Tens of thousands of people marched Saturday in the Venezuelan capital and elsewhere in the restive country, facing police tear gas as they protested against the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Saturday's protests marked the 50th straight day of anti-government street demonstrations, some of which have been accompanied by disorder. Nearly 50 people have been killed.

In Caracas, where many residents face severe shortages of such daily necessities as food, medicine and toilet paper, marchers carried signs — some reading "No More Dictatorship" and "Millions Against Dictatorship" — as they moved toward the city center.

Protesters blame Maduro and his economic policies for soaring inflation and the continuing shortages. They have also demanded fresh elections and freedom for jailed protesters.

Counterdemonstrations have also escalated since Maduro's call earlier this month for a new constitution.

More than 2,000 protesters have been jailed since early April, when the demonstrations began, weeks after Maduro dissolved the National Assembly and lifted lawmakers' immunity from criminal arrest and prosecution. Activists say at least one-third of the detainees remain jailed.

The European Union called on the Maduro government and opposition groups this week to begin an "urgent, constructive and effective dialogue" aimed at resolving the political crisis.

Ahead of Saturday's marches in Caracas and the western city of Cristobal, activists had predicted a gathering in the capital larger than that on April 19, when hundreds of thousands of marchers swept through the city. However, witnesses said the eventual turnout fell well short of last month's showing. </s> CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Latest on nationwide protests in Venezuela (all times local):

There was an eerie calm on the streets of Caracas early Wednesday ahead of a planned anti-government demonstration seeking to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Many shops were closed while riot police flanked by water tanks and lightly armored vehicles guarded the emblematic Plaza Venezuela that leads to downtown.

Juan Guaido, the newly-installed leader of congress who called Wednesday's march, urged security forces to stand alongside peaceful protesters.

"The world's eyes are on our homeland today," he said in an early-morning tweet.

Overnight there were reports of unrest in several working-class neighborhoods of Caracas as residents took to the streets to set fire to barricades demanding Maduro's resignation.

Venezuela's re-invigorated opposition faces a crucial test Wednesday as it seeks to fill streets nationwide with protesters in an appeal to the military and the poor to shift loyalties that until recently looked solidly behind President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government.

The protests have been called to coincide with a historic date for Venezuelans — the anniversary of the 1958 coup that overthrew military dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez. Government supporters are also expected to march in downtown Caracas in a rival show of strength.

The competing demonstrations will come after a whirlwind week that saw an uprising by a tiny military unit, fires set during protests in poor neighborhoods and the brief detention by security forces of the newly installed head of the opposition-controlled congress. </s> Opposition supporters clash with riot security forces while rallying against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

CARACAS/SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets on Saturday to mark 50 days of protests against the unpopular government of President Nicolas Maduro, with unrest gaining momentum despite a rising death toll and chaotic scenes of nighttime looting.

At least 46 people have been killed in the worst turmoil faced by Maduro since he won the presidency in 2013. Venezuelans from civilians to police have been killed, sometimes during increasingly frequent spates of looting or street melees.

Many Venezuelans are furious with Maduro's government, blaming it for soaring inflation, shortages of everything from food to medicine, and a crackdown on human rights. They are demanding elections, freedom for jailed activists, foreign aid, and autonomy for the opposition-led legislature.

Major opposition marches took place across the oil-rich nation of 30 million on Saturday, with protesters in Caracas brandishing placards that read “No More dictatorship in Venezuela” while in the volatile border city of San Cristobal masked youths threw rocks, and a Reuters witness saw two protesters wielding machetes.

The Andean area near Colombia suffered a week of mayhem that included looting, prompting the government to send in 2,000 troops.

"We don't want more deaths. We want salaries that mean something, and medicines. The government invests more in bullets and weapons than in food and education for this country," said Maria Diaz, a 33-year-old lawyer standing in the torrential rain in front of security forces with some 8,000 other protesters in San Cristobal.

Opposition protesters say the government is trying to maintain its grip on power despite the economic crisis. More than 2,600 protesters have been arrested across the country, more than a third of whom remain detained, according to a local rights group.

The government, which says protesters are trying to foment a coup beneath pro-democracy rhetoric, held a counter-march in Caracas, with thousands of red-clad supporters singing and dancing. Officials frequently pop up on state television with photos of vandalized stores and blocked roads that they blame on the opposition.

In recent weeks, protesters have thrown everything from excrement to petrol bombs at security forces, who have used tear gas and rubber bullets to block marches. Opposition lawmakers have joined protesters, often facing tear gas themselves.

