On the brink!

Ever since the government of President Nicolas Maduro took over the reins at Venezuela, there has been unimaginable chaos and distress. An acute shortage of fundamental needs. Anyone raising a voice against the arbitrary rule is subjected to lock up and worse. Thousands are expected to take to the streets in a revitalised effort against the government. The opposition-controlled National Assembly called for nationwide marches after accusing Maduro's government of "usurping power" and calling for new elections. Maduro and his supporters plan to hold a parallel rally outside the Miraflores presidential palace. The protests would take place to coincide with the anniversary of a civilian and military uprising that overthrew former Venezuelan dictator Gen. Marcos Perez Jimenez. Some signs of unrest emerged earlier this week in Caracas. A team of soldiers, claiming to be members of Venezuela's armed forces, attempted an uprising against Maduro and triggered violent street protests. The planned marches come weeks after Maduro began his second term in power as the country faces a deep economic crisis and dozens of countries dispute the legitimacy of his presidency. The US has issued a message of support to Venezuelans planning to join the marches. According to the US, Maduro "is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power" and reiterated the administration's policy in support of Juan Guaidó, president of the National Assembly, and his efforts to declare Maduro's presidency illegitimate and establish a transitional government. In response, Maduro called for a "total, absolute revision" of Venezuela's diplomatic relations with the United States and said his government would take "political, diplomatic and defence decisions "in defence of the country's 'democracy'. "Never before have statements been issued on behalf of the President of the US to say that in Venezuela, the opposition must overthrow the government," Maduro retorted. This week's protests are expected to be the largest demonstration since 2017. Thousands of protesters clashed with security forces for months, accusing Maduro of imposing a dictatorship. More than 120 people were killed in protest-linked incidents during the unrest. On Monday, the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled the National Assembly was illegitimate and that no law discussed in the legislative body holds any legal value. Maduro stepped in after Hugo Chavez, who steered the country toward socialism before dying in 2013. Through nearly a decade of mismanagement, Venezuela frittered away its oil wealth, leaving its economy in tatters and Latin America reeling from an unprecedented mass exodus of migrants, nearly three million according to the UN, in search of food, medicine and more.