The Venezuelan opposition's top vote-getter is calling for a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro.
Two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles called for a referendum to oust the socialist leader today. Capriles, who leads the more moderate wing of Venezuela's opposition, previously stopped short of calling for Maduro's ouster.
Maduro has been on a collision course with opposition leaders since critics of Venezuela's socialist government took control of Congress in January for the first time in more than a decade. Last week, the Supreme Court overturned the one decision Congress has made since being sworn in - their attempt to deny Maduro emergency powers to death with the economy.
Congress has been weighing several options for removing Maduro from office, including shortening his term, and calling a constitutional referendum. But many fear that the Supreme Court, which has never ruled against the executive branch, would simply overturn these efforts.
A voter referendum may be a longer and more risky path, but Capriles said it is one the government will be forced to recognize.
"Now is the time," he said. "They will not be able to overturn a referendum."
A governor who narrowly lost to Maduro in the last presidential election in 2013, Capriles leads the opposition party that won a plurality of seats in the new Congress. Maduro's approval ratings have languished in the 20 percent range for most of his term, but a recall referendum is no sure thing. The opposition would need to gather nearly 4 million signatures to trigger the recall process. If a vote is called, winning a simple majority will not be enough. The opposition will need to surpass the number of votes Maduro won in 2013.
