The timetable for a recall referendum on whether President Nicolas Maduro should stay in power means it is unlikely there will be an early presidential election, and it will probably keep the opposition from power.
Image: Reuters/C. G. Rawlins
Advertisement
The schedule for the petition to collect the signatures needed to force a recall is crucial for the opposition in Venezuela. If President Nicolas Maduro loses a referendum held after January 10, he would just transfer power to his chosen deputy, who would serve until his term ends in early 2019. Before that date, there would be a presidential election.
President Nicolas MaduroImage: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Bzerra Jr.
National Elections Council President Tibisay Lucena said on Tuesday that opponents of Maduro's socialist administration will probably be authorized in late October to try to collect petition signatures from the 20 percent of the country's voters, or 4 million people, needed to force a recall.
Lucena said the gathering of signatures "would take place around the end of October" on condition that "all the regulatory requirements are fulfilled."
Election officials would then take 90 days to confirm the signatures and schedule a referendum on whether Maduro should remain in power.
On that timetable, a vote to recall Maduro would probably not happen until January or February.
Maduro has consistently said the recall will not happen this year and election officials have been accused of taking a very long time to get the referendum process underway.
Opposition response
Opposition leaders have said there is plenty of time for the recall vote to happen this year and potential candidate for the presidency Henrique Capriles has called for a major protest on September 1.
"The elections officials know that closing the tiny window of democratic change that we still have puts the country in a very dangerous place," Capriles said at a news conference. "They know that they have to obey the constitution."
Protests against the government have increased due to an economic crisis that has led to food shortages, riots and looting.
Lilian Tintori, wife of jailed leader Leopoldo Lopez, protesting in CaracasImage: Reuters/M. Bazo
Venezuela has vast oil reserves; by various estimates anywhere between 60 billion and 297 billion barrels, depending on how much of the oil can be technically or economically recovered. The higher figure would mean the South American country has the world's largest proven oil reserves - more than Saudi Arabia's 265 billion barrels.
But lack of investment and technical expertise have limited the development of the oil industry in Venezuela. A drop in world oil prices, together with currency weaknesses and a lack of locally produced goods and services has brought the economy close to collapse.
By IMF figures, at minus 8 percent Venezuela has the world's worst negative growth rate, along with the worst inflation rate at 48 percent. The unemployment rate is 17 percent but is expected to climb to near 30 percent in the coming few years.
According to Transparency International, Venezuela is the ninth most corrupt country in the world.
Scarcity, riots and drought: Venezuela is in trouble
Lufthansa has canceled service to Caracas as Venezuela's economic turmoil worsens. The country is one of the world's largest oil producers, but plunging prices have brought inflation to 180 percent in the past year.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/EFE/M. Gutiérrez
Hyperinflation bites into economy
Hyperinflation has made doing business in Venezuela untenable for many domestic and foreign firms. With the currency dropping, the government has made it difficult to convert bolivars into US dollars.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Ismar
Food shortages
Food shortages have become pervasive, spurred on by hyperinflation. Empty store shelves have become all too common across Venezuela.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Barreto
Queuing up to buy food
Food shortages mean that people have to wait in line to buy essential food items at select locations. Here people line up outside a supermarket in the poor neighborhood of Lidice, in Caracas.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Schemidt
Gathering signatures
Opposition leaders launched a petition drive to collect signatures for a recall referendum. They needed 200,000 signatures, or 1 percent of the electorate, but they got 1.8 million voters to sign.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Gutierrez
Green light for petition
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles shows journalists that the National Election Council has given permission for the referendum to go ahead. But President Nicolas Maduro's government is trying to delay the vote.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Gutierrez
Pushing for referendum
Protesters have taken to the streets, demanding that the referendum go forward.
Image: Reuters/M. Bello
Students protest
Students have also taken to the streets to demonstrate. They are protesting both the overall economic stagnation and also the government's efforts to delay the referendum.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Schemidt
Severe drought
A devastating drought has exacerbated Venezuela's problems. What was once a vast reservoir, held back by a hydroelectric dam, is now little more than a series of mud puddles.
Image: Reuters/C.G. Rawlins
Drought wreaks havoc
The country depends on the Guri Dam - one of the world's largest - for a significant portion of its electricity. While the reservoir is turning to desert, citizens endure daily black outs, and government offices open just two days a week to save electricity.
Image: Reuters/C.G. Rawlins
Health care suffers
Oliver Sanchez, 8, holds a sign that reads "I want to heal, peace, health" during a protest against the shortage of medicines in Caracas. Oliver has Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but the medicine he needs is no longer available.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Cubillos
Maduro under fire
Venezuela's economic dip is largely the result of oil prices that have plunged more than 50 percent in the past two years. But a severe drought is crimping electricity supplies, and focusing people's ire on Maduro.