"Fifty days and they've assassinated 50 people... Despite everything, on day 50, amid more repression, there is more resistance and more fight for Venezuela," said Capriles, surrounded by supporters.

He was recently barred from holding public office for 15 years and said this week that his passport was confiscated before a flight to New York, where he was set to visit the United Nations and denounce human rights violations.

On Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on the chief judge and seven other members of Venezuela's Supreme Court and President Donald Trump described Venezuela's humanitarian situation as "a disgrace to humanity."

Maduro responded by telling Trump to stop meddling in Venezuela's affairs. </s> Protesters supporting President Nicolás Maduro stormed Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas on Wednesday. Wielding pipes and wooden clubs, the attackers assaulted those inside, injuring five politicians and seven staffers.

One politician was in critical condition but has since been stabilized. For the next nine hours, protesters trapped around 350 people inside the building. The military initially stood back during the attack, but they eventually escorted everyone from the building.



The attack, which took place on the country’s Independence Day, was likely in response to the Venezuelan congress leading efforts to remove Maduro and his administration from power.

At an Independence Day parade, President Maduro denounced the attack and also called on opposition leaders to condemn violence by their supporters. </s> Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Venezuela on Saturday to mark 50 days of protests against the government of President Nicholas Maduro.

 In Caracas alone, some 160,000 marched through the city, said Edinson Ferrer, a spokesman for the opposition, citing a preliminary estimate.

 Protesters brandished placards that read “We are millions against the dictatorship” and “No more dictatorship”.

 Many Venezuelans are furious with Maduro’s government, blaming it for soaring inflation, shortages of food and medicine, and a crackdown on human rights. They are demanding elections and autonomy for the opposition-led legislature.

 Two-time presidential candidate and de facto opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, led the Caracas march.

 “Fifty days and they’ve assassinated 50 people… Despite everything, on day 50, amid more repression, there is more resistance and more fight for Venezuela,” he said.

 As with many of the previous marches, police firing tear gas broke up the demonstration and protesters responded by throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. Many young men wore hoods and gas masks and carried makeshift shields of wood and metal.

 One man was set on fire during the rally by people who accused him of stealing, the Reuters news agency said.

 n the volatile border city of San Cristobal in Tachira state, more than 40,000 people took to the streets. Maduro had sent in 2,600 soldiers there after a week of mayhem that included looting.

 “We don’t want more deaths. We want salaries that mean something, and medicines. The government invests more in bullets and weapons than in food and education for this country,” said Maria Diaz, a 33-year-old lawyer, standing in the torrential rain in front of security forces.

 The turnout for Saturday’s demonstrations came close to the biggest rally during seven weeks of protests, when several hundred thousand people came out on April 19.

 The demonstrations have degenerated into violence that has left 47 dead, hundreds injured, 2,200 detained and some 161 imprisoned by military tribunals.

 On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on the chief judge and seven other members of Venezuela’s Supreme Court and President Donald Trump described Venezuela’s humanitarian situation as “a disgrace to humanity.”

 Maduro responded by telling Trump to stop meddling in Venezuela’s affairs. Russian President Vladimir Putin contacted Maduro via phone and said the Venezuelan people have the right to determine their own future without foreign interventions. </s> CARACAS: Police fired tear gas on Saturday (May 20) at thousands of angry protesters marching in Venezuela's capital in the latest show of defiance against unpopular President Nicolas Maduro.

On the 50th straight day of street rallies against Maduro, protesters also erected barricades of tree branches and stones along the highway where an estimated 10,000 people trudged toward the Interior Ministry in the city centre.

In the western city of San Cristobal in Tachira state, an estimated 40,000-plus took to the streets. Maduro this week ordered 2,600 soldiers to Tachira to quell street violence and looting.

In Caracas, demonstrators carried signs that read "#We are millions against the dictatorship" and "#No more dictatorship!"

Protesters blame the socialist Maduro for oil-rich Venezuela's acute economic crisis, marked by shortages of food, medicine and such basics as soap and even toilet paper, and say he is manoeuvring to dodge calls for early elections.

"It's been 50 days of protests. I'm here with my two children, I can't get any milk, I can't get any food," said Mariangel, a 24-year-old businesswoman.

The red, blue and yellow colours of the Venezuelan flag were painted on her face.

Also present were young men carrying makeshift shields of wood and metal and wearing hoods and gas masks.

"This has been a massacre against the people," opposition leader Henrique Capriles said before the march got underway.

