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Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has called for a series of increasingly violent strikes to force President Nicolás Maduro to give up power.
Guaidó urged public service employees to act on Thursday, saying the stoppages would lead to a general strike. A woman was killed and dozens were injured when protesters and security forces clashed in Caracas on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Maduro rejected suggestions that he was ready to flee and accused the United States of leading a coup. The people involved would be punished, he said.
Tensions on the crisis are also increasing between the United States and Russia.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US could take military action to resolve the crisis and accused Russia and Cuba of destabilizing the country by backing Maduro.
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Crisis in Venezuela: Guaidó calls for new street protests
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Pompeo that America's influence over Venezuela was destructive and constituted a violation of international law.
Mr. Guaidó declared himself interim chief of Venezuela in January and has been recognized by more than 50 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and most Latin American countries.
But Mr Maduro – supported by Russia, China and the country's army summit – refused to yield power.
What is the importance of Guaidó's latest initiative?
In a series of tweets (in Spanish), Mr. Guaidó said that the final phase of "Operation Liberty" had begun and that it was the turn of public officials to participate.
He urged protesters to stay on the street until Maduro's government was finally forced to resign.
Guaidó has been courting the public sector for weeks, but it will be difficult to get their support, said Candace Piette, editor-in-chief at the BBC for the Americas.
For years, state employees were told that if they did not attend government rallies, they would lose their jobs. So if the Leader of the Opposition wins, it will be a huge victory against President Maduro, "said our editor.
On Wednesday, pro and anti-government supporters held big demonstrations.
At first, both were peaceful, but shots were reported in the city. The Venezuelan Social Conflict Observatory, a local NGO, said on Wednesday that a 27-year-old woman had been shot dead at a rally in the opposition fortress in Altamira.
At least 46 people were injured in the clashes.
How did the "coup d'etat" take place?
On Tuesday, Mr. Guaidó posted a video showing him with several men in military uniform. He said that he had the support of "brave soldiers" in Caracas.
He urged Venezuelans to join them in the street and appeared alongside another opposition leader, Leopoldo López, under house arrest since 2014.
Supporters from both sides then gathered around Caracas throughout the day. Clashes took place between Guaidó's supporters and armed military vehicles.
The Spanish government then stated that Mr López and his family had sought security in their embbady, but that the opposition 's personality had not asked for political asylum.
What other international reaction has taken place?
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on both parties to avoid violence, while the EU has called for "the utmost restraint to avoid loss of life and escalation of voltage".
The United States reiterated its support for Mr. Guaidó.
The governments that still support Mr. Maduro – including Bolivia and Cuba – have condemned Mr. Guaidó's efforts for attempted coup d'etat.
The Mexican government said it was "concerned about a possible increase in violence" and Colombian President Ivan Duque urged the Venezuelan army to stand "on the right side of history" against Mr. Maduro.
An emergency meeting of the Lima group of Latin American countries has been scheduled for Friday.
Source: BBC
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