In Venezuela, mass protests women

Vowing to stay in the streets for as long as necessary, Maduro's opponents called for women to march nationwide on Saturday dressed in white, a traditional show of defiance against what they brand a repressive government.

Expressing deep concern "about the Maduro government's violent crackdown on protestors", the USA ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said in a statement that Maduro's "disregard for the fundamental rights of his own people has heightened the political and economic crisis in the country".

The demonstration convened by the UCV was dispersed by the National Guard (GNB) with tear gas and, according to Requesens, also with rubber bullets and marbles.

While Maduro says opposition ranks include armed hoodlums, activists accuse the security forces of using excessive force including firing teargas canisters directly at people and allowing pro-government gangs to terrorize demonstrators.

In Caracas, marchers sang the national anthem and shouted "We want elections!"

"He doesn't want to, he knows he is losing".

Borges was also cited as saying to the Times that Washington's hands-on approach under Trump could help Venezuela overcome the "classic dictatorship" led by Maduro.

A woman holds up a placard that reads "No more repression" during a women's march to protest against President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas, Venezuela May 6, 2017.

The development came as Venezuela's opposition supporters staged major rallies in the capital Caracas and other cities in the past week to protest President Maduro's bid to write a new constitution.

The president has launched moves to reform the constitution, further angering the opposition, which says he is trying to dodge elections.

In the video, Lopez appears "unrecognizable", said Diana Lopez, the opposition leader's sister.

In response to the crisis, the 54-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez is setting up a super body known as a "constituent assembly" with powers to rewrite the constitution, shake up public powers, and potentially replace the legislature.

At least 717 others have been injured and 152 remain in jail as a result of the protests, which started in early April amid the Venezuelan Supreme Court's decision to assume the powers of Congress (which Maduro later partially walked back) and a continuing economic crisis.

While President Nicolás Maduro has set the gears in motion for a new Venezuelan constitution, the confusion and violence that has engulfed city streets for more than a month only appears to be deepening.

As NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas reported Thursday, world-famous Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel also issued an open letter to Maduro, calling on the president "to rectify and listen to the voice of the Venezuelan people".