Venezuelan opposition seeks unofficial July 16 vote on Maduro plan

Record ID: 897913

  • Title: Venezuelan opposition seeks unofficial July 16 vote on Maduro plan
  • Date: 3rd July 2017
  • Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JULY 3, 2017) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** VARIOUS OF POLITICAL EVENT ORGANISED BY OPPOSITION VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER HENRIQUE CAPRILES CLAPPING PEOPLE AT EVENT LISTENING TO SPEECHES VENEZUELA'S OPPOSITION LEADER MARIA CORINA MACHADO AT EVENT JULIO BORGES, THE PRESIDENT OF THE OPPOSITION-LED NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JULIO BORGES, THE PRESIDENT OF THE OPPOSITION-LED NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SAYING: "All the organisations that subscribe to this document express the following: In such a way, we ask the National Assembly, according to article 71 of the national Constitution, to summon to a national process of sovereign decision so that it is the people who decides the course that the country must assume and whether or not it decides to adhere massively to the application of articles 333 and 350 of the Constitution." PEOPLE STANDING UP AND CLAPPING DURING SPEECH BY BORGES BORGES ON STAGE WITH VENEZUELAN FLAG IN BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JULIO BORGES, THE PRESIDENT OF THE OPPOSITION-LED NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SAYING: "If the dictatorship comes to fulfil its purpose and consolidate itself with this fraud, it definitively means the dissolution of Venezuela. We fit into to the Constitution. In Maduro's invention, only he and his project to stay in power, fit in." PEOPLE CLAPPING GENERAL VIEW OF EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) LILIAN TINTORI, WIFE OF VENEZUELA'S BEST-KNOWN JAILED OPPOSITION LEADER, LEOPOLDO LOPEZ, SAYING: "We put forward a question to the people that on Sunday July 16 they decide what they want for their future. With that question, it will be clear that we do not want a constituent. It will be clear that we want renewal of powers and it will be clear we want democracy in Venezuela." PEOPLE CLAPPING AT END OF EVENT
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2017 21:20
  • Keywords: Lilian Tintori opposition leader speeches Venezuela politics Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro political tourmoil
  • Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016O5Z8SN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Venezuela's opposition said on Monday (July 03) it plans to organize an unofficial referendum later this month on President Nicolas Maduro's controversial plan to rewrite the constitution via a special new congress.
    The Democratic Unity coalition, which is starting a fourth month of street protests against the socialist government it decries as a dictatorship, will organize the symbolic vote for July 16 aiming to delegitimise the already unpopular Maduro.
    Venezuelans will also be asked their view on the military's responsibility for "recovering constitutional order" and the formation of a new "national unity" government, the Democratic Unity coalition announced.
    Maduro, 54, Chavez's unpopular successor, says the assembly is the only way to bring peace to Venezuela after the deaths of at least 84 people in and around anti-government unrest since the start of April.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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