July 18, 2017•Update: July 18, 2017
By Nancy Caouette
MEXICO CITY
Venezuela’s opposition on Monday urged nationwide protests after more than 7 million voters rejected President Nicolas Maduro’s government and his plan to rewrite the Constitution.
“We appeal to the whole country to participate without violence in a 24-hour national civil strike on Thursday as a mechanism of pressure and in preparation for the culmination [of protests] that will take place next week,” Freddy Guevara, leader of the opposition Democratic Unity Coalition, said during a news conference in Caracas.
According to the coalition, 7.2 million of the country’s 19 million eligible voters cast ballots Sunday.
‘’The mandate the people have given us is clear. The world and [Venezuelan government] must hear the cry of an entire country” Julio Borges, leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, said in a radio interview.
Borges said the vote showed Venezuelans want Maduro to step down before the end of his term in 2019.
Supporters of Maduro’s United Socialist Party on Monday denounced the ‘’fraud’’ during the unofficial referendum, alleging that children had participated.
But civil groups, the UN, the Organization of American States, U.S. and a number of governments in Latin America and Europe backed the anti-Maduro vote despite being regarded as ‘’illegal’’ and ‘’politically irrelevant’’ by the Venezuelan government.
Maduro has repeatedly rejected demands he step down and said the protests were fueled by a right-wing opposition and the “imperialist” U.S. in an attempt to weaken his legitimate government.
In a telephone call Sunday to state television he said the vote July 30 on a new National Assembly to rewrite the Constitution “the only path” to peace and economic recovery.
The South American nation has grappled with deadly political and economic crises as low crude oil prices have forced the government to cut back or eliminate its socialist programs.
The opposition has blamed the government for the situation, alleging corruption by state officials, but Maduro has blamed the U.S. and its regional allies for causing the country’s current condition.
At least 96 victims have bene killed since April in protests between pro and anti-Maduro demonstrators.
