CARACAS The Venezuelan opposition in the MUD coalition called on Monday upon the people to rebel against the fraudulent assembly called by President Nicolas Maduro to modify the constitution, saying that it is created to dissolve the republic and constitutes a coup detat.
"It is time, it is the way (forward) and they have left me no choice", Maduro said during a May Day rally in Caracas, referring to the right-wing opposition and successive anti-government protests that have gotten increasingly violent.
Julio Borges, president of the opposition controlled National Assembly, said Sunday he would send a document to Pope Francis reaffirming the opposition's demands centred on general elections. The move has been rejected by the opposition which has called on its supporters to rebel.
Maduro's move mirrored that of his late Socialist predecessor Hugo Chavez, who in 1999 had a Constituent Assembly of various representatives draw up Venezuela's current constitution. President Nicolas Maduro will speak at a pro-government march there, and he has promised major announcements this afternoon. Previous marches and anti-government protests over the past month have resulted in a least 29 deaths.
Only half of the 500-member assembly, or less, would be elected and political parties would not participate, he said.
On Monday, Maduro said that all prices should be frozen as the country fights an economic war he blames on conspirators in Venezuela and overseas.
After hundreds of thousands took to the streets again to call for his ouster, President Nicolas Maduro announced that he was calling for a citizens assembly and a new constitution for the economically flailing South American nation.
During his weekly TV program, "Sundays With Maduro", the 54-year-old socialist leader said gubernatorial elections would happen later this year although the opposition's real agenda was to topple him with a US-backed coup.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Police and demonstrators clashed in the streets of Venezuela's capital Monday as an intensifying protest movement opposing the socialist government entered its second month.
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The UN resolution on "Occupied Palestine" was submitted by Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar and Sudan. Palestinians seek eastern Jerusalem as their future capital.
Maduro said he has designated a presidential commission headed by Education Minister Elias Jaua Milano to follow through on the procedure.
"If I say dialogue, they flee in horror".
"We're here to take care of the workers, those who are most humble, and not the privileges of the oligarchs", said Maduro on the day before May Day.
It is unclear how this popular assembly would be put together.
"It is sufficiently complex and ambiguous that it might freeze some countries in the global community who think this might be a concession to the opposition, or represents an autonomous political process and should be respected", he said."It is a transparent attempt on the part of the government to skirt elections it knows it will lose", he added.
Anti-government protesters want Maduro to step down and new elections be held.
The opposition walked away from talks in December, accusing the government of failing to fulfil promises to set up a timetable for elections and free political prisoners.
"So really popular pressure is the only thing they have, and possibly global pressure but that too has not really wielded many results until now".
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