Venezuela’s opposition declared “Zero Hour” in its putsch against the socialist government on Monday — emboldened by US support. Leaders of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) coalition gathered for the announcement of their takeover plan a day after their unauthorised referendum seeking a mandate for regime change. National Assembly vice-president and Popular Will (VP) acting leader Freddy Guevara said the Mud-controlled parliament would announce the results of the plebiscite on Tuesday. It asked voters to reject President Nicolas Maduro’s calling of a constitutional reform assembly demand the army support the opposition and back a “national unity government.” But before the announcement of the result Mr Guevara said the national Assembly would form a new government on Tuesday — a move beyond its constitutional powers — along with 1,020 local “Zero Hour committees.” He called a “national general strike” for Thursday while on Friday the assembly would again exceed its powe...

A Venezuelan lorry driver died on Thursday after opposition thugs burned him and two others alive at a roadblock. José Luis Bravo passed away at midday at the Coromoto Hospital in Maracaibo, the capital of western Zulia state after suffering third-degree burns on Wednesday. He was riding in the passenger seat of the goods lorry when it ran into an illegal barricade and came under attack from looters throwing stones. Before he died, Mr Bravo said: "We came across the barricade .. and those who had blocked the way began throwing stones at us to loot the truck and when we went in reverse, we hit the motorcycle." “(The motorcyclist) lay injured on the road and then they threw Molotov bombs at us and set the truck on fire. The boy burned to death." The motorcyclist was named as 20-year-old Luigin Paz. The name and condition of the lorry’s driver, also injured, was not reported. State Governor Francisco Arias demanded via Twitter: “The opposition leadership in Zul...