委内瑞拉全国罢工进入第二天

Venezuelan opposition forces will take part Thursday in the second and final day of a nationwide strike aimed at forcing President Nicolas Maduro to cancel an upcoming vote to create a constitutional assembly.

Millions of workers stayed home Wednesday, leaving streets and highways clear of traffic and scores of businesses closed. Some protesters threw up roadblocks in neighborhoods to keep people from getting to work, leading to clashes with security forces that left at least one person dead.

President Maduro has scheduled a vote for Sunday, July 30 for a constitutional assembly to restore order in Venezuela, where more than 100 people have been killed in near daily violent clashes between protesters and security forces since April.

Opposition leaders say Maduro intends to assume more authoritarian powers once a constitutional assembly acceptable to him is chosen.

Leopoldo López, an opposition leader, called on Venezuelans Wednesday to continue peaceful street protests, and encouraged the military to ignore government orders to clamp down on activists.

A planned protest march on Friday in the capital, Caracas, will follow the 48-hour walkout.

Meanwhile, the United States announced new sanctions Wednesday against 13 individuals connected to the Venezuelan government and state oil company, in an further effort to pressure Maduro call off Sunday's vote.

A senior Trump administration official said the individuals targeted include high-ranking current and former officials connected to the Maduro regime, including two Cabinet ministers, the national elections director, the vice president of finance for state-run oil company PDVSA, and the country's army and police chiefs, among others.

In a statement accompanying the sanctions announcement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said further sanctions are possible after the election Maduro has called for Sunday: "Anyone elected to the National Constituent Assembly should know that their role in undermining democratic processes and institutions in Venezuela could expose them to potential U.S. sanctions.”