Venezuela's Right Wing Wants to Impeach President Maduro

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro receives military honors at Maiquetia airport, in Caracas, Venezuela October 20, 2016. | Photo: Reuters

Venezuela's right-wing opposition-led National Assembly said Sunday they will put President Nicolas Maduro on trial for purportedly 'violating democracy', in the wake of a nixed recall referendum against Maduro.

The measure is unlikely to get traction but it marked a further escalation of political tensions, and mirrors the right wing's "parliamentary coup" against Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff last month.

"It is a political and legal trial against President Nicolas Maduro to see what responsibility he has in the constitutional rupture that has broken democracy, human rights, and the future of the country," said opposition majority leader Julio Borges during a special congressional session.

The opposition coalition says Thursday's suspension of its drive for a plebiscite against Maduro is indicative that 'Venezuela has abandoned democracy'.

Maduro's party accuse the opposition of fraud in their signature drive and say the coalition is seeking a coup to gain control of Venezuela's vast crude reserves, the world's largest.

The opposition coalition has called for a major protest on Wednesday, dubbed "The takeover of Venezuela".

In Sunday's raucous session, lawmakers traded barbs, with ruling party politicians showing up in t-shirts adorned with late leader Hugo Chavez's eyes while opposition congressmen chanted "The people are hungry and want a recall!"

"Today we're going to hear of everything in the right-wing's reality show," said ruling party lawmaker Tania Diaz, who brought a picture of Chavez to the podium.

"None of you brought even a single photo of Maduro!" opposition lawmaker Luis Emilio Rondon taunted, as his peers chanted "You don't love Maduro!"

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