委內瑞拉駐聯合國高級外交官辭職，抗議馬杜羅總統的政策

A senior Venezuelan diplomat at the United Nations says he has resigned, citing systematic persecution of civilians, “state terrorism'' and violations of the constitution by President Nicolas Maduro's government.

Speaking to the Associated Press news agency Thursday night, Isaias Medina said Venezuela “is a failed state,” adding that “this is a fugitive government and a complete dictatorship ... Maduro does not have the right to be in that office.''

Medina, an interNational lawyer specializing in environmental issues, who was a minister counselor at Venezuela's UN Mission, called on Maduro to “leave the office so that a new government can take place and do their job.''

Venezuela's U.N. Ambassador says Medina was fired for acting dishonestly.

In cities across Venezuela Thursday tree limbs, wires, trash and furniture were transformed into roadblocks as Venezuelans heeded the opposition call to strike against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Protesters clashed with police in some areas. Groups of masked young men set fire to a handful of blockades and hurled stones at riot police, who fired back tear gas.

A 24-year-old man was killed and three people were wounded after violence broke out during a demonstration on the outskirts of Caracas, according to prosecutors.

Opposition demonstrators also set a police booth on fire. There were several arrests.

Stones were also thrown at the headquarters of VTV state television.

In Caracas, astride a motorcycle wearing a black helmet, Luis Carmona told VOA he was not going to be swayed by Maduro's overtures.

"What we have here is hunger," he said, "and they (the government) think they are going to buy us off with that little bag of food? No sir. We are going to keep in the street every day."

The 24-hour strike was meant as an expression of national disapproval of Maduro's plan to convene a constitutional assembly that would reshape the Venezuelan political system to consolidate the ruling party's power over the few institutions that remain outside its control. The opposition is boycotting a July 30 election to select members of the assembly.

Maduro said on national television that he'll press ahead with plans to rewrite the nation's constitution and said that hundreds of Venezuela's largest companies are functioning "at 100 percent'' despite the strike. The claim could not be immediately confirmed.

Violence during four months of anti-government unrest has taken about 100 lives, injured thousands, left hundreds in jail and further damaged an economy in its fourth year of a debilitating decline.

After the strike ends early Friday, the opposition-led parliament plans to name eight Supreme Court justices to replace the eight sanctioned by the United States for their role in trying to strip the National Assembly of its powers. It is unlikely the Maduro government will recognize the new justices.

But the opposition has also called on Venezuelans to take to the streets Saturday in a show of support for the new justices.委內瑞拉駐聯合國的一位資深外交官說，鑑於委內瑞拉對平民的系統性迫害，從事“國家恐怖主義”，以及馬杜羅政府的違憲行爲，他已經辭去職務。

伊薩亞斯·梅迪納星期四晚上告訴美聯社說，委內瑞拉是“一個失敗的國家”。他補充說：“這是一個徹頭徹尾的獨裁政權，馬杜羅沒有權利擔任總統。”

梅迪納是一位環境問題國際律師，是委內瑞拉駐聯合國使團的公使兼參贊。他呼籲馬杜羅“辭去總統職務，給新政府騰出位子，做政府應該做的事情。”

委內瑞拉駐聯合國大使說，梅迪納是因爲行爲不端被開除的。

委內瑞拉人響應反對派號召舉行大罷工，抗議馬杜羅政府。用樹枝、鐵絲、垃圾和傢俱堆砌成的路障星期四拂曉出現在委內瑞拉各大城市的街道上。

抗議者和警察在某些地區發生了衝突。一羣羣戴着面具的年輕男子對幾處路障放火，並向防暴警察投擲石塊，防暴警察用催淚彈回擊。

檢察部門的官員說，首都加拉加斯郊外發生的示威遊行引起暴力衝突，造成一名24歲男子喪生，另外三人受傷。

反對派抗議者還放火焚燒一個警察哨所，有幾人被捕。

抗議者還向VTV國家電視臺總部投擲石塊。

在加拉加斯，戴着黑色頭盔，跨在摩托車上的卡爾莫那告訴美國之音說，馬杜羅做出的姿態改變不了他的看法。

他說：”我們現在飯都吃不飽。政府以爲給我們點食物就能收買我們，沒門。我們每天都會上街抗議。“

這次24小時的罷工行動是爲了表達舉國上下對馬杜羅計劃召集憲法大會的不滿。這次憲法大會將重新塑造委內瑞拉的政治體系，加強執政黨對唯一一些尚不在其控制之下的機構的權力。反對派抵制的就是7月30日對大會成員的選舉。

馬杜羅在全國電視上說，他堅持按原計劃修改憲法，並表示，罷工絲毫沒有影響到委內瑞拉數百家最大公司的運營。這種說法無法立即得到證實。

四個月來的反政府抗議示威已經造成約100人喪生，數千人受傷，幾百人入獄，並使四年來一直下滑的委內瑞拉經濟再受重創。

星期五早上的罷工結束後，反對派領導的議會計劃提名八位最高法院大法官，替代因試圖剝奪全代會權力而受到美國製裁的大法官。估計馬杜羅政府不會承認這些新任命的法官。

反對派呼籲委內瑞拉人星期六上街遊行，以示對新法官的支持。