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OPPONENTS OF VENEZUELAN President Nicolas Maduro claimed to have mobilized a million demonstrators last night in the biggest rally in decades, vowing weekly mass protests to demand a referendum on ousting him from power.
Police deployed in their hundreds to keep anti-government protesters angry at food and medicine shortages apart from Maduro’s supporters, who vowed to defend his “socialist revolution”.
The rallies raised fears of violence in the oil-rich South American state, where anti-government protests in 2014 led to clashes with police that left 43 people dead.
The leader of the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable, Jesus Torrealba, told AFP it was the “biggest rally in recent decades” with “between 950,000 and 1.1 million people” taking part.
Demonstrators dressed in white marched in the east of the capital, yelling “Venezuela is hungry” and “This government is going to fall”.
“We either come out to march or we will die of hunger. We are no longer afraid of the government,” said one demonstrator, Ana Gonzalez, 53.
The rallies come at a highly volatile time for Venezuela, where a plunge in prices for oil exports has led to shortages, violent crime and outbreaks of looting.
“This is a historic march. Today begins a definitive stage in this struggle,” Torrealba said.
‘People’ for Maduro
Thousands of Maduro supporters in red T-shirts and caps meanwhile rallied in the central Plaza Bolivar yelling to their leader:
The people are with you.
Maduro estimated his supporters’ turnout at up to 30,000.
“Today we have defeated a coup d’etat,” he told the crowd.
The opposition blames Maduro for the economic crisis and wants a referendum on removing him from power. He has branded the effort a right-wing “coup”.
“We are here at the call of our president, to defend the revolution,” said 37-year-old housewife Carolina Aponte at the pro-government rally.
The authorities arrested three opposition leaders in the days ahead of the march. Senior opposition figure Henrique Capriles said yesterday that two mayors had also been arrested.
Thursday’s marches remained mostly peaceful, finishing in the mid-afternoon, but isolated clashes between demonstrators and security officers did occur, with some violent incidents reported in other cities.
After the protest, state security agents fired tear gas against protesters who tried to block the main highway of the city after a group of masked men threw stones at some officers.
Opposition leaders and human rights organizations also reported outbreaks of violence in Maracay and San Cristobal.
The MUD said in a statement it would hold two further nationwide demonstrations: at electoral offices on 7 September, and a “national mobilization day” on 14 September.
Referendum drive
The referendum’s timing lies at the heart of the battle.
If it takes place before 10 January and Maduro loses, new elections must be held. If he loses in a recall after that date, he would simply hand power to his hand-picked vice president.
Maduro said yesterday he had prepared a decree to strip lawmakers in the National Assembly of their immunity. He accused the opposition speaker of the legislature, Henry Ramos Allup, of inciting violence.
The opposition “cannot be intimidated,” Ramos retorted.
“President Maduro, look at all these people who have poured into the streets of Caracas,” he said.
The polling firm Venebarometro says 64% of the electorate would vote against Maduro. A study by another pollster, Datanalisis, indicated eight out of 10 Venezuelans want a change of government.
Maduro blames the crisis on the collapse of oil prices and an “economic war” by businesses backed by US “imperialism”.
He faces deep public discontent over shortages of basic goods and an inflation rate projected to hit 720% this year.
Analysts have warned of a repeat of the deadly 2014 clashes that left numerous opposition leaders in prison.
Why weren’t the fire service called at the same time as the guards as they have the proper equipment to enter a building and rescue people. Just a thought.
How do you know they weren’t?
Stephen. Perhaps the Gardai were closer which is why they got there first and decided to help rather than wait for the fire engines to arrive. Not really fair to assume that the services let these poor people down.
Mallow is a part time station.
Wasn’t there a fire there a few weeks ago too?
RTE is reporting that it was a man and woman that died. Sad news nonetheless.
It seems to be fairly common around the country for gardai to get called to fires before the fire brigade. For whatever reason that is, maybe cost cutting!!
That’s a stupid comment. Gardai get called at the same time as the fire services. Difference is Gardai have cars not big slow trucks full of water. Gardai are already dressed and ready to go where as the fire services have to suit up first.
There are far more Gardai. Therefore the odds of them being closer are higher. It’s simple numbers.
It’s not a stupid comment, im aware of a number if incidents in my locality where people have rang and asked for the fire brigade and the gardai were sent first to check that the fire brigade were necessary. One of such incidents being a serious rta which was witnessed by a retired firefighter and called in by same, minutes wasted by call vetting and sending the gardai to a scene to go nothing but . . . . . Ring for fire and ambulance.
Martin I’m in the retained fire service, our local gardai have been called to fire incidents, like gorse fires car fires domestic fires etc. they then call us only if they can’t extinguish fire!
There is no such thing as call vetting in Munster as far as fire calls are concerned I should know I take the calls. Each area in Munster has a pre determined attendance set down by the chief fire officer of that local authority and depending on the type of incident the attendance is increased by the call taker. So there is no wait and see approach each call is dealt with and resources mobilised usually within 60 seconds.
And in certain areas that pre determined attendance was that oil spills were not up be dealt with by fire brigade and RTAs only to be attended if a person or persons are trapped in a vehicle.
As I said I can only speak for the Munster area all RTA’s are responded to when the fire service are requested by the Gardai ambulance or members of the public if there are persons reported or not if we don’t get the call obviously we can’t respond
That is vetting but before it gets to you..a caller wants help and you look at a list to see if you can give her help!!!how many times to do have to ring a senior officer to get permission to let the fire crew out!!!and by the way they make most of their decisions when not even at the scene..how can you risk assess from a bed not to mention that most senior fire officers have never been firefighters …the system in this country lets senior management tell firefighters what to do on the side of the road when they have actually never done the job themselves….it’s like the captain of a ship never been a sailor !!!!
I agree with your point about senior officers but the fact is that if it’s a life at risk call or has the potential to become a life at risk the fire brigade is mobilised regardless of senior officer standing orders there are certain situations in certain areas that require senior officer consultation before mobilisation but never when there is a danger to life. Just like firefighters emergency control operators are in a ranked based structure so have to follow the orders of superiors whether they agree with them or not
Your correct Adam…people in this country still call the gardai when they have a fire ….
Just push the button Trevor …we are all numbers at the end of the day….
Gardai are not already dressed to enter a fire
I never said they were. But we are already dressed to do our job.
Assuming you are a Member of AGS?
It is not the job of Gardai to enter a fire
RIP to the ones who lost their lives, very sad.
The gaurds were driving around that area all night and the garda station is close to were it happened they were at them appartments earler that night aswell for another incident. So if they were on the scene first thats why
Very sad thats the second fire in the same area in the last 2 weeks. About 2 hrs before that that i seen an ambulances and gaurds there aswell. R.i.p
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