Venezuela Opposition Blocks Streets to Protest Maduro’s Power Shakeup

Venezuela Opposition Blocks Streets to Protest Maduro’s Power Shakeup
Venezuelan National guards fire tear gas toward opposition supporters during a protest against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela May 2, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
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CARACAS—Venezuela’s opposition was blocking streets on Tuesday to decry unpopular socialist President Nicolas Maduro’s decision to create a new super-body known as a “constituent assembly,” a move they say is a veiled attempt to cling to power by avoiding elections.

After a month of near-daily protests demanding early general elections, Maduro on Monday announced a new popular assembly with the ability to rewrite the constitution.

His government claims that the opposition is promoting street violence and refusing dialogue, so it has no choice but to shake up Venezuela’s power structure to bring peace to the oil producer.

Maduro’s foes counter that Maduro, a former bus driver they say has turned into a dictator, is in fact planning to staff the new assembly with supporters and avoid elections he would likely lose amid a crushing recession and raging inflation.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during his weekly broadcast "Los Domingos con Maduro" (The Sundays with Maduro) in Caracas, Venezuela. (Miraflores Palace/via REUTERS)
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro during his weekly broadcast "Los Domingos con Maduro" (The Sundays with Maduro) in Caracas, Venezuela. Miraflores Palace/via REUTERS