CARACAS — Unidentified masked men on Friday forced their way into the offices of Venezuelan opposition party Popular Will, political leaders said, the night before planned protests across the country meant to boost pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to resign. Men carrying rifles entered in the offices of the Popular Will party in Caracas in the late afternoon, ordering those present to the floor and telling them to hand over their phones, according to witnesses and a video released by the party. Opposition leader Juan Guaido, the head of the legislature who has been recognized by more than 50 countries as Venezuela's legitimate president, called the incident an act of government intimidation to dampen the planned protests. "We've had enough of the dictatorship threatening our people, that's why tomorrow we're going to take to the streets in force," Guaido, a member of Popular Will, told reporters at the entrance to the building where the offices are located. "We've had enough intimidation."

Source: International New York Times November 16, 2019 00:33 UTC