委内瑞拉全国罢工进入第二天

Venezuelan opposition forces will take part Thursday in the second and final day of a nationwide strike aimed at forcing President Nicolas Maduro to cancel an upcoming vote to create a constitutional assembly.

Millions of workers stayed home Wednesday, leaving streets and highways clear of traffic and scores of businesses closed. Some protesters threw up roadblocks in neighborhoods to keep people from getting to work, leading to clashes with security forces that left at least one person dead.

President Maduro has scheduled a vote for Sunday, July 30 for a constitutional assembly to restore order in Venezuela, where more than 100 people have been killed in near daily violent clashes between protesters and security forces since April.

Opposition leaders say Maduro intends to assume more authoritarian powers once a constitutional assembly acceptable to him is chosen.

Leopoldo López, an opposition leader, called on Venezuelans Wednesday to continue peaceful street protests, and encouraged the military to ignore government orders to clamp down on activists.

A planned protest march on Friday in the capital, Caracas, will follow the 48-hour walkout.

Meanwhile, the United States announced new sanctions Wednesday against 13 individuals connected to the Venezuelan government and state oil company, in an further effort to pressure Maduro call off Sunday's vote.

A senior Trump administration official said the individuals targeted include high-ranking current and former officials connected to the Maduro regime, including two Cabinet ministers, the national elections director, the vice president of finance for state-run oil company PDVSA, and the country's army and police chiefs, among others.

In a statement accompanying the sanctions announcement, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said further sanctions are possible after the election Maduro has called for Sunday: "Anyone elected to the National Constituent Assembly should know that their role in undermining democratic processes and institutions in Venezuela could expose them to potential U.S. sanctions.”

委内瑞拉反对派星期四连续第二天，也是最后一天全国大罢工，目的是对委内瑞拉总统马杜罗施加压力，迫使他取消即将举行的制宪会议选举。

数百万工人星期三待在家中，街道和高速公路上空空荡荡，很多店铺也关门停业。一些抗议者在社区设置路障，不让大家去上班，结果引发跟保安部队的冲突，至少一人丧生。

委内瑞拉总统马杜罗计划星期天，也就是7月31日投票选举制宪会议成员，重建国家秩序。四月以来抗议者和保安部队几乎每天都会发生暴力冲突，已经造成100多人丧生。

反对派领袖说，马杜罗是希望选举产生他能够接受的制宪会议，逐渐实现独裁统治。

反对派领袖洛佩斯星期三呼吁委内瑞拉人继续在街头和平示威，并鼓励军对无视政府下达的镇压活动人士的命令。

48小时全国罢工后，反对派将于星期五在首都加拉加斯举行抗议示威游行。

与此同时，美国星期三宣布对13个跟委内瑞拉政府和国家石油公司有关的个人实施新制裁，进一步向马杜罗施压，迫使他取消星期天的选举。

川普政府一位高级官员说，被制裁者包括跟马杜罗政权有关的现任和前任高官，其中有两位内阁部长，国家选举负责人，委内瑞拉国家石油公司财务副总裁，以及军方和警方负责人等。

美国财政部长姆努钦宣布制裁的同时发表声明说，马杜罗星期天如果举行选举，美国可能会考虑施加更多制裁。声明说：“当选全国制宪会议成员的人要知道，他们在削弱委内瑞拉的民主程序和机制中扮演的角色，有可能使他们成为美国制裁的对象。”