Tens of Thousands in Venezuela Join Protests Against Maduro

Tens of thousands of Venezuelans, many draped in their country’s flag, took to the streets on Wednesday, answering the opposition’s call for a nationwide protest to force President Nicolás Maduro from office.

“Freedom, freedom!” one group chanted in Caracas, the capital.

“Today I am not afraid,” said Marta López, a 46-year-old business manager who added that the country’s economic crisis has become unbearable. “Today we all need to turn out to rescue our homeland.”

The demonstration is part of a renewed push by Venezuela’s opposition, which was left largely powerless and divided after a burst of antigovernment activism in 2017 was crushed by security forces. The opposition is hoping that a significant turnout on Wednesday will help persuade the nation’s military to break ranks with the president.

Scores of anti-government demonstrations throughout the country erupted overnight. Opposition leaders say the effort to oust Mr. Maduro, who was sworn in for a second term on Jan. 10, has a better chance of succeeding now because his government is collapsing under the weight of an economic crisis and is more isolated than ever.