The Carter Center Referendum Report
The "Will of the Electorate" Was Expressed
In May 2003, representatives of the Venezuelan government and opposition groups signed an agreement at the Mesa de Negociación y Acuerdos that paved the way for a recall referendum on President Hugo Chávez to occur halfway through his term in office or after August 19, 2003, should the requisite signatures be gathered. The recall referendum for elected officials is one of the measures established in the 1999 Venezuelan Constitution. The accord suggested the use of this constitutional provision could help resolve the bitter political dispute between the government and opposition that had gripped the nation the previous two years. The…
