Political mistrust grows in Venezuela ahead of major protest

The gulf between the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) is widening, 10 days ahead of a mass protest to demand a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro.

On Sunday, the PSUV mayor of Caracas, Jorge Rodriguez, stated that during the march on September 1, the opposition was likely to seek new violent ways to force the "impossibility" of holding the referendum in 2016.

"They are seeking to reach a critical mass that will renew the acts of violence, as I am certain they have a plan B," Rodriguez told the private TV station, Televen.

However, the MUD released a statement on its website Sunday, stating that the protest "will uncover the deception to which we are subjected," referring to the government's unwillingness to hold the referendum this year.

Should Maduro lose a recall referendum before January 10, 2017, new presidential elections would be automatically triggered. However, should this happen after January 10, 2017, he would step down but his vice-president would take over the presidency until the end of the mandate on January 10, 2019.

However, the MUD made it clear that the protest will be "pacific" and added that the government was trying to create "false positives" about the opposition's violence.

On September 1, the MUD and its followers will demand a specific date on which to begin collecting signatures from 20 percent of the electorate, which are needed to trigger the referendum.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) has tentatively stated this could happen in October yet this would likely prevent the referendum happening this year. Enditem