The anger felt by demonstrators towards the corrupt leader was heightened following a decision from the nation’s highest court to freeze bank accounts and impose a travel ban on self-declared interim president Juan Guaido. Undeterred by restrictions, the elected leader of the opposition-held National Assembly joined the resiliant group and vowed to fight on to officially take control of the south-american country. A defiant Mr Guaido said: “They thought to cause fear, they thought the people of Venezuela would be scared.”
He urged the military which is still largely loyal to Mr Maduro switch allegiance to the opposition and has planned a further mass march for the weekend.
The 35-year-old says Mr Maduro fraudulently won a second term last year and is offering an amnesty to military officials.
However Mr Maduro reiterated he was ready for talks with the opposition, but rejected calls for a snap election as blackmail.
Mr Maduro maintains he “won legitimately” adding “if the imperialists want a new election, let them wait until 2025”.
Authorities claim the restrictions on Mr Guaido were in response to the oil sanctions imposed by the US.
The move threatened to further damage the Venezuelan economy as the country exports 41 percent of its oil to the US.
Meanwhile US President Donald Trump today reiterated his support for Mr Guaido urging him continue to “fight to regain democracy”.
A White House spokeswoman said: “They agreed to maintain regular communication to support Venezuela’s path back to stability, and to rebuild the bilateral relationship between the United States and Venezuela.”
So far the national crisis has claimed the lives of more than than 40 people in and around the protests that began a week ago, the U.N. human rights office said.
The violence has seen 26 citizens shot by pro-government forces, five killed in house raids and 11 others killed during looting, UN spokesman Rupert Colville has said.
Mr Colville added of those detained between January 21 and January 26, include 77 children with some as young as 12-year-old.
January 23 saw a record 696 people detained by authorities across the country – the highest number in a single day in 20 years.