"Still, the more repression there is, the more we will resist and fight for Venezuela," said Capriles, one of whose lawyers delivered a report on the Venezuelan crisis Friday to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights after Venezuelan officials "canceled" his passport, preventing him from flying to New York.

Maduro's opponents expressed confidence that the march on Caracas's main motorway would surpass that of Apr 19, the largest so far in seven weeks of demonstrations that have left 47 people dead, hundreds injured, 2,200 detained and some 161 imprisoned by military tribunals.

But so far, Saturday's turnout is nowhere near the hundreds of thousands that marched Apr 19.

On the other side of town, an estimated 2,000 pro-government workers sang and danced as they staged a rival march to show their support for the president's controversial plan to elect a constitutional assembly to rewrite the constitution. Maduro was set to welcome the workers at the Miraflores presidential palace.

Several hundred people rallied in Miami, too, in a show of support for the anti-Maduro movement in Venezuela. Most were Venezuelan or Cuban.

Venezuela is bitterly divided, as locals bridle under all the shortages, soaring inflation - prices could rise by 720 per cent this year, the IMF estimates - and some of the world's highest crime rates.

As protests have turned violent, an increasing number of gunshot wounds have been reported. Federal prosecutors said they are investigating the role of police and military personnel in the incidents.

Some of the shootings took place in Tachira state, near the border with Colombia, where Maduro this week deployed 2,600 soldiers after riots and looting.

Protests have swelled since Maduro called for convening a "popular" assembly to re-write the Venezuelan constitution, with half its members coming from sectors loyal to him.

The opposition says the assembly would allow Maduro to avoid elections. He denies this and has "guaranteed" that presidential elections will be held next year, as required by law.

Maduro insisted Friday that the "popular" assembly would provide a "path to peace, dialogue and consensus," while the opposition, he said, was offering only "violence and death."

Analysts say the opposition's biggest challenge will be to keep their marches peaceful.

Protests succeed only when they are massive and persistent, said Luis Vicente Leon, who heads the Datanalisis polling firm. He warned that when demonstrations turn violent, they "lose impact."

Seven in 10 Venezuelans reject Maduro's leadership, according to private surveys, amid widespread economic devastation aggravated by the drop in the prices of oil - Venezuela's chief revenue source - in 2014.

That has left Maduro heavily dependent on military support.

Opposition protests grew after the country's Supreme Court on Mar 30 assumed some of the functions of the National Assembly.

In Washington, Organization of American States (OAS) head Luis Almagro said that the only way to solve the Venezuelan crisis is for the country to immediately hold general elections.

It is time for "definitive negotiations to agree on terms to reestablish democracy" in Venezuela, Almagro said in a video message.

The high number of fatalities during the protests is the result of "a regime that obstinately refuses to recognise that the only viable exit from the crisis ... is to hold general elections now." </s> Demonstrators are taking to the streets of Venezuela to protest President Maduro in what is potentially going to become a large scale march

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The latest on opposition and pro-government marches in Venezuela. (all times local):

Rodriguez spoke Wednesday during a visit to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, referring to dueling opposition and pro-government marches being held the same day in the South American country.

The Cuban official notes that Venezuela is a sovereign state with a democratically elected government.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the U.S. State Department of encouraging Venezuelan opponents to attempting a government overthrow. American officials have rejected such charges in the past.

Opponents of President Nicolas Maduro have called on Venezuelans to take to the streets for what they’ve dubbed the “mother of all marches” against the embattled socialist leader.

Demonstrators are converging from 26 different points spread across the capital to attempt to march downtown to the Ombudsman’s office. It’s a route tens of thousands of angry protesters have attempted a half-dozen times in the past few weeks only to find their progress blocked by light-armored vehicles and a curtain of tear gas and rubber bullets fired by riot police officers.

At least five deaths have been blamed on the strong-armed response to protests that were triggered by the government-stacked Supreme Court’s decision three weeks ago to strip the opposition-controlled congress of its last remaining powers. </s> CARACAS: More than 200,000 protesters took to the street in Venezuela on Saturday (May 20) on day 50 of an angry and sometimes deadly showdown with unpopular President Nicolas Maduro.

As with many of the previous marches in crisis-hit Venezuela, police fired tear gas as protesters in the capital of the oil rich country suffering from dire shortages of the most basic of goods.

The opposition blames Maduro for the economic mess and wants early elections to replace the Socialist who took over from the late Hugo Chavez. Seven weeks of street protests have left 47 people dead.

In Caracas alone, some 160,000 marched through the city trying to reach the Interior Ministry in the city centre, said Edinson Ferrer, spokesman for the opposition coalition MUD, citing a preliminary estimate.

