Venezuela: More sectors join protests as opposition considers general strike /update 2

Event

On Monday, July 23, the electrical workers' union of the state-owned Corporación Eléctrica Nacional (Corpoelec), began an indefinite strike, joining health care workers who have continued to protest for the past month to demand salary adjustments and improved working conditions. Meanwhile, Venezuela's opposition coalition, the Frente Amplio Venezuela Libre (FAVL), is expected to make an announcement on Friday, July 27, on whether it will call for a national general strike against the government.

Additional protests over related issues are expected in Caracas and other areas in Venezuela in the coming weeks. A heightened security presence and localized traffic disruptions are to be anticipated near protest sites. Clashes between protesters and security forces cannot be ruled out.

Context

Venezuela witnessed an uptick in anti-government demonstrations in June following the reelection of President Nicolás Maduro in May. Among the areas most affected by the ongoing protests have been Caracas and the states of Lara, Anzoátegui, Mérida, and Bolívar, which have endured a shortage of basic goods, inflation, and disease epidemics.

In the first half of 2017, Venezuela was shaken by four months of violent anti-government protests, provoked by ongoing political, economic, social, and health crises. Significant unrest also broke out in 2014 following the last presidential election and again in early 2016. Hundreds of people have been killed during protests, many by security forces who have repeatedly been accused of excessive use of force, with thousands more injured and arrested. The potential for further large-scale demonstrations and associated violence persists.

Advice

Individuals in Venezuela are advised to strictly avoid all protests and political events, especially in the abovementioned areas, due to the high likelihood of violence and to remain up to date on current sociopolitical developments.