Opposition digs in as controversial "constituent assembly" vote announced for July

Record ID: 876735

  • Title: Opposition digs in as controversial "constituent assembly" vote announced for July
  • Date: 24th May 2017
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BORGES, DURING SESSION
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2017 16:26
  • Keywords: crisis opposition Julio Borges Nicolas Maduro
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0046I781FR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Venezuela's opposition reacted with fury on Wednesday (May 24) after Venezuela's unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro vowed on Tuesday (May 23) to push ahead in July with the formation of a "constituent assembly" to rewrite the constitution before regional elections in December.
    Members of the opposition, including Congress President Julio Borges and some interviewed Caracas residents are convinced that these moves were Maduro's way of clinging to power. Borges is an opposition leader whose coalition is pushing for early elections, humanitarian aid to alleviate food and medicine shortages, and freedom for jailed activists.
    The South American OPEC member has been racked by strife, with 55 people killed during unrest in the past two months as public anger boiled over due to an economic meltdown that has left many Venezuelans scrabbling to afford three meals a day.
    Riots and looting have raised risks that protests could spin out of control, given the widespread hunger, anger at Maduro and easy access to weapons in one of the world's most violent countries.
    In an apparent bid to show the government was seeking a democratic solution, the head of the pro-government electoral council said voting for a controversial "constituent assembly" would be held in late July. Regional gubernatorial elections, meant to have been held last year, would take place on Dec. 10, he said.
    Maduro's rivals fear that a new constituent assembly could rewrite rules or exclude opposition parties, making a sham of future elections that would likely vanquish the ruling socialists if the polls were free and fair.
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