The Venezuelan president says he will go ahead with an election for a controversial new congress next week, calling on the opposition to respect the vote.
The remarks come as the opposition is boycotting the July 30 elections to select members of the Constituent Assembly. They would have the power to rewrite the constitution and to bypass the opposition-controlled legislature. Opposition politicians say Maduro wants to use the assembly to entrench himself in power, while the president argues a new constitution will promote dialogue in the polarized country. The opposition is planning a week of protests, including a two-day national strike on Wednesday and Thursday, to try to force Maduro's hand. Venezuela has been the scene of anti-government protests since April, leaving more than a hundred people dead.
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