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VENEZUELAN’S opposition went ahead with its “takeover” march yesterday in defiance of the pre-election ban on gatherings.
The Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) coalition said on Thursday that its “taking of Caracas” march would proceed ahead of Sunday’s elections to the new constituent assembly.
This is despite Venezuelan law prohibiting meetings, rallies, protests, campaigning and the sale of alcohol for 48 hours before an election.
Defence Minister General Nestor Reverol confirmed the legislation on Thursday, saying any events which could “disrupt or affect the normal progress of the electoral process,” would not be prohibited.
He warned the penalty for anyone “who organises, supports or instigates” such acts could face five to 10 years in prison.
Deputy speaker Freddy Guevara, acting leader of the right-wing Popular Will party, responded to the clampdown on protests by saying “the dictatorship says we cannot demonstrate from tomorrow.
“So? Tomorrow is no longer the taking of Caracas, but of all Venezuela!”
In an interview published in the Morning Star today, Venezuelan ambassador to Britain Rocio Maneiro said: “Without question this mobilisation should be seen as a coup attempt.”
But yesterday UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’s spokeswoman Liz Throssell urged Caracas to allow the march to go ahead “in line with international human rights norms and standards” — calling on the opposition to protest peacefully.
She added: “The wishes of the Venezuelan people to participate or not in this election need to be respected.”
Four months of opposition riots have left at least 114 people dead and hundreds more injured.
President Nicolas Maduro launched the constituent assembly process at the start of May in a bid to resolve the political and economic crisis. The body will be tasked with rewriting Venezuela’s constitution.
But the Mud immediately rejected it, calling it a diversion from their demands for an early presidential election and an attempt to bypass the national assembly where they hold a majority.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson joined US demands for the election to be cancelled.
He said he backed Vatican and regional calls on the government to “enter constructive talks with the opposition” — talks the Mud has boycotted since February.
