Venezuela's opposition met with international observers Wednesday, pleading for help in reversing the denial of a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez.
Rioting subsided in cities throughout this deeply divided country, which sits atop the Western Hemisphere's largest oil reserves and is the world's No. 5 exporter. Venezuelans are torn between those who say Chavez has become increasingly autocratic and those who say he speaks for the poor.
At least seven people have died and scores have been wounded since demonstrations began last Friday, security officials said.
The violence halted after pleas from international observers and some opposition officials, but leaders warned more unrest is in store if citizens are denied their constitutional right to demand Chavez's ouster. A march was planned in Caracas for yesterday.
Venezuela's opposition appealed to the Organization of American States, the US-based Carter Center and other organizations and countries with an interest in the stability of one of the world's top oil exporters to help reverse Tuesday's ruling.
In Washington, US Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that Vene-zuela was in crisis because of "Chavez's increasingly antidemocratic actions."
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel rejected Noriega's remarks as "untrue."
"This is an absolutely and totally democratic country," he said Wednesday.
Chavez was re-elected to a six-year term in 2000. If he loses in a referendum held before mid-August, the midway point for his term, new presidential elections must be held. But if he loses in a vote held after mid-August, Rangel would take over for the rest of his term.
Opponents fear if that happens, Chavez would merely rule behind his right-hand man for the rest of his term.
The opposition handed in more than 3 million signatures in December to demand the recall. About 2.4 million are required for a vote.
But the elections council said Tuesday that only 1.8 million signatures were valid and that another 1.1 million signatures may be authentic -- but only if citizens come forward to confirm they signed.
The council rejected 140,000 signatures outright.
Prospects for a reversal of the council's decision were slim. Council director Jorge Rodriguez said Wednesday that election officials and opposition leaders -- with OAS and Carter Center mediation -- were negotiating a compromise -- but only on details, like how many voting centers to set up for the process and how long it would take.
The OAS and Carter Center boosted opposition spirits Tuesday by disagreeing with the decision to force citizens to sign again. They insisted an electoral solution is the only way out of the crisis. Among the obstacles are the differences among opposition leaders.
Some insist civil disobedience is the only option, arguing Chavez has proven -- by claiming the process is fraudulent and sending troops against protesters -- that he cannot be trusted to respect elections.
Others say street protests are useless, pointing to a botched 2002 coup and a bitter general strike last year that allowed Chavez to consolidate his control over the military and the crucial oil industry.
Moderates -- mostly traditional political parties who reluctantly went along with last year's strikes -- believe they can get at least 600,000 citizens to come forward to obtain the required 2.4 million signatures -- especially if the process is open to international scrutiny.
"Is this possible? Yes it is," opposition columnist Jorge Olavarria wrote in Wednesday's El Nacional newspaper. "It's difficult, it requires organizations, motivation and a desire to win. I think we have all of that."
A fire caused by a burst gas pipe yesterday spread to several homes and sent a fireball soaring into the sky outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring more than 100 people. The towering inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights outside Kuala Lumpur was visible for kilometers and lasted for several hours. It happened during a public holiday as Muslims, who are the majority in Malaysia, celebrate the second day of Eid al-Fitr. National oil company Petronas said the fire started at one of its gas pipelines at 8:10am and the affected pipeline was later isolated. Disaster management officials said shutting the
DITCH TACTICS: Kenyan officers were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch suspected to have been deliberately dug by Haitian gang members A Kenyan policeman deployed in Haiti has gone missing after violent gangs attacked a group of officers on a rescue mission, a UN-backed multinational security mission said in a statement yesterday. The Kenyan officers on Tuesday were on their way to rescue Haitian police stuck in a ditch “suspected to have been deliberately dug by gangs,” the statement said, adding that “specialized teams have been deployed” to search for the missing officer. Local media outlets in Haiti reported that the officer had been killed and videos of a lifeless man clothed in Kenyan uniform were shared on social media. Gang violence has left
US Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday accused Denmark of not having done enough to protect Greenland, when he visited the strategically placed and resource-rich Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump. Vance made his comment during a trip to the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a visit viewed by Copenhagen and Nuuk as a provocation. “Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland,” Vance told a news conference. “You have under-invested in the people of Greenland, and you have under-invested in the security architecture of this
Japan unveiled a plan on Thursday to evacuate around 120,000 residents and tourists from its southern islets near Taiwan within six days in the event of an “emergency”. The plan was put together as “the security situation surrounding our nation grows severe” and with an “emergency” in mind, the government’s crisis management office said. Exactly what that emergency might be was left unspecified in the plan but it envisages the evacuation of around 120,000 people in five Japanese islets close to Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military pressure in recent years, including
RSS