Venezuelan public sector workers who signed a petition backing a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro could face dismissal, a spokesman of the governing Socialist Party said.
The spokesman said President Maduro had ordered that any manager in five key ministries who signed the petition should be sacked.
The petition is the first step towards a referendum which could see Mr Maduro ousted.
Mr Maduro has been in power since 2013. He is a supporter of the “Bolivarian Revolution”, the socialist movement his predecessor in office, Hugo Chavez, founded.
Government critics argue that their socialist policies have driven Venezuela into a severe economic crisis.
