[Al Jazeera] The firm that provided Venezuela's election technology has cast doubt on the outcome of its polls for a new assembly, saying the turnout figures were "manipulated".Government-allied electoral authorities say more than eight million people voted on July 30, a turnout figure that has been disputed by the opposition and independent analysts and condemned by many nations in the region and beyond.
In a statement issued in London on Wednesday, Smartmatic, which has provided voting machines to Venezuela for the past decade, said: "Based on the robustness of our system, we know, without any doubt, that the turnout of the recent election for a National Constituent Assembly was manipulated."
Al Jazeera's John Holman, reporting from Caracas, said the development was "a big bombshell".
"It is a blow to the government, but the government is going to continue right on with what they are doing," he said. "For the opposition, this is just more proof of what they were already saying on Sunday."