Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has called for talks to resume with the opposition. Demonstrators have been calling for presidential elections due next year to be brought forward and for President Maduro to step down. Last year's negotiations between the opposition and the government broke down when the opposition accused Maduro of breaking agreements and using the talks to buy time. Elections for state governors were to have taken place last December, and local mayoral elections are due this year. The opposition blames the government for a severe economic crisis which has left the country with shortages of food, basic goods and medicine.

Source: The Star April 24, 2017 03:11 UTC