- Title: Venezuelan expats in Mexico denounce Maduro election
- Date: 30th July 2017
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (JULY 30, 2017) (REUTERS) VENEZUELAN EXPATS GATHERED IN PROTEST AND CHANTING "OUT WITH MADURO" VENEZUELAN FLAG AT PROTEST, PROTESTERS CHANTING "LET'S GO FORWARD IN THIS CONSTANT STRUGGLE" PROTESTERS CHANTING "UNITED THE PEOPLE WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED" PROTESTERS GATHERED AT BASE OF ESTELA DE LUZ MONUMENT GENERAL VIEW OF PROTESTERS GATHERED AT MONUMENT FOR CADETS KILLED IN MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR PROTESTER ON LOUD SPEAKER ADDRESSING DEMONSTRATION GENERAL VIEW OF PROTESTERS APPLAUDING SPEAKER AS THEY ARE GATHERED AT THE MONUMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN EXPAT, FRANDO TINTORI, SAYING: "We want the current National Assembly and constitution to be respected. As a way to support our fellow Venezuelans, we have come together in solidarity to protest and denounce all the violations that have been committed in Venezuela against students, against civil society and... of course, to call for freedom in Venezuela because unfortunately, we're living under a dictatorship." PROTESTERS GATHERED AT MONUMENT HOLDING UP VENEZUELAN FLAGS AND WITH A FLORAL WREATH NAMES OF PEOPLE KILLED IN PROTESTS IN VENEZUELA LAID ON FLORAL WREATH, MESSAGE ON FLORAL WREATH READS "I AM A FREEDOM FIGHTER" (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VENEZUELAN EXPAT, MARIAND EDGAR DI BONO, SAYING: "Venezuelans both in Venezuela and the rest of the world are fighting for our freedom and to end this humanitarian crisis. This is not about politics, we are not talking about the left and right. This is a flagrant violation of the magna carta and human rights." PROTESTERS GATHERED, SPEAKER ON LOUDSPEAKER DENOUNCING HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN VENEZUELA PROTESTER HOLDING UP PLACARD THAT READS "MEXICO, HELP US" PROTESTERS HOLDING UP LARGE VENEZUELAN FLAG RIOT POLICE GATHERED ACROSS ROAD NEAR VENEZUELAN EMBASSY
- Embargoed: 13th August 2017 23:05
- Keywords: Mexico expats Venezuela Mexico City protest President Nicolas Maduro constituent election
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016RWSAIV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuelan expats gathered in Mexico City on Sunday (July 30) to denounce an election for a constitutional super-body called for by unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro, fearing the move will cement his reign over the crisis-stricken nation.
Maduro, widely reviled for overseeing an economic collapse during four years in office, has pressed ahead with the vote to create the all-powerful assembly despite the threat of U.S. sanctions and months of opposition protests in which around 120 people have been killed. Joining Washington in denouncing the vote has been Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Argentina.
Critics say the assembly will allow Maduro to dissolve the opposition-run Congress, delay future elections and rewrite electoral rules to prevent the socialists from being voted out of power in the once-thriving OPEC nation. The opposition has vowed to redouble its resistance and U.S. President Donald Trump has promised broader economic sanctions against Venezuela after the vote, suggesting the oil-rich nation's crisis is set to escalate further.
Mexico has been a popular destination for Venezuelans fleeing food shortages and a flailing economy in the OPEC nation. Countries in the region have called for an early election and a humanitarian programme to be established to provide food and medicine to those Venezuelans in need. But the Venezuelan president has rebuffed such suggestions as foreign interference.
Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader narrowly elected in 2013, has accused right-wing governments of trying to sabotage "21st century Socialism" created by his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez. He still enjoys support amongst loyalists back home, including some in Mexico City who staged their own pro-government event outside Venezuela's Embassy. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
