Critics Decry Venezuela Vote; 100 Years Since Battle of Passchendaele.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN HOST: Tonight, international outcry as Venezuela's president takes another step from democracy to dictatorship. The head of the Organization of American States joins me from Washington. Also, the governor of Iraq's Kirkuk Province tells why the country's Kurds want to move ahead with a referendum for independence. Plus, remembering the devastating Battle of Passchendaele 100 years on. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the program. I'm Fred Pleitgen in for Christiane Amanpour. Leaders from Brussels to Brazil are condemning the controversial election in Venezuela, which on Sunday chose a new legislative body to take the place of a current opposition-led national assembly. The criticism of the government of President Nicolas Maduro nominated all 545 candidates and that includes his own wife. The opposition, of course, boycotted the vote and all this comes after months of hyperinflation, food and medical shortages and of course those massive protests. Ten people died in clashes on Sunday alone bringing the death toll to 125 since April. Tonight, we're very fortunate to have our own correspondent Paula Newton on the ground in Caracas. And, Paula, many people were fearing mass protest and violence after the vote but it seems as though at this point in time still fairly quiet, right?</s>PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, and it does come to some relief. I have to tell you, Fred, the people here in this city and throughout Venezuela who are absolutely exhausted. That doesn't mean the fear has dissipated. And they are also wondering, even if you speak to people who support the opposition, they are saying, look, this is it. We're done with democracy in Venezuela. Now that this super body is in place, the Maduro government can do whatever it likes and that includes arresting people without cause, and that will also include passing any law they deem appropriate. Now the Maduro government says that is not the purpose of this new super body, but certainly no one is believing them at the moment especially with some of the heated rhetoric that's been flying in the last several days. Most notably from President Maduro himself in the early morning hours, I want you to listen to him talk about the Trump administration.</s>NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The spokesman for the government of emperor Donald Trump said that they do not recognize the results of the elections of the Venezuelan ANC. What do we care what Trump says? What we care about is what the sovereign people of Venezuela say.</s>NEWTON: So interesting here of course the Trump administration promise that if Maduro went through with his vote, which he did, there would be strong and swift economic action. We are awaiting that. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. calling this whole election sham, and saying it's an illegitimate government. It will be interesting now, Fred, to see what those sanctions are are actually going to be put into place. The devil will be in the detail on how much it will actually hit the regime. And perhaps it may also, unfortunately, hit the people here. The people of Venezuela.</s>PLEITGEN: Yes. And, you know, Paula, it was so interesting that you said that the opposition says we're done with democracy here in Venezuela. What's their next move? What can they do now?</s>NEWTON: Yes, and such a good question, Fred. You know, it has literally been years since the opposition has been trying to coalesce around these issues. Get on in the street. Put more pressure on the Nicolas Maduro regime. It really hasn't work. Whether it's been peaceful, whether it's been protest on mass. And they right now are trying to figure out what to do. But the key is perhaps in the interview that you're going to have next, many people here have not felt that the international community has been enough. Certainly not strong enough to things like sanctions or pressure on this regime. That is another reason, Fred, that if you talk to people on the street that they are saying as fearful as they are with the kind of sanctions that the U.S. government can put into place and remember they control a lot of what happens here. Half of all the revenue in Venezuela comes from sales of oil to the United States. They also feel that it could be a new pressure points and that may finally make sure that this regime had some pressure put on them. Fred?</s>PLEITGEN: The big question was sanctions, especially by the ones that Washington could lobby against Venezuela's. How do you put on sanctions targeting the government or whoever is in power and not the people? The big, of course, saying with the oil sector, what do people think that America could do, that America should do at this point.</s>NEWTON: Well, the problem is once you start putting sanctions on that oil sector, it's impossible almost to detangle that from what will be a deepening humanitarian crisis. Again, more than 95 percent of all the revenue this sanction get from that oil sector, the Trump administration is weighing some very targeted sanctions which could help to that extent a little bit, but really will be quite painful in the short term for everyone here. What is interesting, though, is again just from the few people that I spoke to on the opposition ranks, how many normal everyday people like you and me, Fred, are saying OK, if that's the way it has to be, we have to put up with more of humanitarian crisis then so be it. We need this to change.</s>PLEITGEN: Paula Newton in Caracas. Thank you very much for your reporting. Of course, we'll keep an eye on the situation there. And see if any protest materialized later on in the day. Thank you very much. And now from Washington, D.C., I'm joined by one of President Maduro's most vocal critics Luis Almagro, the secretary general of the Organization of American States. Sir, you saw how the election went down yesterday. There was a lot of violence. There are obviously many people calling itself into question. What's your reaction?