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href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Promotes-Peace-As-Violent-Protests-Reach-50th-Day-20170520-0020.html">http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Venezuela-Promotes-Peace-As-Violent-Protests-Reach-50th-Day-20170520-0020.html</a></font>
<h1 id="reader-title">Venezuela Promotes Peace As Violent
Protests Reach 50th Day<br>
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<div id="reader-estimated-time">May 20, 2017<br>
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<p>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.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em><strong>RELATED:</strong><br>
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href="http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/US-Has-Budgeted-49M-for-Venezuelan-Right-Wing-Since-2009-20170517-0018.html">US
Has Budgeted $49M for Venezuelan Right-Wing Since
2009</a></em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>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.</p>
<p>“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. </p>
<p>“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.”</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>A host of other Venezuelan officials have also spoken
out, saying the demonstrators are breaking international
treaties on biological and chemical weapons.</p>
<p>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.</p>
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