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Published on 12 October 2016 by venezuelanalysis.

indigenous venezuelans

Thousands marched in Venezuela’s capital on Wednesday to commemorate the Day of Indigenous Resistance and provide a counterweight to the opposition mobilizations in favour of the recall referendum against current President Nicolás Maduro.

Supporters of the Bolivarian process expressed the anti-imperialist character of their march and denounced ongoing destabilization attacks against Venezuela including the economic war which they claim has dramatically affected global oil prices.

The Chavista march departed from three starting points throughout Caracas: Plaza Sucre, Redoma La India and Parque Los Próceres. All three marches converged in Plaza Venezuela where President Nicolás Maduro revealed a monument in honour of Indigenous leader Tiuna.

Tiuna, a leader of the Caracas people of the larger Caribe nation, fought Spanish colonialism in what is today known as Catia La Mar, on the outskirts of the nation's capital. He was part of Guiacaipuro’s indigenous coalition of Caribe tribes and he was killed in battle with an arrow to the back.

State news channel, Venezuelan Television (VTV) reported the attendance of 44 indigenous nations in Wednesday’s march accompanied by other social movements, President Maduro and his cabinet. Minister of Indigenous Peoples Aloha Núñez spoke at the monument's inauguration.

Indigenous peoples organised marches earlier this week and will continue mobilisations until Friday to make visible their rights won in the last 17 years as well as their continued struggles within the Bolivarian Process.

The Day of Indigenous Resistance in Venezuela came into effect October 11, 2002 when former President Hugo Chávez issued Decree 2028, which the National Assembly subsequently approved as a national holiday.

In addition to commemorating this historic resistance, Vice-President Aristóbulo Istúriz also emphasized the anti-imperialist facet of today’s mobilisation. “Imperialism resumed the war against the price of oil and therefore Venezuela goes on the defensive, fighting for a fair value for petroleum, which speaks to the importance of the trip to Turkey for the International Energy Congress," stressed Istúriz.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan opposition mobilised in their call against the Bolivarian government and in favour of the recall referendum. The National Electoral Council declared October 26, 27, and 28 as the days the opposition will need to secure 20 percent of the voting electorate in order to move forward with the recall referendum.

In addition, the Venezuelan opposition denounced the Supreme Courts (TSJ) recent ruling granting the justices the power to approve or reject President Maduro’s 2017 budget proposal in lieu of the opposition-controlled parliament.

“Faced with the urgent need to fulfil the legal process pertaining to the national budget, before the duty to honour the principles of separation and balance of powers that make up public power and in order to maintain state’s functionality and guarantee fundamental rights and constitutional order, the Supreme Court (TSJ) declared that the national budget should be presented by the President of the Republic to the constitutional Court" read the TSJ’s official the statement.

The TSJ decision comes after repeated decrees declaring the National Assembly’s actions null due to ongoing investigations into alleged electoral fraud and bribes for three Amazonas opposition bloc legislators as well as repeated attempts on behalf of the opposition to revoke laws that would go against constitutional rights protecting Venezuelan people.