委內瑞拉全國罷工進入第二天

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.”委內瑞拉反對派星期四連續第二天，也是最後一天全國大罷工，目的是對委內瑞拉總統馬杜羅施加壓力，迫使他取消即將舉行的制憲會議選舉。

數百萬工人星期三待在家中，街道和高速公路上空空蕩蕩，很多店鋪也關門停業。一些抗議者在社區設置路障，不讓大家去上班，結果引發跟保安部隊的衝突，至少一人喪生。

委內瑞拉總統馬杜羅計劃星期天，也就是7月31日投票選舉制憲會議成員，重建國家秩序。四月以來抗議者和保安部隊幾乎每天都會發生暴力衝突，已經造成100多人喪生。

反對派領袖說，馬杜羅是希望選舉產生他能夠接受的制憲會議，逐漸實現獨裁統治。

反對派領袖洛佩斯星期三呼籲委內瑞拉人繼續在街頭和平示威，並鼓勵軍對無視政府下達的鎮壓活動人士的命令。

48小時全國罷工後，反對派將於星期五在首都加拉加斯舉行抗議示威遊行。
與此同時，美國星期三宣佈對13個跟委內瑞拉政府和國家石油公司有關的個人實施新制裁，進一步向馬杜羅施壓，迫使他取消星期天的選舉。

川普政府一位高級官員說，被制裁者包括跟馬杜羅政權有關的現任和前任高官，其中有兩位內閣部長，國家選舉負責人，委內瑞拉國家石油公司財務副總裁，以及軍方和警方負責人等。

美國財政部長姆努欽宣佈制裁的同時發表聲明說，馬杜羅星期天如果舉行選舉，美國可能會考慮施加更多制裁。聲明說：“當選全國制憲會議成員的人要知道，他們在削弱委內瑞拉的民主程序和機制中扮演的角色，有可能使他們成爲美國製裁的對象。”