7.1 million Venezuelans vote in opposition referendum
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan’s opposition said more than 7.1 million people responded to its call to vote Sunday in a symbolic rejection of President Nicolas Maduro’s plan to rewrite the constitution, a proposal that has raised tensions in a nation suffering through widespread shortages and months of anti-government protests.
A 61-year-old woman was killed and four people wounded by gunfire that erupted after government supporters on motorcycles swarmed an opposition polling site in a church in the traditionally pro-government Catia neighbourhood of western Caracas.
Analysts said the vote for the opposition across Venezuela and the country’s far-flung diaspora was an impressive show of support. However, it fell short of the opposition’s 7.7 million-vote showing in 2015 legislative elections and the 7.5 million votes that brought Maduro to power in 2013. Opposition leaders said that was because it was only able to set up 2,000 polling places in a largely symbolic exercise that the government labeled as illegitimate. Still, some supporters said they were disappointed.
“I thought it was going to be more,” said Mariela Arana, a 56-year-old school counsellor. “But these seven million people spoke and it was plenty.”