2007 Venezuelan demonstrations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

...

Venezuelan demonstrations for and against President Hugo Chávez's proposed December 2 constitutional referendum occurred after the National Assembly approved the referendum on November 2, 2007.

In November 2007, demonstrations arose in Caracas, Venezuela and six other cities over the proposed constitutional changes. "Tens of thousands" of "Yes" voters marched in Caracas after the referendum had finally been approved on November 2.^[1] A November 8th riot at the Central University of Venezuela resulted in clashes between students and several masked gunmen, with several injuries;^[2] footage was caught on tape.^[3] In late November 2007, just days before the referendum, tens of thousands marched in Caracas for both the "Yes" and "No" votes.^[4] An opposition politician estimated the crowd marching for the "No" vote at 160,000.^[5] Protests were largely peaceful, and only one pro-government worker's death has been reported.^[6]^[7]

Some of Chávez's supporters expressed concerns and disagreement with his proposals to change the constitution.

...

Many voters abstained in the vote, rather than cast a "No" vote against Chávez.^[8]^[9] The student movement played a crucial role in consolidating this position^[10] and in organizing numerous rallies.^[5]^[11] The student movement has played a large role in the Venezuelan political process, having gained a prominent position during the RCTV broadcast license expiration protests.^[12] Although the student movement is not limited to the opposition,^[13] it has been the opposition students that have gained the largest support, in part because they are not officially affiliated with any political cadres.^[8]