Fresh protests press Maduro in tense Venezuela crisis

CARACAS: Venezuela's opposition mounted fresh nationwide protests Wednesday to push for a vote on driving President Nicolas Maduro from power in the crisis-stricken country.
A week after a mass demonstration in the capital, supporters of the opposition MUD coalition rallied near offices of the electoral authorities demanding a recall referendum against Maduro by the end of the year.
The leftist leader also called his own supporters to rally across the country, to show his strength in the tense stand-off with the opposition.
Venezuela's once booming economy is in meltdown and outrage is mounting over shortages of food and medicine.
"We have to do something. Voting and peaceful protest are the only weapons we have," said Rosmina Castillo, 52, demonstrating in the town of Los Teques, just southwest of the capital Caracas.
"The government holds virtually all the power and can't come up with any more ways of avoiding the recall."
The rival demos have raised fears of a return to the unrest that rocked Venezuela in 2014, when a wave of pro- and anti-government protests left 43 people dead.
Maduro said Tuesday night his opponents were planning violence in an attempt to oust him in a "coup." But he assured supporters the protesters were "isolated."
Arrests
The centre-right opposition accuses Maduro of an authoritarian crack-down. Dozens of protesters were arrested in the aftermath of last Thursday's rally, according to rights groups.
The opposition says around one million people flooded the streets of Caracas that day, the biggest protest in decades. Maduro put the turnout at 30,000 people maximum.
But the massive crowds, dressed in white and venting months of pent-up anger, gave the opposition new momentum in its drive to end 17 years of socialist rule by Maduro and his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
"We want to accelerate the political and electoral solution to this crisis," said spokesman Jesus Torrealba.
Protests were called nationwide outside the local offices of the National Electoral Council (CNE), which is accused of stalling a referendum.
In Caracas, the opposition called its supporters to stop all activity for 10 minutes at noon (1600 GMT).
"The opposition's road map is to try to keep people participating. The challenge is to stay active and peaceful in the street while pushing a referendum," said political analyst Luis Vicente Leon.
'In war, anything goes'
But tension is running high.
The two sides "want to annihilate each other," said sociologist Maryclen Stelling.
"And unfortunately in war, anything goes."
The sharp drop in global oil prices since mid-2014 has pushed Venezuela's economy to the brink.
Long lines and bare supermarket shelves have become the norm and inflation is forecast to top 700% this year.
Outbreaks of looting have erupted and violent crime is festering.
Maduro blames the crisis on an "economic war" by Venezuelan elites backed by "American imperialism."
The opposition has won control of the legislature, but has been hamstrung by a Supreme Court it condemns as loyal to Maduro.
If Maduro loses a recall vote before Jan 10 – as opinion polls predict he would – it would trigger new elections. After that date, he would simply hand power to his hand-picked vice president.
Maduro's number two, Diosdado Cabello, vowed there was "no chance" of the recall referendum taking place this year.
Cracks in Maduro camp
"They are pushing the people's patience," senior opposition figure Henrique Capriles said of Maduro's side.
"What will happen if they pushing? A social explosion."
In the next stage of the referendum process, the opposition must gather four million signatures in three days.
Electoral authorities are due next Tuesday to announce the dates for that petition.
The opposition has called for more protests the following day.
Maduro is meanwhile facing growing pressure within his own camp.
Former Chavez minister Ana Elisa Osorio, once a steadfast ally, told AFP this week that recent events show Maduro is "not up to the job." — AFP