In the western city of San Cristobal in Tachira state, an estimated 40,000-plus took to the streets. Maduro this week ordered 2,600 soldiers to Tachira to quell street violence and looting.



In Caracas, demonstrators carried signs that read "#We are millions against the dictatorship" and "#No more dictatorship!"



Protesters blame Maduro for Venezuela's acute economic crisis, marked by shortages of food, medicine and such basics as soap and even toilet paper, and say he is maneuvering to dodge calls for early elections.



"It's been 50 days of protests. I'm here with my two children, I can't get any milk, I can't get any food," said Mariangel, a 24-year-old businesswoman.



The red, blue and yellow colours of the Venezuelan flag were painted on her face.



Also present were young men carrying makeshift shields of wood and metal and wearing hoods and gas masks.



"This has been a massacre against the people," opposition leader Henrique Capriles said before the march got underway.



"Still, the more repression there is, the more we will resist and fight for Venezuela," said Capriles, one of whose lawyers delivered a report on the Venezuelan crisis Friday to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights after Venezuelan officials "canceled" his passport, preventing him from flying to New York.



In terms of turnout Saturday's protests came close to the biggest of the seven weeks of protest rallies, when several hundred thousand people came out on April 19. The demonstrations have degenerated into violence which, besides the 47 dead, has left hundreds injured, 2,200 detained and some 161 imprisoned by military tribunals.



On the other side of town, an estimated 2,000 pro-government workers sang and danced as they staged a rival march to show their support for the president's controversial plan to elect a constitutional assembly to rewrite the constitution.



Maduro had been scheduled to welcome the workers at the Miraflores presidential palace, but in the end the marchers did not see the president.



Venezuela is bitterly divided, as locals bridle under all the shortages, soaring inflation - prices could rise by 720 percent this year, the IMF estimates - and some of the world's highest crime rates.



As protests have turned violent, an increasing number of gunshot wounds have been reported. Federal prosecutors said they are investigating the role of police and military personnel in the incidents.

Some of the shootings took place in Tachira state, near the border with Colombia, where Maduro this week deployed 2,600 soldiers after riots and looting.



Protests have swelled since Maduro called for convening a "popular" assembly to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution, with half its members coming from sectors loyal to him.



The opposition says the assembly would allow Maduro to avoid elections. He denies this and has "guaranteed" that presidential elections will be held next year, as required by law.



Maduro insisted Friday that the "popular" assembly would provide a "path to peace, dialogue and consensus," while the opposition, he said, was offering only "violence and death."



Analysts say the opposition's biggest challenge will be to keep their marches peaceful.

Protests succeed only when they are massive and persistent, said Luis Vicente Leon, who heads the Datanalisis polling firm. He warned that when demonstrations turn violent, they "lose impact."



Seven in 10 Venezuelans reject Maduro's leadership, according to private surveys, amid widespread economic devastation aggravated by the drop in the prices of oil - Venezuela's chief revenue source - in 2014.



That has left Maduro heavily dependent on military support.



Opposition protests grew after the country's Supreme Court on Mar 30 assumed some of the functions of the National Assembly. </s> CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - The Latest on the political crisis in Venezuela (all times local):

For the first time in three weeks of protest, demonstrators in Venezuela have crossed from the wealthier eastern side of the nation's capital to the west without encountering resistance from state security.

Opposition lawmaker Freddy Guevara likened the march toward some of the city's more humble neighborhoods as "crossing the Berlin wall."

Tens of thousands of protesters dressed in white are marching in cities around Venezuela Saturday in homage to at least 20 people killed in a wave of unrest that has jolted the nation.

Opposition leaders marched with their arms wrapped around each other into western Caracas Saturday, vowing to continue protesting until new elections are granted.

Thousands of Venezuelans dressed in white are marching in a silent protest paying homage to the at least 20 people killed in unrest generated after the nation's Supreme Court stripped congress of its last powers, a decision it later reversed.

Walking with black bands tied around their arms and carrying signs denouncing President Nicolas Maduro, protesters in Caracas Saturday were heading toward the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference, where they were expecting to pray for those killed.

The protest is the latest mass gathering in a wave of tumult that has rocked the nation over the last three weeks as demonstrators press for new elections.

Those killed include protesters and bystanders struck by gunfire and a dozen dead Friday in overnight clashes and looting that destroyed more than two dozen businesses.
Marking the 50th consecutive day of protests, hundreds of thousands demonstrate throughout Venezuela against President Nicolás Maduro, with civil unrest growing despite the increasing number of casualties.