Venezuelan leader threatens to seize idle plants
CARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolas Maduro threatened to take over idle factories and jail their owners following a decree granting him expanded powers to act in the face of a deep economic crisis.
Maduro’s remarks Saturday came as Venezuela’s opposition warned the embattled leader that if he tries to block an attempt to hold a recall referendum, society could “explode.”
Maduro opponents are demanding that the National Electoral Council rule on the validity of some 1.8 million signatures collected in favor of the referendum and allow it to move forward.
Venezuela is suffering from multiple financial woes including rampant inflation and low prices for oil, the cornerstone of its economy.
