Venezuela Politics: Presidential campaign begins despite boycott, corruption arrests

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Venezuela's presidential campaign is underway. The snap election has already been delayed twice. The poll is now scheduled for May 20th, but some opposition parties are boycotting it. It also comes as the country is grappling with an economic crisis and massive corruption scandal. CGTN's Stephen Gibbs reports from Caracas.

So it has begun. Campaigning in this unusual election.

The president's campaign team has released this video - featuring a catchy electoral theme tune. "We are all with Maduro" is what they are singing.

Venezuela's main opposition parties - of course - disagree with that.

They say that the government - which has disqualified several candidates from standing - is not planning to hold a fair election.So they are calling for mass abstention.

But it is not a total boycott.

This man, Henri Falcon, has broken with the opposition coalition. He says someone has to stand against Maduro. And he believes he can win.

HENRI FALCON PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE "Venezuela today is suffering from its most acute humanitarian crisis of the last one hundred years."

Venezuela is in the midst of a recession of wartime proportions, with triple-digit inflation. The Falcon team is proposing replacing the now near worthless local currency with the US dollar.

President Maduro - here being blessed by an indigenous priest at the start of the campaign - has ruled out dollarization. He instead is putting his faith in a new digital currency, the Petro.

Meanwhile, 16 regional governments have already announced - at a summit in Peru this month - that they believe the election result will not be trustworthy.

STEPHEN GIBBS CARACAS "So, where does that leave this country facing a presidential election that is proving controversial before a single vote has been cast. Stephen Gibbs, CGTN, Caracas."