With Sunday’s controversial new constituent assembly elections looming, popular demonstrations across Venezuela have intensified, as clashes between protestors and police grow ever more bloody.<br /><br />Despite President Nicolas Maduro’s assurances that anyone caught protesting would face time behind bars, opposition leaders urged Venezuelans to take to the streets, a call that thousands have evidently heeded.<br /><br />Venezuela: Small groups defy protest ban CNNI https://t.co/XHFWuLdUrQhttps://t.co/zX1iIV8Zkx pic.twitter.com/Gtkp3EVbhi— RGuedez (rguedez) July 28, 2017<br /><br /><br />Venezuela: Small groups defy protest ban CNNI https://t.co/XHFWuLdUrQhttps://t.co/zX1iIV8Zkx pic.twitter.com/Gtkp3EVbhi— RGuedez (rguedez) July 28, 2017<br /><br /><br />The widespread anger is down to Maduro’s calling of an election for a new assembly that would have the power to rewrite the constitution and would rival the opposition led , something neighbouring Colombia – which has been burdened in recent months by an influx of thousands of Venezuelans – said it would not recognise.<br /><br />President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia said: “The Constitutional Assembly promoted by the Venezuelan government is illegitimate and that is why Colombia will not recognise the results.”<br /><br />Venezuelan opposition in final protest push ahead of Sunday vote https://t.co/bvgDUYoJbd pic.twitter.com/eOhbmliN8C— Ramon Morell (@ramonmorell) July 29, 2017<br /><br /><br />The run up to the election has not been the peaceful campaign Maduro would have hoped for.<br /><br />It has instead been marred by violence and chaos.<br /><br />In a sign that the president still holds a firm grip on the country, armed and hooded intelligence officers arrested Mayor Alfredo Ramos, a local politician who the Supreme Court say had facilitated protests against Maduro.<br />
