A 24-hour nationwide strike got underway in Venezuela today, in a bid by the opposition to increase pressure on President Nicolas Maduro following four months of deadly street demonstrations.
The general strike, which commenced at 6:00am, is the latest in a series of protests that commenced in April calling for Maduro’s ouster, and which has claimed the lives of dozens of people.
According to AFP News, dissident leaders called today’s work stoppage after holding an unofficial referendum last weekend in which a third of Venezuela’s voters cast ballots rejecting Maduro and his policies.
Chief among them is the president’s plan to hold an election July 30 to choose a 545-member citizens’ body, called a Constituent Assembly, to rewrite the constitution.
US President Donald Trump has threatened “swift economic actions” against Venezuela if that election happens.
The European Union, the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the Catholic Church have all condemned Maduro’s plan.
They fear the move — seen by the opposition and Trump as a bid for dictatorship — will irretrievably worsen the political crisis in Venezuela, and risk adding to a death toll that currently stands at 97 since anti-Maduro street protests turned violent in April.
