- Title: Spanish Ciudadanos party leader Albert Rivera arrives in Venezuela
- Date: 24th May 2016
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** CIUDADANOS (CITIZENS) PARTY LEADER OF SPAIN, ALBERT RIVERA, ARRIVING IN CARACAS, GREETING LILIAN TINTORI, WIFE OF JAILED VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER, LEOPOLDO LOPEZ TINTORI WALKS WITH RIVERA RIVERA WITH JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CITIZENS PARTY LEADER OF SPAIN, ALBERT RIVERA, SAYING: "What I want is for Venezuela to have food, work, quality employment, medicine, liberty, and so I am going to meet with family of the political prisoners, because I think this country is a country with much potential, a marvellous people, who deserve a dignified democracy and above all, an economy that rises to the occasion." RIVERA WITH JOURNALISTS VARIOUS OF RIVERA AND TINTORI LEAVING AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 8th June 2016 03:40
- Keywords: Citizens Albert Rivera Caracas Diosdado Cabello
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0014J60XMR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Spanish political leader Albert Rivera of the liberal Ciudadanos ("Citizens") political party arrived in Caracas Monday (May 23) to try and support Venezuela as it confronts a bevy of challenges. He has backed a recall vote to remove the embattled socialist President Nicolas Maduro and is embracing leaders of the opposition.
The rise of new forces in Spain such as anti-austerity Podemos ("We Can") and Ciudadanos split the vote in December to such an extent that all parties fell short of a majority in the most fragmented result for decades.
Parties' failure to forge a coalition by May 2 - after the Socialists made an attempt to seek support in parliament for their pact with Ciudadanos in early March - has automatically triggered a repeat election, likely to be held on June 26.
Ahead of that vote, Rivera came to Venezuela in a pledge to "collaborate with the democracy, through dialogue, to end the humanitarian crisis."
Maduro and the opposition are at loggerheads over a referendum to recall him. Authorities say the vote will not happen this year, while the opposition says an unpopular Maduro must be removed to keep a brutal recession from worsening.
The opposition has called the military's top brass the corrupt, repressive wing of an illegitimate government, so commanders are at risk if the Socialist Party leaves power.
That opposition includes imprisoned leaders like Leopoldo Lopez, whose wife, Lilian Tintori was on hand to welcome Rivera to Venezuela.
"What I want is for Venezuela to have food, work, quality employment, medicine, liberty, and so I am going to meet with family of the political prisoners, because I think this country is a country with much potential, a marvellous people, who deserve a dignified democracy and above all, an economy that rises to the occasion," Rivera told reporters.
A leader of the government, Diosdado Cabello, said Rivera was coming to "conspire" against Venezuela.
Rivera is scheduled to speak before the opposition led National Assembly Tuesday (May 24), meet with human rights leaders, and as many imprisoned political leaders he can, including Lopez. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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