CARACAS: Public outrage over sweeping new emergency powers decreed this week by President Nicolas Maduro was expected to spill onto the streets of Venezuela Wednesday, with planned nationwide protests marking a new lowpoint in his unpopular rule.
The demonstrations mark the strongest challenge yet to Maduro’s controversial declaration of a state of emergency.
Opposition-led marches in the capital Caracas and other major cities were to demand that authorities accept a recall referendum to determine Maduro’s fate. The 53-year-old president on Tuesday dismissed the push against him as “not viable” and said a petition it was based on was riddled with “fraud,” despite 1.8 million signatures seeking his ouster.
The 60-day state of emergency was imposed beginning Monday to tackle what Maduro said were threats to security, as well as food and energy shortages.
Many of the measures rely on Venezuela’s army and police being deployed to carry them out.
It notably suspends many constitutional protections by opening the way to expropriations and almost any action deemed necessary to maintain public order.
Individuals, companies and non-governmental organizations in Venezuela with links to foreign groups are also to be put under scrutiny and risk having their finances frozen, according to the decree.
The demonstrations mark the strongest challenge yet to Maduro’s controversial declaration of a state of emergency.
Opposition-led marches in the capital Caracas and other major cities were to demand that authorities accept a recall referendum to determine Maduro’s fate. The 53-year-old president on Tuesday dismissed the push against him as “not viable” and said a petition it was based on was riddled with “fraud,” despite 1.8 million signatures seeking his ouster.
The 60-day state of emergency was imposed beginning Monday to tackle what Maduro said were threats to security, as well as food and energy shortages.
Many of the measures rely on Venezuela’s army and police being deployed to carry them out.
It notably suspends many constitutional protections by opening the way to expropriations and almost any action deemed necessary to maintain public order.
Individuals, companies and non-governmental organizations in Venezuela with links to foreign groups are also to be put under scrutiny and risk having their finances frozen, according to the decree.
