Boost for campaign to oust Venezuela's Maduro
Poll suggests 64 per cent of country would vote to remove embattled leader

Opponents of Venezuela's embattled President Nicolas Maduro have completed the first phase of their campaign to remove him.
The country's election board announced yesterday that the opposition had collected double the 200,000 petition signatures required to force a recall referendum that could lead to Maduro leaving office.
The timing of any future referendum is crucial. If it goes ahead by the end of this year, a vote against Maduro would trigger a new presidential election. "We still don't know if we will be seeing a referendum. It is not guaranteed yet," said Al Jazeera's Daniel Lak.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The opposition coalition alleges that the National Electoral Council (CNE) is staffed with government supporters and for that reason, the decision to advance the referendum process had been far from guaranteed.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the CNE "took three months to count and validate the signatures in the latest petition, compared with the days it has taken in the past to sign off on signature drives initiated by the government".
The process of securing a referendum is an arduous one and the Washington Post cautions that Maduro's opponents now face a much tougher challenge: gathering signatures from 20 per cent of Venezuela's registered voters - four million people - to force a recall election.
"It will have just three days to get the signature drive done," adds the paper.
The Financial Times says Venezuela's armed forces have emerged as a key player. "In a region once known for military coups, observers say any transition away from Mr Maduro would require the approval of the armed forces," writes Andres Schipani.
The army already controls food production and distribution in the country and several government ministries now report direction to the defence minister as well as the President.
A recent poll found 64 per cent of Venezuelans would vote to remove Maduro, who has presided over the worst economic crisis in living memory, severe food shortages, a three-year recession, hyperinflation, violence and looting. He blames the situation on falling oil prices and an economic war by opponents.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Saving the post office
Feature The U.S. Postal Service is facing mounting losses and growing calls for privatization. Can it survive?
By The Week US Published
-
Rule of law: Are we in a constitutional crisis?
Feature Donald Trump defies federal court order to halt deportation flights to El Salvador
By The Week US Published
-
What does the Le Pen verdict mean for the future of French politics?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Convicted of embezzlement and slapped with a five year ban on running for public office, where does arch-conservative Marine Le Pen go from here — and will the movement she leads follow?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson Published
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published