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Timeline of protests in Venezuela in 2016

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The 2016 Venezuelan protests began in early January following controversy surrounding the 2015 Venezuelan parliamentary elections and the increasing hardships felt by Venezuelans.[1] The series of protests originally began in February 2014 when hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans protested due to high levels of criminal violence, inflation, and chronic scarcity of basic goods because of policies created the Venezuelan government[2][3][4][5][6] though the size of protests had decreased since 2014.

In the first two months of 2016, over 1,000 protests and dozens of looting incidents were recorded throughout Venezuela.[1] Much of the looting occurred due to shortages in Venezuela with Venezuelans forced to stand in the sun for hours while waiting in line for scarce products.[1] The protests are listed below according to the month they had happened.

January

  • 5 January – After their success in the 2015 Venezuelan parliamentary election, opposition lawmakers were sworn into office obtaining a majority status while Bolivarian lawmakers walked out in protest shouting demeaning statements at the opposition as they left. With journalists granted to enter the National Assembly building for the first time in years, chanting and scuffles were reported and captured on camera. Outside of the building, hundreds of opposition supporters gathered while a larger crowd of government supporters gathered outside of Miraflores Palace denouncing the newly elected opposition parliament.[7]
  • 8 January – After the opposition-led National Assembly removed images of Hugo Chávez and Simón Bolívar, two symbols of the Bolivarian Revolution, from the National Assembly building, the Bolivarian government called for protests and to place the image of Chávez "on every street corner", with President Maduro ordering all members of the military to place images of both Hugo Chávez and Simón Bolivar in their homes.[8]
  • 13 January – Early in the day, three opposition lawmakers led protests outside of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice building after the lame duck parliament stacked the court with pro-government judges in December which blocked a opposition supermajority in the parliament.[7][9] While lawmakers were entering the National Assembly building, government supporters threw tomatoes and fireworks at them.[9] With no choice but to agree with the government-stacked Supreme Tribunal of Justice that threatened to make laws passed by the National Assembly invalid unless three opposition lawmakers under investigation were not sworn in, the opposition-led National Assembly accepted the terms and allowed the three lawmakers to leave the parliament.[9]

March

  • 13 March – The opposition launches renewed protests calling for President Maduro's removal from office. Thousands of Venezuelans protest either supporting or denouncing Maduro's government.[10]
  • 29 March – During a protest surrounding increased bus fares in San Cristobal, two policeman were killed while another four were injured when a bus driven by protesters struck the officers.[11]

April

  • 26 April – Opposition obtains documents to proceed with a referendum against President Maduro.[12]
  • 27 April – With 2 of 3 Venezuelans wanting President Maduro removed from office, Venezuelans begin signing documents to recall Maduro as the opposition holds a rally for signatures. Blackouts and other issues surrounding the Bolivarian government results in looting with over 100 arrested in Maracaibo.[12]
  • 29 April – During a protest against shortages of electricity in Caracas, opposition leader Jesús Torrealba was attack by government supporters.[13]

May

In an effort to recall Maduro, Venezuela's unified opposition delivered petitions with what it said were 1.8 million signatures May 2nd.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c Cawthorne, Andrew (17 March 2016). "Small protests proliferate in simmering Venezuela". Reuters. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  2. ^ Lopez, Linette (11 April 2014). "Why The United States Has Done Nothing About Venezuela". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  3. ^ "Protesters in Venezuela Press Government". The Wall Street Journal. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Venezuelans protest en masse in rival rallies". Borneo Post. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Venezuela's Maduro says 2013 annual inflation was 56.2 pct". Reuters. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Venezuela Inflation Hits 16-Year High as Shortages Rise". Bloomberg. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Venezuela's new legislature opens with rancorous session". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  8. ^ Sanchez, Fabiola (8 January 2016). "Venezuelan socialists protest new congress' ban on Chavez". Associated Press. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Cawthorne, Andrew (13 January 2016). "Venezuela opposition seeks to unblock congressional deadlock". Reuters. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  10. ^ Gupta, Girish; Cawthorne, Andrew (13 March 2016). "Venezuela opposition launches protests, Maduro counters". Reuters. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  11. ^ Polanco, Angry; Ramirez, Carlos (29 March 2016). "Two Venezuelan police officers killed in protest". Reuters. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Angry Venezuelans take to streets, setting up barricades and raiding shops for food". Fox News Latino. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  13. ^ Winter, Chase (30 April 2016). "Supply shortages force Venezuela's largest brewer to halt production". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  14. ^ "Recall effort builds against Venezuelan president". Deutsche Welle. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
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