Politics
14:05, 21-Jul-2017
Venezuela opposition stages nationwide strike
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A 24-hour nationwide anti-government strike has left cities across Venezuela quiet and on edge, CGTN reports.
The opposition called the strike as a way to show widespread disapproval of President Nicolas Maduro's plan to convene a constitutional assembly, which would have the power to rewrite the constitution.
After months of near daily protests, opposition supporters have blocked streets with barricades made from garbage, tree branches, and furniture, CGTN’s Juan Carlos Lamas reports from Caracas.
Thousands of private businesses are closed, but all government offices and state-run businesses have been ordered to stay open.
The Caracas subway is running, but buses are not operating, and many public employees could not get to work, says the report.
Maduro's government has threatened to punish companies that close in sympathy with the strike, saying no matter how many people take part, the strike will not change his plans to convene a constitutional assembly.