委内瑞拉抗议者首都游行要求公投罢免马杜罗

Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, some of whom traveled from far-off villages in the Amazon, marched through the streets of Caracas Thursday.

"Venezuela is hungry!" yelled some of the protestors, all dressed in white, as they marched in the east of the capital.

Protesters are pressing for a recall referendum against the president, whose approval ratings have fallen to a dismal 25 percent this year.

The opposition was hoping for one million people weary of ongoing recession, inflation in the triple digits, and a countrywide shortage of food and basic necessities to march through the capital Thursday.

Maduro threatened to imprison opposition leaders if violence breaks out, but Jesus Torrealba, opposition party Democratic Unity Roundtable leader, has vowed that marches will remain peaceful.

But the election board has dragged its feet, making a recall vote this year unlikely.

一些抗议者高喊：“委内瑞拉正在挨饿！”他们穿着一身白，在首都东部游行。

抗议者迫切要求一场针对总统的罢免公投，马杜罗的支持率今年已经暴跌到25%。

反对派希望星期四首都的游行能有百万人参加，这些人厌倦了委内瑞拉持续的衰退、三位数的通胀率、以及全国范围的食物和基本生活必需品的短缺。

马杜罗威胁说，如果发生暴力冲突，将会把反对派领袖关进监狱，不过反对党民主团结联盟(Democratic Unity Roudtable)领导人赫苏斯·托雷亚尔瓦(Jesus Torrealba)誓言，游行会保持和平。

但是选举委员会拖拖拉拉，今年内举行罢免公投不太可能实现。