Venezuela's Lawmakers Gather 2 Million Signatures to Oust Maduro
- Oppostion surpasses signatures needed to start recall process
- Electoral authorities must now verify signature count
People sign for the referendum petition to revoke Nicolas Maduro's term in Caracas on April 27.
Photographer: Carlos Becerra/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Venezuela’s opposition said it had cleared the first hurdle in a drive to remove President Nicolas Maduro from the presidency as the country’s economic woes deepen.
Almost 2 million people signed a petition calling for a recall process to start, far outstripping the 200,000 required by law, opposition coalition chief Jesus Torrealba wrote on his Twitter account. It is not clear when the National Electoral Council, CNE, will begin to verify the forms. Once validated, the opposition must then collect nearly 4 million signatures, or 20 percent of registered voters, to force a referendum vote.