CARACAS: The regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was hit by US sanctions and a 48-hour opposition-led nationwide strike on Wednesday, both aimed at thwarting his controversial plans to elect a new body to rewrite the constitution.

The US Treasury unveiled a list of 13 current and former officials, including the interior minister, heads of the national police, army and national guard, the president of the electoral council, and the finance chief of state oil company PDVSA, whose US assets would be frozen.

The announcement came as Venezuela’s opposition launched its nationwide stoppage as part of a campaign to halt Sunday’s vote and, more broadly, force Maduro from office through early elections. The vote, which Maduro has vowed will go ahead as planned, is to choose the 545 members of a “Constituent Assembly” to rival the opposition-held National Assembly and to redo the constitution.

But in a country suffering from widespread shortages of basic goods and soaring inflation, protesters are showing their discontent with Maduro’s leadership.

“No more dictatorship!” read signs on road barricades in eastern Caracas.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2017