[News] Venezuela Promotes Peace As Violent Protests Reach 50th Day

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Promotes-Peace-As-Violent-Protests-Reach-50th-Day-20170520-0020.html 



  Venezuela Promotes Peace As Violent Protests Reach 50th Day

May 20, 2017
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Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday reiterated calls 
for supporting peace in the South American country and criticized 
ongoing violent right-wing protests, which have since reached the 50-day 
mark.

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Rodriguez, speaking at a community event promoting Venezuela’s 
constituent assembly, said President Nicolas Maduro’s proposal would 
establish dialogue to resolve differences and create a state of peace 
and stability.

“We want no one to stay in their house because we have an essential task 
before us, which is the defense of Venezuela,” she said.

“It is a choice for all Venezuelans who oppose violence, want peace for 
our children and want to defend the sovereignty of Venezuela against the 
interventionist agents.”

The call has been supported by the National Electoral Council, oil union 
workers, sports promoters and other key sectors of Venezuelan society. 
Even 17 opposition parties have agreed to discuss the terms of the 
constituent assembly.

Right-wing groups aligned with the Democratic Unity Roundtable, however, 
have refused to negotiate with the government. Instead, they have 
perpetrated violent protests, which have since claimed at least 52 lives.

Venezuela’s Minister of Communication and Information Ernesto Villegas 
Poljak has rejected false information being released by international 
media which claims all of those who died were victims of “state 
crackdowns.” Contrarily, he stressed that there have been more officers 
of the Bolivarian National Guard wounded by gunshots than the total 
number of fatal victims.

During the protests, opposition forces have gone as far as employing a 
crude weaponry device dubbed “poopootov cocktails.” These are plastic 
bottles filled with human feces that are launched against government 
supporters.

Marielys Valdez, inspector general of courts, stated that the use of 
excrement in demonstrations to “neutralize public order” is considered a 
biochemical weapon whose use is punishable by law.

A host of other Venezuelan officials have also spoken out, saying the 
demonstrators are breaking international treaties on biological and 
chemical weapons.

On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets 
Control imposed sanctions on eight current and former Venezuelan Supreme 
Court justices for allegedly aiding Maduro in supposedly “murdering” 
protesters during the opposition-led violent protests.

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