President Nicolas Maduro is pressing ahead with plans for a controversial election in Venezuela, despite claims that it is a move to institutionalise dictatorship.<br /><br />Speaking on Sunday, with a week to go until the poll, he defended the vote for a congressional body which could effectively replace the opposition-led National Assembly.<br /><br />“The imperial right wing believes it can give orders to Venezuela, the only ones who give orders here are the people,” the leftist leader said, denouncing a threat from US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Venezuela if the vote takes place.<br /><br />“Foreign imperial governments and foreigners don’t give the orders here,” Maduro declared on his weekly TV show.<br /><br />Maduro says Venezuela vote going ahead despite ‘imperial’ threat https://t.co/hnPGu53aUP— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) 23 juillet 2017<br /><br />More than 100 people have died in months of anti-government unrest in Venezuela, which is in the midst of a crippling economic crisis. <br /><br />More protests and a national strike are planned ahead of Sunday’s vote for a Constituent Assembly. Maduro’s opponents are to boycott the ballot, demanding instead conventional free elections including for a new president.<br /><br />Maduro has branded his opponents “terrorists”, saying they are working for Washington to try to control Venezuela’s oil.<br /><br />The European Union and major Latin American nations have also stated their opposition to the constituent body, which will have power to rewrite Venezuela’s 1999 constitution and override other institutions.<br /><br />Venezuela opposition calls for 48-hour general strike https://t.co/abWMveMxD9 pic.twitter.com/JazjlW965G— Bloomberg (@business) 23 juillet 2017<br /><br />with Reuters<br />
