Venezuela Capital Has Rival Protests Over Chavez

Yahoo.com/Reuters ^ | January 23, 2004 | Pascal Fletcher

[Cincinatus' Wife]

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of opponents and supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez marched in Caracas on Friday in rival protests over whether or not the leftist leader should submit to a recall referendum.

As the banner-waving marchers flooded different parts of the capital, the country's top electoral official rejected charges that the referendum process was being delayed.

National Electoral Council President Francisco Carrasquero said that if a December opposition referendum petition passed legal requirements, a recall vote would be held in May.

Carrying banners reading "Yes, there will be a referendum," opposition demonstrators took to the streets in their first big rally of 2004, the latest in a turbulent two-year campaign to try to oust the populist president.

In a competing protest reflecting Venezuela's sharply polarized politics, Chavez supporters gathered outside the National Electoral Council to back the president's allegations that the opposition referendum bid was riddled with fraud.

Troops in riot gear sealed off the council headquarters as the president's followers set off firecrackers outside.

The broad but deeply divided opposition coalition of political parties and civic groups accused electoral authorities of dragging their feet in checking pro-referendum signatures delivered last month.

"We're marching to demand that the National Electoral Council stops its delaying tactics," anti-Chavez union leader Alfredo Ramos said.

Opposition leaders accuse former paratrooper Chavez, who was elected in 1998, of trying to block the referendum. They say officials sympathetic to him in the National Electoral Council are collaborating with this.

"The slow verification of the signatures makes us suspicious," said anti-government marcher Marta Rocha, a retired teacher.

But Carrasquero rejected the criticism, insisting that electoral authorities would deliver an unbiased verdict on time next month.

"We think that around February 13 to 15, within the established timetable, we will be able to announce whether there will be a referendum or not," he told foreign correspondents in a briefing.

Nancy Bruzzo (foreground) and her daughter Ada look out their window at an opposition march in Caracas, January 23, 2004. Tens of thousands of foes of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez took to the streets Friday to demand a speedy recall vote against him this year, as a top electoral official said the referendum process was on track. The opposition demonstrators marched through Caracas in their first big rally of 2004, the latest in a turbulent two-year campaign to try to oust the populist president. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

ENOUGH SIGNATURES?

Foes of Chavez held their march to inject new vigor into their bid to vote him out of the presidency of the world's No. 5 oil exporter. They accuse him of trying to turn Venezuela into a left-wing dictatorship modeled on Communist Cuba.

The electoral council is checking the validity of the pro-referendum signatures -- 3.4 million according to the opposition count -- collected late last year. The minimum legally required to trigger a poll is 2.4 million.

Chavez has dismissed the opposition referendum petition as swelled with forged signatures.

Carrasquero, who denies charges he is partisan, declined to give details of how the signature count was going. But he revealed some boxes delivered as part of the referendum drive had arrived empty, without any signatures inside.

Echoing calls made by international observers, the electoral chief appealed to both government and opposition to respect the election body's decisions.

"If not, this could threaten peace in the country," he said.

Chavez has said he will accept the referendum decision. Carrasquero complained he had not heard opposition leaders make the same commitment. "That worries me," he said.

The international community, including the United States, the biggest buyer of Venezuelan oil, is backing the referendum as the best way to solve the political crisis peacefully.

But some analysts fear the process could rekindle political violence that led to a short-lived coup against Chavez in 2002.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Venezuela Defense Chief Demands Loyalty to Chavez

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

[marron]

Last I heard Chavez was trying to organize a counter-referendum to recall all of the opposition congressmen. Haven't heard how that turned out.

[genghis]

I suppose we should be encouraged by this.

After all there were no protests in the streets of russia or china after a few years of stalin and mao.
Maybe it is getting better.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

From what was reported, Chavez said he had enough signatures for their recall, but reports of the turnout had it so small, it probably isn't true. Anyway, Chavez will get the numbers he wants. Pity about all this.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They're certainly letting him know he's not wanted. Trouble is he has no intention of leaving.

[BenLurkin]

Ping for Frank G- and Mr. H-.

[WOSG]

CW, thanks for posting.

Commies under fire *PING*