The Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) validated one percent of voters’ signatures Monday evening to complete the first step towards recalling President Nicolas Maduro.
Opposition legislators and supporters have long been looking forward to the CNE validating the signatures it collected to start the recall process. The next step for the opposition is to gather 20 percent of voters’ signatures, which amounts to approximately four million signatures, in only three days.
While the opposition welcomes the CNE decision, they have yet to hear from election authorities when the process of getting the millions of signatures needed to initiate a recall election will be greenlighted. Recalling the socialist Maduro has been a priority for the opposition since taking control of the Venezuelan National Assembly following a historic electoral victory in December 2015.
Until the CNE announces that signatures may be collected, the opposition will not sit down for talks with the ruling socialist government. The CNE decision comes as pressure is building on Maduro from both opposition politicians and the international community to honor the democratic process according to Venezuela’s own constitution.
Opposition leaders hope that a recall election will lead to the peaceful, democratic ousting of Maduro and will finally reestablish full-fledged democracy and economic prosperity. Since the death of President Hugo Chavez in March 2013, the Venezuelan economy has been faltering.
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