Story highlights Fraud occurred in gathering recall petition signatures, Venezuela's courts ruled

Opposition groups promise street protests will be held next Wednesday

(CNN) A drive to hold a recall referendum on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been halted, Venezuela's National Electoral Council announced in a statement.

Federal courts ruled Thursday that multiple cases of voter identity fraud occurred over the summer as the first round of signatures was being gathered to request the referendum.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

As a result, the electoral council stopped the second round of signature-gathering scheduled to take place October 26-28. If 20% of the voting population had signed petitions during that time, a recall election could have been ordered.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said Friday, "Yesterday in Venezuela there was a coup d'état. There is no other way to call it. What we feared so much was hatched."

"The time has come to defend Venezuela's constitution," he said at a news conference, adding that "next Wednesday, we're going to take Venezuela from end to end." He didn't specify what might happen beyond protests.

Read More