Venezuela opposition seeks unity in anti-Maduro push
Venezuela's divided opposition sought unity Tuesday in its bid to oust President Nicolas Maduro, after several top opponents rejected a proposal by Pope Francis for talks as playing into the leftist leader's hands.
A Vatican-backed plan for talks on the country's crushing political and economic crisis has laid bare the divisions in the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), a shaky coalition united mainly by shared hatred of Maduro.
After the pope's envoy for the crisis announced Monday the two sides had agreed to a "national dialogue" -- just after Maduro held a private audience with Francis at the Vatican -- tension within the center right-dominated opposition boiled over.
One top leader, Henrique Capriles, accused Maduro of taking advantage of Francis's "good faith." Others voiced bewilderment, saying they had only learned on TV about the proposal to hold talks on the Caribbean island of Margarita.
Seeking to get back on track with its strategy to oust Maduro -- the man it blames for driving the once-booming oil producer to the brink of collapse -- the opposition vowed Tuesday to stick to its strategy of anti-government protests and an assault from the opposition-majority legislature.
That has been the opposition's game plan ever since Venezuela's electoral authorities last week blocked a referendum on removing Maduro from power, alleging fraud was committed in an initial petition requesting a recall vote.
"No dialogue has been opened in Venezuela. The MUD's agenda remains intact," said Capriles, a state governor and two-time presidential candidate.
- Appeals for unity -
MUD lawmakers appealed to their colleagues not to lose focus at a legislative session to debate opening a "political trial" against Maduro.
"If some (opposition figures) want to (hold talks) and others don't, it's a failure," said majority leader Julio Borges.
"We have to get the full MUD to decide. And with great determination we must keep up the pressure on all fronts and achieve the most important thing: a vote on change in this country."
Even the main opposition figure involved in the Vatican-backed negotiations, MUD secretary general Jesus Torrealba, appeared to step back from the plan Tuesday.
"Venezuelans have stopped trusting the word dialogue because the government has emptied it of meaning," he said.
- 'Not even Superman Francis...' -
Political analysts were meanwhile skeptical about the prospects for talks to resolve the crisis.
"Even if Pope Francis comes here dressed up as Superman, dialogue won't resolve" the crisis, said political scientist Nicmer Evans.
The MUD said Monday it would only agree to talks if the government respected the right to a referendum and freed its imprisoned activists and leaders, among other demands.
It said any talks should take place in the capital Caracas, "in the public eye."
- Maduro rally planned -
Analysts have warned of an increased risk of violent unrest in Venezuela. Clashes at anti-government protests in 2014 left 43 people dead.
On Monday a students' group said 27 people were injured in clashes with police at an anti-government protest in the western city of San Cristobal.
Hit by the fall of global oil prices, Venezuela's economy has crashed, sparking protests and looting driven by shortages of food, medicine and basic goods.
Maduro calls the economic crisis a capitalist conspiracy.
His opponents say it is the result of severe mismanagement during 17 years of socialist rule under Maduro and his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
In recession since the beginning of 2014, Venezuela's economy is facing a contraction of 10 percent this year and inflation of 475 percent, rising to 1,660 percent next year, the IMF forecasts.
Maduro's public support has crumbled. A recent poll found more than 75 percent of Venezuelans disapprove of him.
The opposition is planning nationwide street protests Wednesday, the day it was to have begun collecting the four million signatures needed to trigger a recall referendum against Maduro.
The president was due to lead supporters in a rally in Caracas later Tuesday.