CARACAS: Opposition leader Juan Guaido (C), chanting slogans as he is marching with students during a protest he convened against the government of President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday — AFP CARACAS, Jan 31 (AP): Venezuelans of every age, class and profession poured into the streets of the capital on Wednesday to demand that President Nicolas Maduro step down and to express their support for the young opposition leader who has declared himself interim president.
Dressed in suits, scrubs, and jeans, they waved the national flag, displayed signs, and chanted slogans. One disgusted vendor threw devalued national currency into the air.
Protesters who made an appearance were heeding a call from opposition leader Juan Guaido to stage mass demonstrations despite crackdowns on previous protests.
Marching outside an office building on the eastern side of the city, Evelyn Melendez carried a red-and-white sign that read, "No more dictatorship," and sang songs opposing Maduro.
Melendez said she lives in a working-class neighborhood at the opposite end of the city, but she is too afraid to protest near her home, because in her neighborhood she has already been beaten up by government supporters for canvassing for an opposition party.
"Things are very tough here," said the 23-year-old Melendez, who wore a black T-shirt and baseball cap. "People are dying of hunger and over the lack of medicines. We hope that Maduro, the usurper, steps down from the presidency and stops causing harm to our people."
Leyda Brito turned up at one of Wednesday's protests wearing a red helmet with the number 647. It stands for the number of days that have passed since a group of pensioners was gassed by Venezuelan police during a protest in 2017.
Brito, 60, said she is struggling to live off her pension, which is roughly $10 a month. She said she was particularly frustrated by the Venezuelan government's refusal to accept international humanitarian aid.
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