CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuela’s opposition is vowing to keep up pressure on President Nicolas Maduro after flooding the streets of Caracas with demonstrators Thursday in its biggest show of force in years.
Protesters filled dozens of city blocks in what was dubbed the “taking of Caracas” to pressure electoral authorities to allow a recall referendum against Maduro this year. Protesters, dressed mostly in white and carrying Venezuelan flags, chanted, “It’s going to fall, it’s going to fall, the government is going to fall.”
The buildup to the protest was tense. Maduro’s government jailed several prominent activists, deployed security forces across the city and warned of bloodshed.
A small group of protesters, some of them wearing masks and throwing rocks, squared off with riot police as the rally was ending. Police used tear gas to break up the crowd and arrested a few youths.
Maduro told a much smaller rally of state workers and hard-core supporters that opponents are plotting a coup such as the one that briefly toppled his late predecessor Hugo Chavez in 2002.
He said authorities had arrested people possessing military fatigues and C4 explosives, and who had plans to fire upon the crowds dressed as national guard members.
“Today we’ve defeated a coup attempt that sought to fill Venezuela and Caracas with violence and death,” Maduro told his supporters without providing details about the accusations. “We’re still looking for several criminals that paid to massacre the people.”
Caracas political analyst Dimitris Pantoulas said the “warlike” language may have actually energized opponents.
“The government made a big mistake by throwing fuel onto the flames,” said Pantoulas.
As the rally was wrapping up, the head of the opposition Democratic Unity alliance outlined the next steps in its campaign to force Maduro from office.
He called for a nationwide demonstration of pot-banging Thursday night to protest growing hunger. There are also plans for two more street protests, including one Sept. 14 coinciding with the arrival of heads of state from around the world for a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement on the island of Margarita.