Chavistas Rally in Support of Maduro's Emergency Measures

Government supporters took to the streets this Saturday to support President Nicolas Maduro's extension of economic emergency measures. The opposition is rallying to push for a recall referendum this year. It is becoming a familiar pattern.

"Chavista march gathering, in support of Maduro's economic emergency measures" | Photo: Iain Bruce

Opposition supporters gathered near a major shopping mall to put pressure on Venezuela's electoral authorities to speed up the process leading to a possible recall referendum to remove President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela's opposition is seeking to recall the leader amid a worsening crisis that includes food and medicine shortages, frequent power cuts, sporadic looting and galloping inflation.

Two days ago the National Electoral Council laid out the steps it needs to take to verify the signatures delivered to activate the process. The opposition says it is too slow.

The march for a "communal economy" can be seen filling up Diego Ibarra Square. | Photo: Iain Bruce

Less than a kilometer away, Chavistas marched to the centre of the city to support the move made last night by President Maduro to extend and broaden the economic emergency decree he first introduced on January 14. 

The march was also organized in support of the "communal economy," according to teleSUR correspondent Iain Bruce. These are small and medium production projects based on community councils and communes.

"There's certainly more people here than at the opposition rally," Bruce added.

 

Community council members are marching to push for a greater role for their own production projects. @telesurenglish pic.twitter.com/W4vD0IKknL

— Iain Bruce (@IainB_teleSUR) May 14, 2016

The decree gives Maduro greater discretion to use funds to address the severe shortages and drought that Venezuela faces. The president originally mentioned three main objectives: to boost domestic production; to strengthen the new system of food distribution direct to people's homes, and to strengthen the social programmes or “missions."

But to these he has now added the need to counter any attempt to invade Venezuela. On Friday, the former Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, told a seminar in Florida that it might be necessary to send foreign troops to Venezuela.

Earlier on Friday, U.S. intelligence officials told reporters they were increasingly worried about the potential for an economic and political meltdown in Venezuela and predicted Maduro was not likely to complete his term.

But Maduro, a former union leader and bus driver, has vowed to stick out his term and accuses the United States of fomenting an undercover coup against him. He pointed to this week's vote against fellow leftist Dilma Rousseff in Brazil — followed by the U.S.'s "complicit silence" — as a sign that he is next.

"Washington is activating measures at the request of Venezuela's fascist right, who are emboldened by the coup in Brazil," Maduro said during a Friday night broadcast on state television. He said that a "coup virus" could return to Latin America.

The pro-government march is also calling for more effort to be put into developing economic activity based on the country's thousands of community councils and communes.