Police presence grew in Venezuela’s capital Thursday as tensions simmered and protests loomed.
Opposition leaders have vowed to make their voices heard with a peaceful march dubbed “The Takeover of Caracas.”
Their focus: demanding a recall referendum aimed at removing President Nicolas Maduro from power.
Venezuela’s government claims the opposition has a more nefarious aim: violence in the streets. State television called for supporters of the government to march in an “anti-coup” protest.
“Anyone who tries to undermine peace in the country will be arrested,” said lawmaker Diosdado Cabello, a prominent politician in Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
Supporters of the opposition warned that the government could be gearing up for a crackdown.
In recent days, Venezuela’s government has detained at least six opposition leaders, accusing them of conspiring against the government.
“Those detained have a history of destabilizing acts in our country, and it cannot be ruled out that there will be more detentions of violence-generating elements of the Venezuelan ultra-right,” Interior and Justice Minister Nestor Reverol said this week.
Government threats won’t make the opposition back down, said Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to Maduro in a 2013 election after Hugo Chavez’s death.
“Maduro is afraid! The more obstacles there are, the more people will peacefully be in the streets!” Capriles wrote Thursday on Twitter.
For months, opposition parties have been pushing for the government to hold a referendum on Maduro’s presidency.
Many Venezuelans have lost patience with the socialist President amid widespread shortages of food and medical supplies, surging crime levels, rolling blackouts and massive inflation. Experts predict Venezuela’s economy will shrink by 10% this year, while inflation will rise by 700%.
Venezuelan officials say they aren’t to blame for the country’s mounting problems; they accuse the political right of carrying out an economic war to undermine the government.