“We are seeing empty streets and most shops closed,” said opposition leader Henrique Capriles while touring the city on foot. Maduro has called for a vote on 30 July to elect a constituent assembly charged with rewriting the constitution. The strike comes as the Trump administration in the US weighs up imposing “swift economic actions” if Maduro goes ahead with the election. While symbolic and non-binding, the vote turned up the pressure on the government and emboldened the opposition to call the strike. “The ones supporting this strike don’t understand anything,” said the woman, who declined to give her name.

Source: The Guardian July 20, 2017 16:07 UTC