maduro rally flag
© Miraflores Palace/Handout via ReutersVenezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a rally in support of his government, January 23, 2019.
Large numbers of Venezuelan citizens have come out to sign a petition against possible US intervention, as government activists began gathering signatures for a campaign to showcase "support for peace" amid mounting threats.

Maduro announced Tuesday that the pamphlet openly condemning President Donald Trump's potential intervention in the ongoing political turmoil would be circulated country-wide.

"I thank people that came to Bolivar Square in Venezuela to sign a petition and speak against the interference of the US empire into the affairs of our Motherland. This is a wonderful manifestation of love and consciousness. We are going to collect 10 million signatures for peace!" Maduro tweeted.


In Caracas, numerous people lined up to sign the document. The petition was greeted by a large-scale rally amid anti-American chants such as "Yankees Go Home."

In order to sign, citizens are required to show valid identification. Venezuelan authorities hope to reach their target number by the end of this weekend when the signature drive is supposed to end.


Comment: The same procedure that applies to Venezuelan elections. In fact, the elections were even more stringent, requiring a fingerprint validation before and printed confirmation after casting a ballot.
Speaking at an annual event last week in Atlanta for his Carter Centre foundation, the politician-turned philanthropist stated,
"As a matter of fact, of the 92 elections that we've monitored, I would say the election process in Venezuela is the best in the world."
Venezuela has developed a fully automated touch-screen voting system, which now uses thumbprint recognition technology and prints off a receipt to confirm voters' choices.

In the context of the Carter Centre's work monitoring electoral processes around the globe, Carter also disclosed his opinion that in the US "we have one of the worst election processes in the world, and it's almost entirely because of the excessive influx of money," he said referring to lack of controls over private campaign donations.




Despite the extreme divisions in Venezuelan society, a recent poll shows that 86% of the population opposes direct military intervention by a foreign power, and 81% oppose Washington's sanctions.

Anxiety is understandably high given John Bolton's insistence that "all options are on the table" for responding to the oil-rich South American nation's crisis. Trump reiterated the possibility on CBS' Face the Nation earlier this week saying that military measures are "still an option."