</s>LUIS ALMAGRO, SECRETARY GENERAL, ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES: Yesterday is the day that Venezuelans will mourn and will mourn forever. 16 people at least were killed during the demonstrations. And that is a big tragedy for the country. 16 people to be killed in one day. It's only -- we cannot see the war that only</s>PLEITGEN: At what point do you think that the situation -- as you've noted, there had been 16 people killed yesterday. 125 at least killed since all this began. At what point does this threatened to seriously destabilize Venezuela.</s>ALMAGRO: Venezuela is completely stabilized. And the country has completely fall into economic, social, political and financial crisis. The way it is to restore democracy in the country. We know what the people want. We know what the people think. And we know that the people will do whatever is necessary to achieve it. To restore the democracy today is the imperative of the international community about Venezuela on his, of course, the needs of the Venezuelan people.</s>PLEITGEN: Nicolas Maduro for his part says that he is giving power to the little people in Venezuela and taking it away from what he calls the oligarchs. What do you make the statements of that?</s>ALMAGRO: That statement is not right from the beginning until the end. The Venezuelan people are suffering like they can never suffer before. We have seen this social crisis, putting people to die because of lack of medicine, because of lack of food. And the rights of children mortalities are highest ever. They have appear disease that were eradicated for decades. So what we are facing is an incredible humanitarian crisis that we would have to need to resort in the future.</s>PLEITGEN: I know that you have been trying your hand at diplomacy over the past couple months there in Venezuela. What power does the OAS now have to try and mitigate the situation? Somehow to, as you say, a return to democracy, but also to make sure that Venezuela itself gets back on track. Because it is a very dire humanitarian situation as you've noted as well.</s>ALMAGRO: We have tools. The main tool to restore democracy in the country is applied in the American democratic charter. And for that, we need the support of the countries. We have been very loud about denouncing what is going on in Venezuela. We have taken away impunity from this dictatorship. We have been very clear in the way that we need to move forward in order that the institutions should start working again. That the restoration of power to the different branches of government is achieved. That means we need to increase international pressure and internal pressure also have to be increased -- form of international pressure assumptions.</s>PLEITGEN: But when you say that, when you call for things to be restored, changes to make in Venezuela, you know that President Maduro and some of the others in the government are saying that the OAS and you particularly are biased. What do you do in that situation? Do you still have any sort of leverage? Any clout there on the ground? Can you actually still talk to this government of Nicolas Maduro? Are you talking at them right now without getting any sort of response?</s>ALMAGRO: The government of President Maduro has been passing messages to me practically every week. We have been doing our answers to them. But the answers are very clear because in all our charters and conventions and agreements that you have in the framework of the organization, that the work ahead would have to be done also by all member states together. Our capacity to denounce, our capacity to take impunity away as I said, it is relevant week. I will have our capacity also to encourage sanctions against the Venezuelan dictators. And, of course, at the end of the day, some of the sanctions will have to affect the regime as a whole. Because, today, the money that they received from their natural resources is not by any means going to the people. In fact, people are not receiving anything. Nothing of this money. But that they are excessively receiving more repression against them.</s>PLEITGEN: How important is America's role going to be? Because obviously America is by far the most powerful country in that region. I want to read you a tweet. Nikki Haley, America's ambassador to the United Nations sent out, saying, quote, "Maduro's sham election is another step towards dictatorship. We won't accept any legal government. The Venezuelan people and democracy will prevail." What can America do now? And a lot of people are talking of possible sanctions against Venezuela's oil sector.</s>ALMAGRO: First of all, the United States should stay attach to the principles, the principles of democracy and respect of human rights. The second thing is to take action and that those actions that can be taken, I have mainly can be derive as sanctions. These sanctions could be targeting of course the authorities of the regime. And also from where these regime is getting their revenues. And that should be the bottom of action that the United States should go, move ahead.</s>PLEITGEN: Obviously, sir, if there's instability in Venezuela, that's something that can also threaten stability in the entire region, because you do also have some disagreements in the OAS as well. For instance, countries like Bolivia, siding with the Maduro government. How do you maintain stability now and sort of work as a united front?</s>PLEITGEN: This was very difficult to maintain stability when we have a regime with these characteristics. That this completely disrespectful of the</s>PLEITGEN: I'm afraid we're going to have to leave it there because we are running out of time. But I do want to thank you very, very much for joining us. I know that you will be continuing the diplomacy to try and get that situation there under control. Thank you very much, sir, in Washington, D.C. And of course, we do will continue to ask for a representative from the Venezuelan government to come on the show and join us in the program, but so far our quests have been ignored. And when we come back, another vote in another country. This time in Iraq where the Kurds are set for referendum of independence from Baghdad. Kirkuk's governor says now is exactly the right time for the votes. Stay tuned.