MARACAIBO, Venezuela—Thousands of people lined up across this sweltering city Wednesday to sign petitions in favor of recalling socialist President Nicolás Maduro, hours after residents angry over the country’s degrading conditions looted 73 businesses and left the city’s streets filled with broken glass and charred tires.

The signature drive to trigger a recall referendum against Mr. Maduro comes as increasingly desperate citizens, living for days with prolonged power and water cuts as well as food shortages, have taken to the streets in raucous protests in at least eight cities.

In Maracaibo, the country’s second-largest city and center for oil production, vehicles were set ablaze and tons of food was stolen in an expression of public fury that lasted until 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Hours later, Antonio Gómez, a 45-year-old bus driver, joined hundreds of Maracaibo residents lining up to sign the petition against Mr. Maduro, just blocks away from a burned delivery truck and a boarded-up shop.

“This [petition] is our last chance of getting out of this democratically,” Mr. Gomez said. “We are reaching desperation.”