Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has moved to convene a "Citizens' Assembly," amid rising protests against his proposal for constitutional changes. 

During a massive street protest, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro formalized his petition for a new Venezuelan constitution. Maduro says he was left with no choice but to call a Citizens' Assembly to bring peace to Venezuela. 

The current constitution allows “the people of Venezuela” to convene an assembly capable of writing a new constitution. President Maduro has said this Citizens’ Assembly would consist of 500 people made up of workers, farmers, indigenous groups and women, who would be “chosen by the working class.” Maduro however gave no other details on how the 500 would be chosen.

Government supporters gathered outside the headquarters of the electoral board in Caracas to support their president. 

While the electoral board authorities agreed to start the process of arranging for elections for the Citizens' Assembly, opposition demonstrators marched towards the headquarters of the National Assembly. 

The Venezuelan opposition says now more than ever it has reason to protest against what it calls a dictatorial government, whose purpose, they say, is to keep itself and the president himself in power.

For more than a month now, the opposition has called its supporters to protest nearly every day. The opposition has been firm in its demands, which is to open a channel to distribute food and medicine, to restore the National Assembly's constitutional powers, to set a timetable for elections, and to free political prisoners.