Venezuela opposition calls October 12 protest to press Maduro recall

Record ID: 85336

  • Title: Venezuela opposition calls October 12 protest to press Maduro recall
  • Date: 26th September 2016
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (SEPTEMBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS ATTENDING OPPOSITION RALLY WOMAN HOLDING FLAG READING "RESISTANCE" VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION LEADER, MARIA CORINA MACHADO AT RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SECRETARY-GENERAL OF DEMOCRATIC UNITY ROUNDTABLE, JESUS TORREALBA, SAYING: "The recall referendum will be this year. There are no technical or legal reasons why it should not be so. The recall referendum will be in 2016 because it is in the Constitution and it is our right, our necessity as a people." GENERAL VIEW OF TORREALBA SHOUTING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SECRETARY-GENERAL OF DEMOCRATIC UNITY ROUNDTABLE, JESUS TORREALBA, SAYING: "The 26th, 27th and 28th of October will be three days of the democratic people in the street, fulfilling the constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela." LILIANA TINTORI, WIFE OF JAILED OPPOSITION LEADER LEOPOLDO LOPEZ, APPLAUDING OPPOSITION LEADER, HENRIQUE CAPRILES, SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION LEADER, HENRIQUE CAPRILES, SAYING: "This recall referendum is not only against Maduro, it is against this nefarious and corrupt government. They will go to hell." VARIOUS OF AUDIENCE WATCHING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION LEADER, HENRIQUE CAPRILES, SAYING: "Ask the people in the lines if they want a recall referendum. So, brothers, there will be a recall referendum because the Venezuelan people want a recall referendum." GENERAL VIEW OF RALLY
  • Embargoed: 11th October 2016 19:57
  • Keywords: Jesus Torrealba opposition recall referendum
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA001517DSG3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Venezuela's opposition called on Monday (September 26) for mass rallies nationwide on Oct. 12 to push for a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro this year as they seek to oust his Socialist Party in an early presidential election.
    The campaign for a recall referendum has run into opposition from the country's election board, which is imposing restrictions and argues it will take until 2017 to put the proper conditions in place.
    The Democratic Unity coalition urged daily protests against "anti-constitutional" conditions by the board.
    "The recall referendum will be this year. There are no technical or legal reasons why it should not be so. The recall referendum will be in 2016 because it is in the Constitution and it is our right, our necessity as a people," opposition coalition head Jesus Torrealba told hundreds of supporters in Caracas.
    Maduro's term runs until 2019. If Maduro lost a recall this year, as polls suggest he would give a brutal economic crisis, presidential elections would be called under the Constitution. If next year, the vice president would take over and serve out his remaining two years.
    Venezuela's electoral council last week said the earliest a referendum could be held, if at all, would be early 2017. That would effectively guarantee that the Socialist Party remains in power until 2019, even as food shortages and soaring prices have many Venezuelans skipping meals.
    "Ask the people in the lines if they want a recall referendum. So, brothers, there will be a recall referendum because the Venezuelan people want a recall referendum," said opposition leader and former presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles.
    The election board has stipulated that 20 percent of voters in all 23 states must sign a petition Oct 26-28 supporting a referendum for it to go ahead.
    The opposition argues the 20 percent threshold needs only to be met nationally, representing about 4 million signatures, and says the electoral council is a puppet of an increasingly authoritarian government.
    The opposition spent the weekend debating strategy before Monday's announcement at which Torrealba was flanked by opposition leaders in a show of unity by the historically divided bloc.
    Venezuelan officials blame the opposition for the timing, saying the coalition took three months to reach a consensus on the referendum and that fraud was committed in a preliminary signature drive.
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