‘Give Up the Violence’: Venezuela Slams Opposition Bloodshed

As opposition street protests continue in Venezuela, Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez has again urged the opposition to propose peaceful solutions to the crisis and to stop its promotion of violence, which has seen at least three dozen people die since protests intent on overthrowing the government began last month.

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“There is no excuse for the opposition to miss meetings about peace and sovereignty. Give up the violence and respond to the call of the constitution,” Rodriguez said via Twitter.

It comes on the back of Monday’s announcement by President Nicolas Maduro to call for a national constituent assembly with the goal of easing the ongoing political tensions and supporting dialogue with the opposition. Despite previously calling for a constituent assembly, the opposition has rejected the call and set off a fresh wave of protests.

Maduro invoked article 347 of the Bolivarian Constitution, which allows for the convening of a national constituent assembly with the purpose of “transforming the state."

The constitution, which was rewritten in 1999 by former President Hugo Chavez, is widely regarded as one of the most progressive in the world. Not only does it enshrine social rights to citizens. It also creates space for the people to directly intervene in political decision making outside of elections.

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The government has sent an official letter of invitation to the Democratic Unity Roundtable opposition coalition to come to the negotiation table on Monday, May 8.

“President Maduro has made a great call for national dialogue, and thus triggered a call for a national constituent assembly convening the original constituent power, summoning the Venezuelan people, to be the same people who will overcome this situation of violence, for peace and for the sake of respect for the sovereignty of Venezuela,” Rodriguez said, according to AVN.

Rodriguez added that the government has “evidence representatives and opposition leaders support violence” and that the violent opposition plan pitted against the government “does not correspond with what is really happening in Venezuela.”

The foreign minister said that outside powers and the international media have helped create the false narrative that the Venezuelan government has been suppressing peaceful opposition protests.