Thousands protest Maduro's special powers

[discocrisco01]

Source: AFP

Caracas — Venezuela's opposition leader Henrique Capriles rallied thousands of demonstrators Saturday to use midterm elections to underscore public opposition to President Nicolas Maduro's special emergency powers.
The march came just hours after one of Capriles's closest aides, Alejandro Silva, was taken out of his hotel, roughed up and detained.
"All of the chaos we are seeing is going to get worse... if the ruling (socialist) party wins the midterms," he said, referring to the December 8 vote.
Maduro says he needs the strengthened hand, which he won for a year, to counter inflation and shortages his government blames on "parasitic" conservative business interests.
The opposition says the new powers are a tool granted to the government for electoral gain ahead of December 8 municipal elections

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gxOWZVvXx0KmnkoHqLHJhgJXfk1Q?docId=69f7ea5a-e586-4e93-ab65-06fe599b27da

[Laelth]

1. Venezuela's oligarchs are going to pitch a really long fit.

I hope they don't destabilize the country in the process. They're trying to do exactly that, but I hope they fail.

-Laelth

[geek tragedy]

2. The country is very closely divided--Maduro barely won his election.

True the oligarchs oppose Maduro for the same reason they opposed Chavez, but many other Venezuelans oppose him on legitimate grounds such as his economic illiteracy and his desire to rule like a dictator.

[Laelth]

3. Sounds like the U.S.

Almost evenly divided.

Thanks for your insight.

-Laelth

[Judi Lynn]

4. Interesting reason your source gave for the protests.

Other reasons have been given by other propagandists, as well:

Opposition marches in Venezuela ahead of local elections

Daniel Wallis and Efrain OteroReuters
5:54 p.m. EST, November 23, 2013

CARACAS (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched in Venezuela on Saturday to pressure President Nicolas Maduro's government before December 8 local elections after their leader denounced the pre-dawn arrest of one of his aides.

The vote for control of 335 municipalities will be the first big test of Maduro's political strength after he narrowly defeated his opposition rival, Henrique Capriles, in a presidential election in April.

More:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-rt-us-venezuela-opposition-20131123,0,4770450.story

[center]~ ~ ~[/center]

Venezuelan opposition seeks to rebuild momentum in nationwide day of protests
By Vivian Sequera, The Associated Press November 23, 2013 3:00 PM

CARACAS, Venezuela - Thousands of opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro took to the streets on Saturday to express outrage over the country's deepening economic crisis, seeking to rebuild momentum sapped after a string of electoral defeats.

The nationwide day of protests was the first called by opposition leader Henrique Capriles since he lost by a thin margin to Maduro in April's snap election following the death of Hugo Chavez and came just two weeks before key mayoral elections.

Reflecting a certain fatigue that besets both sides in this deeply polarized nation, only about 5,000 people gathered at Plaza Venezuela in Caracas to march with Capriles — a far cry from the masses that flooded Caracas's avenues during his final rally during the presidential campaign. Still, turnout was greater than recent government-organized acts.

Government intimidation, internal power struggles and virtually no access to televised media have disheartened many in the opposition, leaving it in a weaker position to challenge Maduro even as the president's approval ratings have declined.

More:
http://www.canada.com/news/Venezuelan+opposition+seeks+rebuild+momentum+nationwide+protests/9205306/story.html

[Laelth]

5. That's about what I assumed.

One side has the genuine support of vast numbers of people. The other side has a lot of money.

-Laelth