Venezuela's opposition called on Monday for a national strike against President Nicolas Maduro in an escalation of protests after a massive symbolic referendum at the weekend.
"The whole country is going to rise - it's the start of zero hour", Tomas Guanipa, an opposition MP, said.
Violent protests have rocked the country in defiance of the government's plan to reform the constitution, a move seen by the opposition as a bid to further solidify Mr.
Back in May, President Maduro announced plans for a July 30th vote to elect members of a special assembly that will restructure Venezuela's constitution.
That's less than the 7.7 million who voted for opposition candidates in 2015 legislative elections that gave the opposition control of congress. And it might - they argue that it might mean the removal of elections entirely, creating a one-party state and essentially a dictatorship in Venezuela, a direction which the opposition says that Maduro's been moving in for some time now.
The ballot consisted of three questions:Do you reject the Constituent Assembly proposed by Maduro without the prior approval of the Venezuelan people? The Venezuelan population of Cayman is believed to be around 50 people, and 34 voted, including four on Little Cayman. But the warning dramatically raised the stakes and scope of the long political and economic crisis that has been battering Venezuela.
The american president Donald Trump has threatened on Monday to Venezuela to adopt "economic measures strong" if Caracas was implementing its project to amend the Constitution, calling his venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro of "bad leader dreaming of becoming a dictator". "We don't want a fraudulent Constituent Assembly imposed on us".
The ruling party questioned the results in advance, noting that the process is not binding and is "illegal" because it lacks the endorsement of the National Electoral Council (CNE) - which the opposition accuses of supporting the government.
The United States applauds the courage and determination of Venezuelans who exercised their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly in defense of their democracy on July 16.
That figure - though disputed by the government - was more than a third of Venezuela's total 19 million voters, undermining legitimacy for Maduro's future Constituent Assembly.
It may not carry legal weight but it has heavy meaning for South Florida's Venezuelan community which turned out to vote in large numbers.
The opposition plans to burn ballot papers from the informal poll so those who voted against the government can not be identified and victimized.
The opposition mayor of the Caracas borough of Sucre, Carlos Ocariz, said pro-government paramilitary groups had attacked voters outside the Our Lady of Carmen Church around 3 p.m.
Opposition leaders said the lower number was the result of having to organize the balloting quickly and at limited locations. They voted at some 14,000 tables in about 2,000 polling sites. "The media have a permanent pact with the opposition".
A 61-year-old woman has become the latest casualty of the political turmoil in Venezuela. Ortega said he was persecuted by people who supported Maduro and that he fled with his family after someone set his house on fire in the middle of the night.
Venezuela's Opposition, invigorated by the voter support and the global reactions, clearly was keen to seize the moment.