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Hundreds Of Thousands Of People Flood Venezuela Streets To Protest Living Conditions

A young man holds poster with a message that reads in Spanish; “No more Socialism” as protesters gather for the “taking of Caracas” march in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Sept 1, 2016. AP PHOTO/FERNANDO LLANO
A young man holds poster with a message that reads in Spanish; “No more Socialism” as protesters gather for the “taking of Caracas” march in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Sept 1, 2016. AP PHOTO/FERNANDO LLANO

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Venezuela on Thursday to call on the government to allow a recall referendum to force President Nicolas Maduro to step down.

Opposition protesters, mostly dressed in white as a symbol of peace, filled three main streets in Caracas, carrying posters that read, “No more socialism,” “Maduro Out,” and “Venezuela wants a recall,” according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Organizers of the “Takeover of Caracas” protests had hoped that a recall referendum would shorten Maduro’s term, which is set to expire in 2019, and prompt new elections that could end the decades-long socialist rule.

Venezuela is a Bolivian Republic that became a socialist country in 1998 when Hugo Chavez was elected president. It’s an oil-rich country, but a drop in oil prices thanks to gross government spending, borrowing, and corruption means it isn’t reaping the financial benefits.

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Under Maduro’s rule, Venezuela has been dogged by a worsening economic crisis that has seen triple-digit inflation, shortages in basic necessities, and rampant crime. Mob justice has taken over in some parts of country. It is not uncommon for people to wait for hours in line near grocery stores based on rumors of basic food items like chicken and rice.

“Enough of this corrupt regime that has us going hungry,” Carmen Díaz, a 32-year-old secretary who was marching at the protest, told The Guardian.

“I came to demand that the recall election take place according to the constitution,” Nelson Rivas, a 35-year-old man in a wheelchair who was also protesting, told The Los Angeles Times. “Whatever your point of view, the condition of the country is the worst.”

Earlier this year, opposition organizers were able to gather enough signatures to force a recall vote. According to The Guardian, opposition organizers are now hoping to get 20 percent of registered voters — or 3.9 million people — to sign a recall petition to “formally trigger” a referendum that would take place at the end of October.

Demonstrators take part in the “taking of Caracas” march in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. AP PHOTO/ARIANA CUBILLOS
Demonstrators take part in the “taking of Caracas” march in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. AP PHOTO/ARIANA CUBILLOS

Maduro’s ruling party has accused opposition leaders of organizing a coup, and even arrested key leaders ahead of Thursday’s protest. Daniel Ceballos of the opposition Popular Will party, for example, was put in prison after spending a year under house arrest for his role in the 2014 anti-government protests during which 43 people were killed in the clashes.

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“We Venezuelans are peaceful and we cannot allow ourselves to be provoked by those who do not want change,” Henrique Capriles, an opposition leader, said prior to the march.

The poor living conditions in Venezuela have forced an exodus of some people to other Latin American countries. Argentina’s National Migration Office recently reported a 61 percent increase in the number of residence permits in the first six months of 2016, compared to the same time period from 2014.

Venezuela isn’t the only country in the region rocked by unhappy residents hoping to issue a referendum on their leaders’ policies. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was recently impeached, leaving in her wake a 11.2 percent unemployment rate and a dire economy that has likely seen a 9 percent shrinkage in GDP between 2014 and 2016.