Venezuela opposition wins supermajority in National Assembly

Maduro said “a new stage has begun” and it was time for “constructive self-criticism” in his party.

He and his top officials continue to blame an “economic war” for confusing Venezuelans, describe the opposition as a “counter-revolutionary” force, and warn disenchanted former supporters they will regret their vote.

Opposition lawmaker Miguel Pizarro, who was reelected to Congress, greets supporters as he arrives for a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Dec. 7, 2015. It is worth noting that the government’s recognition of the MUD victory stands in marked contrast to the opposition’s repeated refusals to accept electoral losses in the past (including 2004, 2006, 2013), despite the fact that numerous observers, including Jimmy Carter, have praised Venezuela’s electoral system as technically sound and “the best in the world”.

The newly elected deputy in charge of the amnesty bill, Delsa Solorzano, vowed the opposition would push ahead with it and had the constitutional means to pass the measure.

Venezuela has not seen a divided authorities since Chavez came to power in 1998, & Maduro’s remarks Tues. added fuel to fears in that the 2 camps will probably be unable to share power.

On Monday, Mr Maduro announced a week of debate on rebuilding the strength of the Bolivarian movement – named after 19th-century liberation leader Simon Bolivar and founded by late president Hugo Chavez.

Venezuela’s opposition urged Maduro earlier on Tuesday to stop making excuses for his candidates’ defeat and instead urgently tackle food shortages and free the jailed politicians. The Democratic Unity opposition coalition secured, by a single seat, a two-thirds supermajority, surpassing its even most-optimistic forecasts. “I’m not going to give up; I’m going to fight”. Accompanied by members of his top military command, he accused his opponents of sowing discrimination and class hatred, cautioning workers who voted for the opposition that they would regret their decision to abandon support for the government.

The opposition’s victory reflects widespread discontent with Maduro’s economic program.

The third, and perhaps most important reason why Maduro will have a hard time suppressing or ignoring the new congressional majority, is that the price of oil – which accounts for 98 percent of Venezuela’s foreign income – has fallen to its lowest level in seven years, and is not likely to recover much anytime soon.

The next presidential election is due in April 2019.

Venezuela is one of the few countries where balloting is 100 percent electronic, and despite considerable scrutiny no credible evidence has emerged that the machines themselves are flawed.

He said his Socialist Party would hold an “extraordinary congress” to find out what went wrong at the election.

“This government does not understand that it lost, nor the magnitude of what is at stake”, opposition activist Maria Corina Machado said.