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| Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela President, Calls for a Rewrite of the Constitution | Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela President, Calls for a Rewrite of the Constitution |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| BOGOTÁ, Colombia — President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela said Monday that he would convene an assembly to rewrite the country’s Constitution, which he said would quell mounting protests against him. | BOGOTÁ, Colombia — President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela said Monday that he would convene an assembly to rewrite the country’s Constitution, which he said would quell mounting protests against him. |
| But the plan was quickly rejected by his opponents as an attempt to avoid elections. | But the plan was quickly rejected by his opponents as an attempt to avoid elections. |
| In a televised address on International Workers’ Day — on which both the president and his opponents held demonstrations — Mr. Maduro said he would call together what he described as a “citizens’ constitutional assembly of the people, the communities, the peasants” to rewrite the governing charter. | In a televised address on International Workers’ Day — on which both the president and his opponents held demonstrations — Mr. Maduro said he would call together what he described as a “citizens’ constitutional assembly of the people, the communities, the peasants” to rewrite the governing charter. |
| The president’s plan came at a time of deep desperation for his unpopular government. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have been protesting in Caracas and other cities, calling him a dictator and demanding that he schedule elections that his government postponed. | The president’s plan came at a time of deep desperation for his unpopular government. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have been protesting in Caracas and other cities, calling him a dictator and demanding that he schedule elections that his government postponed. |
| To many, Mr. Maduro’s call to rewrite the Constitution seemed like an effort to divert attention from the political crisis he has been facing in the streets and to avoid elections that his governing United Socialist Party is likely to lose, according to polls. | To many, Mr. Maduro’s call to rewrite the Constitution seemed like an effort to divert attention from the political crisis he has been facing in the streets and to avoid elections that his governing United Socialist Party is likely to lose, according to polls. |
| “From my point of view, they are in a dire situation that they don’t know how to continue using the normal mechanisms, such as having elections,” said Enrique Sánchez Falcón, a legal expert and professor at the Central University of Venezuela. | “From my point of view, they are in a dire situation that they don’t know how to continue using the normal mechanisms, such as having elections,” said Enrique Sánchez Falcón, a legal expert and professor at the Central University of Venezuela. |
| Venezuela’s opposition quickly rejected the president’s proposal. Henrique Capriles, a state governor who narrowly lost to Mr. Maduro in an election in 2013, dismissed the plan as a “fraud” that had been “announced by a dictator.” | Venezuela’s opposition quickly rejected the president’s proposal. Henrique Capriles, a state governor who narrowly lost to Mr. Maduro in an election in 2013, dismissed the plan as a “fraud” that had been “announced by a dictator.” |
| “People to the street to disobey this madness,” he wrote on Twitter on Monday. | “People to the street to disobey this madness,” he wrote on Twitter on Monday. |
| Mr. Maduro’s supporters urged the opposition to accept the constitutional process as a means of settling their disagreements. | Mr. Maduro’s supporters urged the opposition to accept the constitutional process as a means of settling their disagreements. |
| “There are violent groups that don’t understand that violence won’t get us anywhere, and that we must have a dialogue despite our differences,” said Hermann Escarrá, a legal adviser to Mr. Maduro. | “There are violent groups that don’t understand that violence won’t get us anywhere, and that we must have a dialogue despite our differences,” said Hermann Escarrá, a legal adviser to Mr. Maduro. |
| It was unclear precisely how Mr. Maduro wanted the Constitution changed. Some legal experts said the constitutional assembly could be used to sideline Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly, which has been attacked by the country’s courts. | It was unclear precisely how Mr. Maduro wanted the Constitution changed. Some legal experts said the constitutional assembly could be used to sideline Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly, which has been attacked by the country’s courts. |
| Venezuela has been rocked for the last month by huge street protests against Mr. Maduro’s government, which have been met with repression by the security forces. At least 29 people have been killed. | Venezuela has been rocked for the last month by huge street protests against Mr. Maduro’s government, which have been met with repression by the security forces. At least 29 people have been killed. |
| A dismal economy has led to shortages of food and medicine, and a Supreme Court decision in March to strip power from the National Assembly led to the protests. | |
| The court, on Mr. Maduro’s urging, later reversed much of its ruling. But his opponents say he is continuing to govern in an authoritarian manner, and they are demanding new elections. | The court, on Mr. Maduro’s urging, later reversed much of its ruling. But his opponents say he is continuing to govern in an authoritarian manner, and they are demanding new elections. |
| Rewriting the Constitution would forestall any elections, legal experts said. | Rewriting the Constitution would forestall any elections, legal experts said. |
| The last president to initiate a rewriting of the Constitution was Hugo Chávez in 1999, shortly after he took power and declared his plans for socialist reforms to benefit poor and working-class Venezuelans. | The last president to initiate a rewriting of the Constitution was Hugo Chávez in 1999, shortly after he took power and declared his plans for socialist reforms to benefit poor and working-class Venezuelans. |