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| Venezuela opposition calls for general strike over Maduro plans | Venezuela opposition calls for general strike over Maduro plans |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Venezuela's opposition has called for a 24-hour strike on Thursday in protest against President Nicolás Maduro's plans for a new constituent assembly. | |
| In a statement, leaders said 7.6 million people had taken part in Sunday's opposition-organised referendum on the plans. | In a statement, leaders said 7.6 million people had taken part in Sunday's opposition-organised referendum on the plans. |
| They also announced they would name new Supreme Court judges. | They also announced they would name new Supreme Court judges. |
| The assembly, made up of citizens, would have power to scrap the National Assembly and rewrite the constitution. | |
| Opposition parties control the National Assembly and are calling for fresh elections before Mr Maduro's term expires in early 2019. | Opposition parties control the National Assembly and are calling for fresh elections before Mr Maduro's term expires in early 2019. |
| "It is time for zero hour," said opposition leader Freddy Guevara, speaking on behalf of the Democratic Unity coalition (MUD). | "It is time for zero hour," said opposition leader Freddy Guevara, speaking on behalf of the Democratic Unity coalition (MUD). |
| "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 that on Wednesday the opposition would take the first steps to set up a national unity government and that on Friday it would appoint new judges. | |
| Correspondents say such proposals raise the possibility of a parallel state structure. | |
| Shortly before the opposition press conference, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada criticised Sunday's vote. | |
| "It was a grotesque experiment of media manipulation. It has no legal validity," he said. | |
| "No-one knows, or will ever know, how many people have taken part," he added. | |
| The government said the referendum was riddled with fraud and that people were able to vote many times at different polling stations. | |
| On Saturday, President Maduro dismissed the vote as "meaningless". | |
| Academics who monitored the poll said that nearly all those who voted rejected the new assembly proposed by Mr Maduro and backed a call for elections before 2019. | Academics who monitored the poll said that nearly all those who voted rejected the new assembly proposed by Mr Maduro and backed a call for elections before 2019. |
| Mr Guevara said the Venezuelan people had given a mandate, rejecting "the fraudulent proposal of Nicolás Maduro". | |
| "The regime must understand that we won't allow the destruction of Venezuela to happen," he said. | "The regime must understand that we won't allow the destruction of Venezuela to happen," he said. |
| "The government must pull out its proposal of constitutional fraud." | "The government must pull out its proposal of constitutional fraud." |
| President Maduro's plan will see a vote on 30 July for the new constituent assembly. | President Maduro's plan will see a vote on 30 July for the new constituent assembly. |
| Its 545 members will have the power to dissolve state institutions, including the National Assembly. | |
| Mr Maduro argues that the assembly is the only way to help Venezuela out of its economic and political crisis. He says the opposition is trying to overthrow the government. | |
| Why is Venezuela in crisis? | |
| More on Venezuela's turmoil |