Venezuela’s political crisis deepens, with parliament in standoff with president

Reporting from Caracas, Venezuela —  Tens of thousands of Venezuelans poured into the streets of the capital, Caracas, and other cities Wednesday to protest the suspension of a campaign to recall President Nicolas Maduro. Supporters of the embattled president held their own show of strength near the presidential palace.

The demonstrations are part of a long battle between Maduro and the opposition, which launched the recall effort in February after winning control of the National Assembly.

Last week, the Electoral Council, which was appointed by Maduro, suspended the collection of signatures toward a recall.

On Tuesday, the assembly voted to hold a special session to put Maduro on trial — “politically and criminally” — for halting the effort. The move is unlikely to have any impact, since the Supreme Court, which was largely appointed by Maduro, would almost certainly overturn a guilty verdict.

It has already shot down more than 20 measures passed by the parliament with the aim of restricting his power. The opposition blames Maduro for food shortages, economic chaos and a wave of violent crime.

Legal experts have called curtailment of the recall unconstitutional, saying a recall is a legal means for citizens to challenge bad governments.

The Foro Penal civil society group reported that 20 protesters were injured Wednesday in the city of Merida and that 140 others were arrested in various locations. In Caracas, most of the demonstrators wore white and held placards or Venezuelan flags.

“Maduro out! Maduro out!” they chanted.

The president of the assembly, Henry Ramos Allup, and other opposition leaders, told protesters gathered in eastern Caracas not to give up on the recall.

“Now is not the time to leave the game or react emotionally when we have the match won,” he said. “Venezuelans are torn apart with fury over scarcities, hunger and insecurity.”

He also urged protesters to join a mass demonstration Nov. 3 at the Miraflores presidential palace.

The area around the palace has been unofficially off-limits to opposition marchers since a failed April 2002 coup against Maduro’s predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, in which 19 people were killed and more than 100 wounded outside the palace.

Jesus Torrealba, the executive secretary of the opposition coalition known as the Democratic Unity Roundtable, called for a general strike Friday — the first such call by the opposition since 2002.

The assembly did not set a date for its special session to try Maduro, who called it a “parliamentary coup” but said he would meet with his opponents Wednesday. But they seemed unlikely to show up.

“I’m not going to play the role of clown,” Ramos Allup told protesters.

Also in limbo is a meeting with opposition leaders to be held Sunday on Venezuela’s Margarita Island and moderated by representatives of the Vatican. Opposition leaders described it as a publicity stunt and said they would not attend.

In a statement broadcast Tuesday on national television, the defense minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, reiterated his support for Maduro, whose term is set to expire in April 2019.

Special correspondents Mogollon and Kraul reported from Caracas and Bogota, Colombia, respectively.

UPDATES:

4:12 p.m.: This article was updated with a new arrest figure.

This article was originally published at 3:45 p.m.