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Venezuelan president proposes early parliamentary election

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a rally in support of the government and to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the arrival to the presidency of the late President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, Venezuela February 2, 2019. REUTERS

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro proposed early parliamentary elections on Saturday, seeking to shore up his crumbling rule after a senior general defected to the opposition and tens of thousands thronged the streets in protest at his government.

As domestic and international pressure on Maduro to step down mounts, a senior air force general disavowed him in a video that circulated earlier on Saturday, expressing his allegiance to parliament head and self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido Reuters reported.

The military’s support is crucial for Maduro, who is deeply unpopular, largely due to an unprecedented economic crisis that has prompted an exodus of millions. Maduro claims he is victim of a coup directed by the United States.

In a speech to supporters, Maduro said the powerful government-controlled Constituent Assembly would debate calling elections this year for the National Assembly parliament, which is opposition-controlled.

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Guaido has called for a new, fair presidential election after the disputed vote won by Maduro last year.

“You want elections? You want early elections? We are going to have parliamentary elections,” Maduro told a pro-government rally in Caracas, held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez’s first inauguration as president.

Opposition lawmaker Armando Armas said in a statement that proposing bringing forward the parliamentary elections, which were scheduled for 2020, was just another act of provocation.

“Maduro is not the president and the Constituent Assembly has no legitimacy, no value,” he said.

While small rebellions against Maduro have broken out in Venezuela’s armed forces in recent months, there has been no large scale military uprising against him.

However, General Francisco Yanez of the air force’s high command became the first active Venezuelan general to recognize Guaido since he proclaimed himself president on Jan 23. Venezuela’s chief military attache to the United States also said he was defecting last week.

“People of Venezuela, 90 per cent of the armed forces of Venezuela are not with the dictator, they are with the people of Venezuela,” Yanez said in the video. “Already the transition to democracy is imminent.”

On its Twitter account, the air force’s high command accused the general of treason.

At an opposition rally in Caracas, Guaido told his supporters he expected more to follow Yanez’s example. The previously little-known 35-year old industrial engineer has offered the military and public officials amnesty if they defect.

S-Davies Wande