Guaido calls on young people to participate in weekend protest in Venezuela

Caracas — The head of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled Parliament, Juan Guaido, who has been acknowledged as the country’s interim president by more than 50 countries, on Thursday called on young people to turn out for a weekend protest in all major cities and urged them not to get accustomed to living without basic services.

“On (April) 6 let’s take to the streets and not for a second will we accustom ourselves to living like this,” said the opposition leader during an event with student leaders at the National Assembly.

He also called on people to demonstrate against the blackouts that since March 7 have affected services that depend on electricity including telephones, Internet access and the pumping of potable water, which have been curtailed or shut off completely virtually nationwide.

“Not for a second will we accustom ourselves ... to the norm being that there’s no water,” he said.

The parliamentary chief said that Saturday’s protest will be “the start of Operation Freedom,” a pressure tactic whereby he and his opposition supporters hope to bring about the “end of the usurpation” of power that they say President Nicolas Maduro is perpetrating.

“We’re going to deliver a task well done to Venezuela, we’re going to deliver a completed mission,” said Guaido, who in January invoked the Constitution to proclaim himself interim president and set forth a roadmap including removing Maduro from power, installing a transition government and calling for “free elections.”

The opposition leader also questioned the 30-day electricity rationing plan launched by the government last Sunday, emphasizing that the schedule and locations for the rationing in areas where the power has been out have not been announced.

“They have wanted to show that there is a rationing plan when it’s not true ... They have no ability at all to ration electricity ... They have sacrificed entire states (which have been left without power) because of the fear they have of Caracas,” he said.

Maduro has blamed the United States and the Venezuelan opposition of perpetrating “sabotage” against the country’s electricity grid, claiming that “electromagnetic” attacks have been mounted along with a fire at the country’s main hydroelectric plant that was started by a “long-range” sniper.

The Venezuelan opposition blames the government for the failures in the electric system, saying that ineptitude and poor management of the sector’s resources are the real causes of the blackouts.