Venezuelan protesters on Wednesday demanded a referendum on ousting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, defying riot police who fired tear gas and a state of emergency that the opposition has blasted as unconstitutional.
However, Maduro warned that if anti-government acts turned violent “I will not hesitate” to ratchet up the extraordinary measures in force, “to fight for the peace and security of this country.”
The opposition organized the demonstrations in Caracas and two dozen other cities and towns to press for a recall referendum against Maduro this year.
Photo: AP
More than 1.8 million signatures calling for the vote have been gathered on a petition that was handed to the Venezuelan National Electoral Council two weeks ago.
Police and soldiers using tear gas and pepper spray blocked about 1,000 demonstrators from marching on council headquarters, journalists said.
“Recall! Recall! Maduro Out!” the crowd yelled, holding aloft anti-government placards and Venezuelan flags.
Incidents were reported during demonstrations in five Venezuelan states. About 30 people were arrested, the opposition and non-governmental organizations said.
The protests were the first since the 60-day state of emergency Maduro imposed this week that gives broad powers to security forces to maintain public order.
The order gives broad powers to the government, military and police to ignore constitutional protections and tackle what Maduro has said are threats to domestic and external security, and critical shortages of food and energy.
The only visible effects so have been the diversion of some scarce food for handout to poor citizens, and greater vigilance by security forces.
However, Maduro said he had scope to take the state of emergency further, implying that he could impose greater military control over the population to put down challenges to his authority.
The Venezuelan National Assembly, controlled by the opposition, on Tuesday rejected the decree establishing the state of emergency.
However, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice, which has many judges appointed by Maduro’s late predecessor, Hugo Chavez, might overrule that, as it has other congressional decisions.
If it is maintained regardless, the opposition has urged the public to defy the state of emergency. It has also asked the army to decide whether it backs the constitution or Maduro.
In Wednesday’s protest, Venezuelan National Assembly President Henry Ramos Allup urged the government to come to a peaceful resolution over the crisis.
“We don’t want a bloodbath or a coup d’etat,” he said.
However, the government is in no mood to reach a compromise.
Venezuelan Vice President Aristobulo Isturiz called the referendum push a “trap” and urged the opposition to instead focus on the next presidential election in December 2019.
“If you win, Maduro will give up power. Easy. What’s the problem?” he said.
Maduro claims the adversity he is facing is manipulated by US interference working with Venezuela’s “fascist” right.
By way of evidence, he said a US surveillance aircraft twice violated his country’s airspace last week.
The US Department of Defense on Wednesday denied the allegation.
To counter the possibility of foreign “armed intervention” Maduro has ordered military exercises for tomorrow.
Maduro’s increasing hold on powers and his refusal to countenance a referendum earned a stinging rebuke from the head of the Organization of American States.
Organization Secretary-General Luis Almagro said in an open letter that Maduro would become “just another petty dictator, like so many this hemisphere has had,” if he impedes the referendum.
The country’s dire condition — with a shrinking state-led economy, runaway inflation and rampant crime — has turned much of the population against Maduro.
Seventy percent want to see a new government, polls show.
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