Protests planned after recall is stalled

Venezuela is bracing for turbulence after the socialist Government blocked a presidential recall referendum in a move Opposition leaders are calling a coup.

The Opposition is urging supporters to take to the streets, beginning with a march on a major highway yesterday led by the wives of jailed activists, while a leading government figure is calling for the arrest of high-profile government critics.

Polls suggest socialist President Nicolas Maduro would lose a recall vote. But that became a moot issue on Friday when elections officials issued an order suspending a recall signature drive a week before it was to start.

“What we saw yesterday was a coup,” said former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, who had been the leading champion of the recall effort. “We’ll remain peaceful, but we will not be taken for fools. We must defend our country.”

International condemnation was swift. Twelve western hemisphere nations, including the US and even leftist-run governments such as Chile and Uruguay, said that the suspension of the referendum and travel restrictions on the Opposition leadership affects the prospect for dialogue and finding a peaceful solution to the nation’s crisis.

The socialists won power nearly two decades ago with the election of the popular former President Hugo Chavez, and for years enjoyed easy election victories. But with the economy in free fall, polls show most Venezuelans have turned against the party, and over the years, the Administration has gradually become increasingly autocratic.

Critical television stations have been closed and several leading opposition activists have been imprisoned. The country’s Supreme Court, packed with government supporters, has endorsed decree powers for Maduro and said he can ignore Congress following a landslide victory for the Opposition in legislative elections.

The election commission, which has issued a string of pro-government rulings, halted the recall process on grounds of alleged irregularities in a first-round of signature gathering.

Polls suggest 80 per cent of voters wanted Maduro gone this year, and the electoral council last week also ordered a delay of about six months in gubernatorial elections that were slated for year-end which the Opposition was heavily favoured to win. It gave no reason for the delay.

The Opposition charges that the Socialist Party has simply decided to put off elections indefinitely in the face of overwhelming voter discontent.

The opposition coalition has called for a massive street protest on Thursday.