Venezuela’s opposition calls for national strike to protest against President Maduro

“Hour zero is starting,” opposition leader Freddy Guevara said on behalf of the Democratic Unity coalition, using army jargon for a decisive operation and accusing the leftist government of failing to heed the will of Venezuelans.

“We call on the whole country this Thursday to join massively and peacefully a national civic strike of 24 hours as a mechanism of pressure and preparation for the definitive escalation which will be next week,” he added.

The opposition said it would also take steps to set up a “national unity” government and name new alternative judges to the pro-Maduro Supreme Court, raising the possibility of a parallel state structure.

After months of demonstrations that have led to nearly 100 deaths, the Democratic Unity coalition said it brought 7.6 million people out on Sunday for an unofficial vote intended to de-legitimize a leader they call a dictator.

Maduro’s foes are demanding a general election and want to stop his plan to create a controversial new legislative super-body called a Constituent Assembly in a July 30 vote.

If that plan was withdrawn, the opposition would be prepared to dialogue with the government “without manipulations and deceits,” Guevara added in a news conference.

The hardball opposition strategy recalls events before a short-lived coup against Maduro’s predecessor and mentor Hugo Chavez in 2002.

On three questions at Sunday’s event, opposition supporters voted overwhelmingly – by 98 percent – to reject the proposed new assembly, urge the military to defend the existing constitution, and support elections before Maduro’s term ends, according to academics monitoring the vote for the opposition.

(Source: Reuters)