"The people have turned out en masse to exercise this fundamental human right, this right that shows Venezuelans' civic spirit (and) commitment to building a country in a peaceful and democratic way," El Aissami told reporters, after casting his vote in central Aragua state.

Samuel Moncada, foreign affairs minister, said the participation of Venezuelans on Sunday, in the election of a National Constituent Assembly (ANC) is a "vote for peace."

After voting, the Venezuelan minister told the press of the importance to seeing the people out voting and rejected the country's critics.

"Opponents, some governments and even the CIA do not recognize this power...because they have a plan to control Venezuela. We do not need them or the vote of opponents," said Moncada.

Moncada highlighted the election for the ANC, which will rewrite the Constitution, as a "declaration of sovereignty," as well as "self-determination, independence, liberty, rebellion and pride."

As the day went on, however, tensions bubbled over into violence and five dead were reported.

In the morning, Ricardo Campos, 30, died in the northeast state of Sucre, the prosecutor-general's office said on Twitter.

An opposition legislator, Deputy Henry Ramos Allup, identified Campos as a youth opposition leader for the conservative Democratic Action (AD) party, and said he died of a gunshot near his home.

Later in the day came the announcement of four more deaths. Two adults, Luis Zambrano, 43, in the central state of Lara, and Ronald Ramirez, an army lieutenant, in the western state of Tachira.

According to the prosecutor-general, Luis Zambrano was shot dead during a protest in Barquisimeto, the capital of Lara, while Ramirez was shot in the left lung during an opposition protest at the Jauregui de La Grita military school in Tachira.