Violence Flares as Venezuelans Vote to Overhaul Constitution
- President ignored outcry and moved ahead with assembly vote
- Opposition boycotted vote, said move is power grab attempt
U.S. Weighs Oil Action on Venezuela Vote Fallout
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Police clashed with demonstrators who blocked roads and rallied against a contentious ballot on Sunday that marked the first step toward remaking Venezuela’s constitution in a way that could upend decades of democracy in the oil-producing nation.
Six people were reported dead as violence flared across country. Voters took to the polls to elect members for a new legislative body that President Nicolas Maduro insisted is needed to restore order after months of protests. Maduro plowed ahead with the vote and asked world leaders to accept the results in the face of a boycott by the opposition, international condemnation, and the threat of severe sanctions by the U.S., its largest trading partner.