He said followers of "little Capriles" were seeking a bloodbath.
Mr Maduro responded by calling for an "iron-fisted" investigation against Mr Smolansky, saying his "criminal messages" were an attempt to lay the ground for a U S military intervention. "You and your circle of corrupt drug traffickers". Many of those those who braved the choking tropical heat under umbrellas and baseball caps said they had also participated in a Tuesday protest that led to handful of serious injuries and arrests. They accuse the government of stalling elections for state governors, which polls suggest would not go well for the ruling Socialists. Authorities last year cancelled an opposition campaign to hold a recall referendum on Maduro and no date has yet been set for gubernatorial elections that were supposed to take place last year.
Capriles is the most recognizable of the leaders behind the protest movement that has been roiling the embattled country this week.
He is now governor of Miranda state, which surrounds Caracas.
The 44-year-old Capriles has been the most prominent leader of Venezuela's opposition over the past decade, twice coming close to winning the presidency despite institutional obstacles that tilted races in favor of the government.
"When the dictatorship squeals it's a sign we're advancing", he said in a speech surrounded by other leading opposition figures, many of whom themselves have been targeted. Even amid this current round of unrest, he has consistently emphasized that protests are no more than a means to what he sees as a more important end that will bring about change: general elections. The opposition says over 100 political activists have been jailed amid a wider crackdown on dissent.
The wave of protests has revived fears of broader unrest in Venezuela, where 43 people were killed during riots in 2014.
Ottawa Senators: Game 4 @ TD Garden Pre-Game Thoughts
Ryan lost control of the puck just inside the Ottawa blue line and then fell as David Backes quickly closed ranks. The Bruins will look to even their series up at two wins apiece as they host the Senators on Wednesday evening.
A march against the ban of a top opposition official turned violent, as police confronted the demonstrators.
Local media reported Ortiz was a university student planning to emigrate from Venezuela, like many in the middle class that have fled to Colombia, Panama, Chile or the USA city of Miami to escape crime, political unrest, and an economic crisis. The state prosecutor's office said it would investigate the death.
The supreme court's move last week was denounced both domestically and overseas as a coup, and despite the court's reversal large protests have been held in the capital Caracas this week. The move was later reversed amid widespread worldwide condemnation, but with the unpopular Maduro under increasing pressure to call elections, the constant arrests at marches and threats against party leaders may be his best way to stunt the opposition's momentum, analysts said.
While opposition leaders have insisted on peaceful protest, frustration and aggression built up over 17 years of polarizing socialist rule in Venezuela is running high on both sides.
Speaking at the rally on Saturday, Capriles told supporters: "Nobody can disqualify the Venezuelan people".
Hannah Dreier is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hannahdreier. The South American country has seen near-daily protests since the Supreme Court issued a ruling nullifying congress last week.
Protesters hurling rocks clashed with police firing tear gas Saturday in Venezuela's fourth demonstration in a week against President Nicolas Maduro and his government.
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