- Title: Venezuela opposition blocks streets as controversial assembly vote looms
- Date: 28th July 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (JULY 28, 2017) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF A ROADBLOCK SET UP BY DEMONSTRATORS WOMAN AND CHILD SITTING ON ROADBLOCK MADE OF BRICKS DEMONSTRATOR HOLDING A SHIELD WITH SLOGAN THAT READS (Spanish): "STRENGTH IS IN UNITY" CHILD STANDING BY ROADBLOCK MADE OF BRICKS DEMONSTRATORS GATHERING IN AN INTERSECTION BEHIND BRICK ROADBLOCK DEMONSTRATORS WITH SHIELDS AND PROTEST SIGNS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION LAWMAKER, ISMAEL LEON, SAYING: "We don't have to talk about dialogue or to even use that word because seven and a half million (people) have already decided on that dialogue and the dialogue is that Mr. Nicolas Maduro has to call general elections to elect a new president of the republic. That's all we want." A ROADBLOCK SET UP IN THE STREET A SIGN ON A BARRICADE THAT READS (Spanish): "GNB (NATIONAL GUARD) AND PNB (NATIONAL POLICE), RING THE BELL" PEOPLE WALKING PAST BARRICADE VARIOUS OF BARRICADES SET UP IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBOURHOODS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEMONSTRATOR, PATRICK JENNE, SAYING: "The constituent is a fraud. They're (government supporters) are the only ones voting. There aren't voting halls; they're making (voting) places up. You can't know if someone votes once, twice or three times at four or five places. So the numbers in the end will be some magic numbers and they could be whatever they want them to be." PEOPLE GATHERED IN AN INTERSECTION BLOCKING ROADS VARIOUS OF MAN WITH PROTEST SIGN VARIOUS OF A WOMAN DRESSED AS AN ANGEL WITH SHIELD AND SWORD, ROSMERY RUETE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DEMONSTRATOR DRESSED AS AN ANGEL, ROSMERY RUETE, SAYING: "We knew it was going to be tough, and it has been really hard given they've greatly intensified the repression and we've seen that in the streets. But we are staying strong all the same and we'll remain here because they can't approve the constituent. They can't." A ROADBLOCK PEOPLE AT A ROADBLOCK
- Embargoed: 11th August 2017 21:27
- Keywords: Venezuela protest Constituent Assembly Nicolas Maduro
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016RMUSZR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Venezuelan opposition sympathizers on Friday (July 28) began blocking streets as part of a mobilization against a legislative super-body to be elected on Sunday (July 30) that critics call a plan by President Nicolas Maduro to create a dictatorship.
The imminent election of a constituent assembly has been broadly condemned by countries around the world as a weakening of democratic governance in the OPEC nation, which is also struggling under a crippling economic crisis.
Opposition leaders have said they will protest against Sunday's vote, raising the spectre of further violence given that the government has banned protests from Friday to Tuesday.
The opposition told supporters to run errands and buy food on Friday morning following a two-day national strike and to begin blocking streets after mid-day. People were seen making their way on foot past barricades set up around Caracas.
Maduro says the 545-member assembly, which will have the power to rewrite the constitution and dissolve state institutions, will bring peace after four months of opposition protests in which more than 110 people have died. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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