Millions of people in Venezuela have taken part in a 24-hour shutdown in a civil disobedience campaign against the country’s president. <br /><br />The strike was called by foes of Nicolas Maduro to demand elections and the scrapping of plans for a new congress. <br /><br />Businesses stayed closed and streets were barricaded. Authorities say at least two young men died during Thursday’s unrest. <br /><br />The opposition hopes the action will end nearly two decades of socialist rule.<br /><br />Former Venezuelan UN diplomat Isaias Medina has resigned and broken up with the government. He explained: “It was the violence, the death of students. The aggressive response of the government to a peaceful manifestation. This is the point of no return non-negotiable.”<br /><br />Venezuela has been in deep decline for four years. It has the world’s highest inflation and widespread food shortages.<br /><br />The unrest has taken around 100 lives and injured thousands. <br /><br />The political interests of #Russia and the U.S. intersect in nations across the world. #Venezuela is no exception. https://t.co/kDH5120q4j pic.twitter.com/9NhZNPmK5i— Stratfor (@Stratfor) July 20, 2017<br />
