A week before a recall referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule, supporters and opponents of the Venezuelan leader held massive events in Caracas, each side confident of victory in the emotionally-charged election.
Polls show the country is split evenly between those for and against Chavez. Supporters see him as a champion of the poor and a new hope after decades of corrupt governments, while opponents accuse him of seeking to install a communist dictatorship.
PHOTO: EPA
Tens of thousands of Chavez's followers, clad in red, marched on Sunday with signs saying "No" to the recall and "Ahead with the Revolution," celebrating what they say is a sure win on the Aug. 15 vote.
A Chavez ally, Caracas Mayor Freddy Bernal, estimated that 900,000 people took part in the march, declaring to reporters that "the opposition is dead and we will bury it." Caracas fire chief Rodolfo Briceno said only that the crowd size was "well over 100,000."
Chavez spoke to the crowd, saying that a victory next Sunday would be a home run which would "fall on the gardens of the White House."
Chavez, who survived a short-lived coup in 2002, has accused the Bush administration of backing alleged opposition plans to overthrow him. Both the US and the opposition deny the claims. The US is Venezuela's main oil buyer, but relations have been strained due to Chavez's ties with Cuba and his criticism of US-backed free market proposals.
To be recalled, more citizens must vote against Chavez than the nearly 3.8 million who re-elected him in 2000. If they succeed, elections will be held in 30 days and the winner will finish Chavez's term.
The opposition "wants to recall Chavez because he is not a lap dog for the United States. That is why we, the real patriots, are here, to show Venezuela and the world that Chavez has our support and that Venezuela is and always will be a free country under his rule," said Roberto Mendez, a 41-year-old unemployed worker.
On the other side of town, the opposition gathered its followers in a caravan and a concert with rock artists and comedians. Immigrants pledged their support to the opposition in a separate event, dressed in their traditional costumes and bearing their flags.
"In seven days, Venezuelans will have a chance to stop the demon of intolerance, division, unemployment and hunger," opposition leader Enrique Mendoza said during the rally for the immigrants.
Also Sunday, the National Elections Council tested the new touch-screen voting machines before members of the opposition and government, and international observers.
Elections council Director Jorge Rodriguez said that the tests had gone well. Valter Pecly Moreira, chief of the mission of the Organization of American States in Venezuela, agreed.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of
A prominent Christian leader has allegedly been stabbed at the altar during a Mass yesterday in southwest Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was saying Mass at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley just after 7pm when a man approached him at the altar and allegedly stabbed toward his head multiple times. A live stream of the Mass shows the congregation swarm forward toward Emmanuel before it was cut off. The church leader gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, amassing a large online following, Officers attached to Fairfield City police area command attended a location on Welcome Street, Wakeley following reports a number