Venezuelans march in opposition to constitution rewrite


              Newly-named Supreme Court justices applaud before they are sworn-in at an outdoor ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, July 21, 2017. Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly has sworn in new magistrates to the government-dominated Supreme Court during a ceremony held in a public plaza. They appointed the slate of judges in an escalating fight against President Nicolas Maduro’s plan to rewrite the constitution. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Newly-named Supreme Court justices applaud before they are sworn-in at an outdoor ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, July 21, 2017. Venezuela's opposition-led National Assembly has sworn in new magistrates to the government-dominated Supreme Court during a ceremony held in a public plaza. They appointed the slate of judges in an escalating fight against President Nicolas Maduro’s plan to rewrite the constitution. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Protesters marched through the Venezuelan capital toward the embattled nation's Supreme Court on Saturday, chanting and waving flags in an escalating push to stop President Nicolas Maduro's plan to rewrite the constitution.

Organizers hope the opposition-led demonstration will send a forceful message to Maduro to cancel a July 30 election for delegates to a constitutional assembly that would be tasked with overhauling the nation's charter. Protests have been steadily ramping up ahead of the vote.

"The moment to defend Venezuela has arrived," opposition lawmaker Richard Blanco told a crowd in Caracas before the march began. "We will stay in the streets."

More than 7.5 million Venezuelans heeded opposition calls to vote in an unofficial referendum rejecting Maduro's plan last Sunday, leaders said. On Thursday a 24-hour strike paralyzed much of the country. And on Friday the opposition-controlled congress appointed a slate of judges to replace the current members of the government-stacked Supreme Court.

The nation's highest court swiftly rejected those appointments and warned that the judges could face charges of illegally usurping authority.

"The people voted and they rejected this constituent assembly," read the sign of one man who marched through the streets with a stream of people.

"We are at 'zero hour,'" metropolitan Caracas Mayor Helen Fernandez said, referring to the opposition's protest plan. "We will elevate our protest to wherever necessary."

Maduro has shown no sign of ceding to his opponents' demands, instead promoting the constitutional rewrite as a solution for Venezuela's political standoff and dire economy.

In recent days he and pro-government leaders have also warned that once the special assembly is elected, those they brand as "fascists" and "terrorists" could face justice.

The Trump administration threatened this week to take "strong and swift economic actions" if Maduro proceeds with the constitution rewrite.

Maduro critics fear he will use it to further consolidate his power. The assembly could remove his most vocal critics from their posts.

Nearly four months of anti-government protests have left at least 97 people dead, and thousands more have been injured or detained. Demonstrators are demanding new presidential elections in light of the nation's triple-digit inflation, food shortages and soaring crime.

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Associated Press writer Christine Armario in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.

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Fabiola Sanchez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fisanchezn

Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein

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