- Title: VENEZUELA: Government 'consuming itself', Henrique Capriles
- Date: 26th February 2014
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FEBRUARY 26, 2014) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF HENRIQUE CAPRILES WITH REUTERS REPORTERS CAPRILES WALKING THROUGH OFFICE CAPRILES SITTING DOWN AND SPEAKING WITH REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION LEADER HENRIQUE CAPRILES SAYING: "For who is it more convenient to have a dialogue? For us? Or for (President) Nicolas (Maduro)? I think for Nicolas (Maduro). Why? Because the economic crisis is going to generate a political crisis and he should be very interested that the political crisis doesn't end up getting ahead of the government." GENERAL VIEW OF CAPRILES SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION LEADER HENRIQUE CAPRILES SAYING: "I feel that, with the way this government is behaving, it is extinguishing itself, this government is consuming itself. This government, in the last few days, for example, from the international viewpoint has generated more questions. There are more unanswered questions regarding the dead, the injured, the tortured victims, those deprived of liberty. How do you justify the detention of Leopoldo Lopez?" CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE) (REUTERS) CROWD CLAPPING CAPRILES AT EVENT WITH LEOPOLDO LOPEZ'S WIFE LILIAN TINTORI CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FEBRUARY 26, 2014) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION LEADER HENRIQUE CAPRILES SAYING: "My impression is that it is convenient for the government to maintain some level of confrontation with Leopoldo Lopez, they work to divide the opposition which is what they permanently try to do. And as far as we are concerned, and we have already said this, we (the opposition) have different visions but we have something much bigger that unites us which is the country." HIGUEROTE, VENEZUELA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CAPRILES DURING AN EVENT
- Embargoed: 13th March 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA7YNZGVYFDI5T4EFZAY181XEOM
- Story Text: Opposition leader Henrique Capriles on Wednesday (February 26) said the government of President Nicolas Maduro was 'consuming itself' and that the failing economy would eventually generate a bigger political crisis.
Speaking with Reuters, Capriles appeared confident and defiant.
"For who is it more convenient to have a dialogue? For us? Or for (President) Nicolas (Maduro)? I think for Nicolas (Maduro). Why? Because the economic crisis is going to generate a political crisis and he should be very interested that the political crisis doesn't end up getting ahead of the government," Capriles said.
Capriles said that the government would eventually do itself in.
"I feel that, with the way this government is behaving, it is extinguishing itself, this government is consuming itself. This government, in the last few days, for example, from the international viewpoint has generated more questions. There are more unanswered questions regarding the dead, the injured, the tortured victims, those deprived of liberty. How do you justify the detention of Leopoldo Lopez," Capriles said.
Opposition demonstrations began at the start of the month, but mushroomed when three people were shot dead after a Feb. 12 opposition march in downtown Caracas.
Maduro issued an arrest warrant for the country's second opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez who turned himself in last week.
Maduro had initially charged Lopez with terrorism and murder but those chargers were later dropped and faces the lesser crimes of inciting civil disobedience and damage to personal property.
Capriles said that it was convenient for the government to maintain a confrontation with the opposition and that it was always working to fracture it by pitting groups against one another.
"My impression is that it is convenient for the government to maintain some level of confrontation with Leopoldo Lopez, they work to divide the opposition which is what they permanently try to do. And as far as we are concerned, and we have already said this, we (the opposition) have different visions but we have something much bigger that unites us which is the country," he said.
The protests are the biggest challenge to Maduro's 10-month-old administration, although there is no sign they could topple him.
Both political camps continue demonstrating in cities around the country. In the capital Caracas, female opposition supporters rallied while agricultural workers marched to the presidential palace in support of the socialist government.
Students and other opponents of Maduro are demanding he quit over grievances including high inflation, shocking levels of violent crime, shortages of basic food, and what they say is his repression of political rivals.
Maduro, who narrowly won a presidential vote last April to replace his mentor Chavez, accuses foreign media of working with "imperialists" abroad to project an image of chaos. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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