Venezuela’s opposition has collected enough signatures to threaten embattled President Nicolás Maduro with the prospect of a recall election that could see him lose power for presiding over a national economic crisis.
The country’s election board has confirmed opposition petitions had been signed by 1 per cent of voters in every state, fulfilling the first major step towards holding a referendum on Mr Maduro’s leadership.
The election board’s head, Tibisay Lucena, said that 98 per cent of nearly 408,000 signatures gathered by the opposition Democratic Unity (MUD) coalition – twice the minimum required of 1 per cent, or 200,000 – in the initial phase were validated. She requested an investigation into the others amid claims of identity fraud, and did not name a date for the next phase, which requires the collection of 20 per cent of signatures.
The timing is crucial because if Mr Maduro were to lose a referendum in 2016 – as polls indicate he would – it would trigger a new presidential vote, giving the opposition a chance to end 17 years of socialism.
But should he lose a referendum in 2017, Mr Maduro (53) would be replaced by his vice-president, maintaining the Socialist party in power until the country’s next presidential election, scheduled for the end of 2018.
Venezuela is grappling with unbridled inflation, chronic shortages of basic goods and sky-high crime rates.
Opposition leaders are demanding Lucena set a date for the collection of 20 per cent – about 4m signatures – needed next to trigger the actual referendum.
"Only one step remaining," tweeted opposition lawmaker Freddy Guevara. "The better Venezuela is coming."
Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to Mr Maduro in the 2013 presidential race and has been the main driver of the recall push, has called for rallies to pressure for the next phase.
The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has urged Venezuela "not to play a game of delay" over the referendum.
The government has vowed there will be no referendum this year. It has launched nearly 9,000 lawsuits alleging massive fraud in signature collection.
"Legally it is dead," said senior Socialist party leader Jorge Rodriguez.
Critics of Mr Maduro blame failed socialist economic policies for Venezuela’s three-year recession, triple-digit inflation, product shortages and long lines at shops.
Mr Maduro, a former bus driver and foreign minister who succeeded the late Hugo Chávez, has said the fault lies with falling oil prices and an “economic” war by opponents.
Adding to the heated political climate, Venezuela’s supreme court ruled on Monday night that the opposition-controlled National Assembly’s activities would be “null” until it withdrew three opposition legislators whom the tribunal had suspended pending an investigation into alleged vote-buying.
Guardian service