Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has invited the United States to discuss "peace and sovereignty" in a meeting with members of both government in a high level commission mediated by the Union of South American Nations (Unasur). Maduro has also implicated President Obama's administration in a plot to assassinate the Venezuelan President. "President Obama: give peace, and respect, a chance and let's set the foundation for a new type of relations between the US, Venezuela and if possible, Latin America and the Caribbean," he said.
Despite accusing the US on numerous times of exacerbating the protest situation in Venezuela and of waging a "campaign of terror" against his government, President Maduro has appealed to President Obama to bring peace to the troubled nation. "It would be the worst mistake in your life to authorise the assassination of President Nicolas Maduro and fill [Venezuela] with violence," he told a crowd during a public Television announecemt, adding he was a "humble president and bus driver" who like Mr Obama also had "African grandparents".
Venezuela has seen month-long protests that have left at least 18 people dead. Last week, another violent clash betweeen student-led protesters and government troops left three more people dead. Students and anti-government activists took to the streets in a number of rallies throughout Caracas on Wednesday: violence erupted when government troops refused to allow protesters to leave Plaza Venezuela. Students attacked the National Guard with petrol bombs and rocks and were met with tear gas and water cannons in return.
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