Security forces on Wednesday fired tear gas as anti-government demonstrators staged what they dubbed the "mother of all marches" against President Nicolas Maduro, accusing him of eroding democracy and plunging the economy into chaos.
Tens of thousands of people are pouring into the main thoroughfares of Caracas in the latest anti-government demonstration in the Venezuelan capital.
In the culmination of a fortnight of violent demonstrations that have killed five people, protesters around the country will demand the government present a timeline for delayed elections, halt a security crackdown on protests, and respect the autonomy of the opposition-led legislature.
The opposition rejected his comments as a desperate attempt to intimidate Venezuelans from exercising their constitutional right to protest.
Venezuela is bracing for a second round of mass anti-government protests on Thursday, a day after huge rallies across the South American nation led to clashes in which three were killed, dozens injured and hundreds arrested.
Instead, the protestors have been met by the full force of the government's military. On Wednesday alone, more than 500 protesters were arrested nationwide, according to Penal Forum, a local NGO that provides legal assistance to detainees.
But Yoneici Paredes, a youth leader supporting Maduro, took a different view: "Today, this youth is convinced that socialism is the way ... for us to build Venezuela's power and the message is to contribute our grain of sand to be a better country in Venezuela".
A teenager in the capital Caracas and a woman in San Cristobal, near the Colombian border, were shot dead.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tells reporters at the State Department that the U.S.is "concerned that the government of Maduro is violating its own constitution and is not allowing the opposition to have their voices heard". Although she doesn't expect change overnight, she said protesting is the only option the opposition has after what she says are scores of abuses committed by the government. In July of a year ago, the government said it would take a factory belonging to Kimberly-Clark Corp. after the American personal care giant said it was no longer possible to manufacture due to a lack of materials.
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The ambassador also accused the United States and OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro of encouraging an overthrow of Venezuela's socialist government, echoing an earlier accusation by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. "I tried to protect her as much as I could", added the boyfriend, crying beside her dead body. These protests reflect a disquiet among the populace that President Nicolas Maduro can no longer ignore.
He said the opposition did not only stage protests in the east of the city, as it normally does, but also in typically pro-government western areas. Water cannons and tear gas canisters were unleashed on opposition marchers.
"This is a call for reflection to officials of the armed forces to think about the role they are playing in this moment of Venezuela's history", he said.
Nicolas Maduro has been careful not to antagonise the new U.S. president, but the Trump administration has recently stepped up criticism of Venezuela's government.
Maduro is under increasing pressure as falling prices for oil exports worsen a food and medicine shortage and deepen the country's financial crisis.
Protesters positioned themselves at 20 points in the historic center of Caracas were thousands of government supporter also gathered.
Numerous impoverished residents of the vast slums that ring Caracas and other major cities are angry about a collapsing economy and food shortages.
Opposition leaders are calling for the National Assembly's powers to be fully restored, for all political prisoners to be freed, for a humanitarian corridor to be opened and for stalled elections to take place. The hour has arrived to decide the future and the destiny of our country.
Venezuela's public prosecutor, Luisa Ortega, a member of the ruling Socialist party, urged security forces to guarantee the ability to dissent.
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