News / Venezuela

You can’t get rid of me, Maduro tells opposition

Friday, 11 March 2016 9:00 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 11 March 2016 9:09 AM ]

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (photo by AFP)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says a campaign that has been launched by his opponents to remove him from office will fail.

Venezuela’s opposition alliance, Democratic Unity coalition (MUD), announced on Tuesday that it would pursue “all constitutional means” to overthrow the socialist government of Maduro.

The coalition vowed to hold protest rallies and push for both a recall referendum and constitutional amendment to end Maduro’s presidency.

MUD executive secretary Jesus Torrealba said more than two dozen parties had decided unanimously to activate “all the mechanisms for change” in Venezuela’s constitution in search of a “national unity government.”

Speaking on Thursday, Maduro said, “They will not get rid of me, nor should they get rid of anyone.”

He said his government “is here to work undisturbed in the great objectives of the economic recovery.”

Describing his opponents as “divided and corrupt,” Maduro said he was the one to steer Venezuela out of its current economic crisis.

Maduro’s critics, who call for reforms, blame him for the country’s deep recession, triple-digit inflation and depressing shortages of basics.

Government officials, however, have denounced the opposition’s plans as a US-backed attempt to bring about a coup in the country.

The opposition has vowed to start street rallies in the capital, Caracas, from Saturday.

Back in 2014, anti-Maduro street rallies turned violent in the capital, leading to the death of 43 people from both sides. Many people were also wounded and thousands were arrested during the violent protests.

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