Page 11 - ATODAY

WORLD NEWS A11
Monday 14 March 2016

Venezuelans hold rival marches for and against government

ARIANA CUBILLOS state institutions, said the demonstrations whenever
legislation amounted to an the opposition calls a rally.
VICENTE MARQUEZ attempted coup. Still, Caracas residents had
Venezuelans have grown talked anxiously about Sat-
Associated Press accustomed to dueling urday’s protests, and some
marches in recent years. said they had made plans
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Government supporters to avoid the city in case
tend to stage counter- violence broke out.q
— Hundreds of opponents

and supporters of President

Nicolas Maduro held rival

marches in Caracas on

Saturday, with anti-govern-

ment forces demanding

Venezuela’s leader step

down and his sympathizers

denouncing U.S. sanctions

on some top officials.

The marches were ani-

mated but peaceful, un-

like massive anti-govern-

ment protests in 2014 that

left dozens dead and

barricades burning in the

streets. Government crit-

ics dressed in white shirts

marched through the cap-

ital’s better-off Chacao dis-

trict on Saturday, calling for

the liberation of detained

opposition members they

consider political prisoners.

“There is no bureaucracy

or military gang that can

stop us,” said National As- Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, left, and his wife Cilia
Flores, greet supporters as they arrive to take part in an anti-U.S.
sembly President and op- rally, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, March 12, 2016.

position leader Henry Ra- Associated Press

mos. “Nicolas, save us the

tragedy, resign! Do this fa-

vor for Venezuela.” gency with respect to Ven- The opposition coalition
officially unveiled its multi-
The opposition blames the ezuela, a decree used to pronged strategy for oust-
ing Maduro this week,
socialist-inspired govern- justify sanctions against of- drawing little reaction from
Venezuelans struggling to
ment for the widespread ficials accused of human make ends meet.
On Thursday, the opposi-
shortages, deep reces- rights abuses and corrup- tion-controlled Congress
gave preliminary approval
sion and soaring inflation tion. The individuals come to a bill that would put the
country on the road to a
plaguing Venezuela. from the top echelon of presidential recall referen-
dum. Lawmakers are ex-
“I swore that I would never Venezuela’s state security pected to give the bill final
approval later this month.
surrender to the oligarchy, apparatus that was respon- Members of the ruling so-
cialist party, which controls
under no circumstances,” sible for cracking down on the presidency and most

said Maduro, speaking in the 2014 protests and for

a central Caracas plaza pursuing charges against

where the pro-government leading opponents.

march ended. “Respect Venezuela!”

He denounced a recent shouted government sup-

decision by President porters, some holding up

Barack Obama to renew signs with images of late

an executive order that Venezuelan President

declared a national emer- Hugo Chavez.