Venezuela rivals seek to capitalise on Bolivia crisis

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro supporters rallied in Caracas on Saturday in support of Bolivia's ousted leader Evo Morales, while Maduro warned he will not tolerate any effort to replicate what he calls the "coup d'etat" that ended with Morales' departure into exile in Mexico. 

In a counter-rally, thousands of supporters of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido took to the streets of Caracas, demanding the departure of Maduro, but the turnout was far less than expected.

Pro-government demonstrators carrying white flags took to the streets of Venezuela's capital in support of Maduro.

Dressed in red, government worker Victor Castro said he had come to support Maduro and also former Bolivian president, who was recently forced to resign after weeks of upheaval.

"We are here in peace, that is what we want the world to see," Castro said.

In a tweet, Maduro said that the "streets of Caracas are filled with joy with people defending their right to democracy," and he called on supporters to "tell the world Venezuela is strong, in peace and building a socialist homeland."

Anti-Maduro protests

Meanwhile, Guaido called on his followers to remain in the streets and take up Bolivia's example.

"If we stay at home, we will lose," Guaido said, before marching peacefully with others to Bolivia's embassy in eastern Caracas, an opposition stronghold.

Guaido had hoped to capitalise on the situation in Bolivia, where leftist leader Morales resigned in the face of accusations of election fraud, to deal a death blow to his own political nemesis.

Opposition demonstrators did answer the call, about 5,000 of them marched, according to AFP's crowd estimate. They carried national flags and banners with slogans such as "Maduro out" and "Follow Bolivia's example."

"We are not going to falter," Guaido, who is recognised as Venezuela's acting president by about 50 countries, told crowds of supporters gathered in front of Bolivia's embassy.

"Bolivia took 18 days, we have been at it for years. I ask all of Venezuela to keep protesting," he said. "The struggle is until the takeover ends until free elections are achieved."

Guaido, 36, the head of the opposition-dominated National Assembly, has thus far failed to capitalise on early momentum built after he declared himself the crisis-wracked country's acting president in January.

His camp believes that the 2018 elections, which returned Maduro to office, were undermined by fraud. The opposition chief has urged the leftist leader, the political heir of late president Hugo Chavez, to call new elections.

"We have come today with very high expectations, we don't want this to be just another march," said Omar Kienzler, a 19-year-old law student.

The once-wealthy nation is gripped by crisis, which critics blame on years of failed socialist rule.

Maduro frequently blames right-wing forces backed by the United States, which he says is set on overthrowing him to steal Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

Failed uprising

The numbers of protesters on Saturday was a far cry from the tens of thousands Guaido once rallied, but it was the opposition's biggest rally since May, after a failed uprising.

"Evo is gone, Maduro is going, Venezuela shouts, we want freedom!" chanted 65-year-old Rafael Castillo.

Protests in Caracas and elsewhere unfolded without incident.

A poll by the Datanalisis firm on October 18-25 showed that 32 percent of respondents were inclined to protest in support of Guaido.

Venezuela is in the midst of its worst economic and social crisis in recent history. Inflation is expected to hit an eye-popping 200,000 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Outside major cities, power outages are frequent and medicines, petrol and cash are scarce.

The oil-rich country is subject to crippling US sanctions, including an embargo on crude.

The opposition blames the situation on official "corruption" but Guaido has been unable to galvanise enough support to move the political needle.

"If nothing major happens, Guaido's leadership will end up on ice," political analyst Jesus Castillo-Molleda told AFP.

A recent poll by the Delphos firm showed that 38 percent of Maduro opponents want a new leader to replace Guaido.