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Venezuelan president accuses opposition of planning anti-gov't coup

Xinhua, August 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday accused the right-wing opposition of planning an anti-government coup scheduled for Thursday, when the opposition will stage a protest to demand a recall vote against the sitting president.

Addressing a popular gathering in Caracas, Maduro described the country's opposition as "coup leaders" and "fascists," due to the fact that "they don't respect the rules of the game."

"Together we will defeat the coup and political violence in order to build the Bolivarian revolution in peace," he said.

Maduro also condemned the "onslaught of the (U.S.) empire" against Latin American countries that are governed by left-wing leaders, while reiterating his support for Brazil's suspended president Dilma Rousseff and the presidents of Ecuador and Bolivia, Rafael Correa and Evo Morales.

The protest scheduled for Sept. 1 in Caracas has been called for by the opposition coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) in an attempt to push for a recall vote against Maduro, as the country is facing a severe economic crisis with chronic shortage of goods and spiraling inflation. However, details of the protest have yet to be announced.

Maduro called upon the Venezuelan people to defend the social achievements accomplished during the last 17 years since the socialist government came to power.

"I call upon the people to defend peace, the constitution, democracy and the right to life. The right (wing opponents) are coming to do away with social rights for the people, they are coming to plague Venezuela and America with hunger and misery once again, just as they plagued us during their 200 years of domination," said the president.

"If the opposition came to power they would impose the measures from the International Monetary Fund," he added.

Earlier in the day, Diosdado Cabello, vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, said, "All of those that are participating in the coup d'etat will go to jail."

"They will not receive the same treatment as in 2002," said Cabello in reference to a pardon granted by then president Hugo Chavez to those involved in a coup in 2002. Endi