Push for Presidential Recall in Venezuela

!!!

In late April 2016 almost 2 million Venezuelans signed a petition calling for a referendum on the removal of President Nicolás Maduro from office, well in excess of the 200,000 signatures needed to start the process.  Over the course of a couple of days more than 1.8 million voters signed on, many claiming to have been Chavistas and former supporters of the socialist government, who now want the “incompetent” leader ousted.  With world oil prices continuing to stagnate, Venezuela’s economy is in free fall, with surging inflation, and Venezuelans have taken to looting stores and hoarding supplies.  Violent crime is at record levels, and the country is experiencing a severe drought, which has lowered water levels behind damns, and is causing constant power shortages due to a failing hydroelectric system.  What is more, observers inside and outside of Venezuela think many of these problems have been greatly intensified by Maduro’s ineffectual leadership.  For his part, Maduro has tended to blame all of the nation’s troubles on foreign conspirators and their local minions.  Though in the past the Venezuelan opposition has pushed massive protests that led to violence and deaths, now they say they want to use legal means to end Maduro’s administration. Venezuela’s troubles are grave enough that Pope Francis has offered his services as a moderator. President Maduro insists that the efforts of the opposition have no validity and pose no threat.