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Post by suba on Oct 21, 2016 13:38:21 GMT -5
www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/21/venezuela-president-maduro-recall-referendum#comment-85921475Nothing left now but for the riots to start. The Venezuelan opposition’s campaign to oust President Nicolás Maduro has been thrown into disarray with elections officials’ decision to suspend a recall drive against the socialist leader a week before it was to start. In a related move, a court appeared to issue a ruling on Friday blocking key opposition leaders from leaving the country. “This is a big deal and reveals that the government was fearful of what could happen in the three-day signature collection period. They have effectively postponed the recall referendum indefinitely. This measure makes it difficult to think of Venezuela as a democracy,”
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Post by billyb on Oct 21, 2016 20:53:35 GMT -5
Yup, no other avenues left except rioting, now.
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Post by scumbuster on Oct 22, 2016 9:28:20 GMT -5
And so it begins. Oct. 26Venezuela’s Opposition Calls for Nationwide Protests after Recall Bid Halted Former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said Wednesday’s “Takeover of Venezuela” would not be like the Sept. 1 mass demonstration in Caracas, but instead would be carried out in all 23 states as well as the nation’s capital CARACAS – Venezuela’s MUD opposition alliance on Friday called for nationwide demonstrations on Oct. 26 to protest the electoral authorities’ decision to suspend a presidential recall referendum campaign. “That day will be the start of a nationwide mobilization. We’d already warned (this would happen). On Wednesday, we’ll take Venezuela from end to end, every corner of the country. I hope to see the people mobilized to restore the constitutional order,” former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said at a press conference along with the MUD’s other top leaders. Capriles, who spearheaded the campaign to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro, said Wednesday’s “Takeover of Venezuela” would not be like the Sept. 1 mass demonstration in Caracas when hundreds of thousands of anti-government marchers withdrew at 1:00 p.m., but instead would be carried out in all 23 states as well as the nation’s capital. “A coup occurred yesterday (Thursday) that only deepens the crisis we Venezuelans are suffering,” Capriles said, referring to high inflation and food and medicine shortages in the oil-rich nation, which has been battered by the steep drop in international crude prices. “We’re going to mobilize wherever necessary to restore the constitutional order,” he added, though stressing that the MUD does not want a putsch or social unrest. The National Electoral Council, or CNE, halted the referendum campaign on Thursday after five regional courts, all in states governed by Maduro’s allies, ordered the opposition signature drive be suspended due to alleged fraud in an initial signature-gathering process in May. The CNE’s decision came as the opposition was preparing for the next stage in its presidential recall campaign – a drive in which it was required to collect the signatures of 20 percent of Venezuela’s registered voters, or roughly 4 million people. The CNE ruled last month that, if the conditions were met, the recall referendum would take place in the first quarter of 2017. That was a key decision because, based on recall referendum rules, it meant that even if Venezuelans were to vote Maduro out of office, his vice president would serve out his term, which expires in 2019. www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2423700&CategoryId=10718
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Post by suba on Oct 22, 2016 12:35:19 GMT -5
To put into context just how afraid Maduro is, last week he ruled that not only were 20% of the population required to vote for his removal but 20% in each and every state. This meant that areas where his support was unquestioned would have to change their views dramatically in order for him to be kicked out.
He wasn't even confident that this would stop the process.
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