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Death toll rises to 104 in chaotic Venezuela

Death toll rises to 104 in chaotic Venezuela
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CARACAS, VENEZUELA (CNN) -  In Venezuela, protesters clashed with police on Wednesday in the midst of a 48-hour general strike called by the opposition. 

Venezuela's opposition called for 48-hour general strike beginning on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's controversial vote to elect a special assembly to rewrite the country's 1999 Constitution. The move is seen by the opposition as a bid by President Nicolas Maduro to move closer to a dictatorship.   

In Bello Campo, in the east of Caracas, protesters blocked the streets with barricades and trash.  In an attempt to clear them out, the Venezuelan Bolivarian National Guard used tear gas and rubber bullets.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's death toll increased to 104 after a 30-year-old male was killed in protests Wednesday in Mérida, according to the attorney general's office.  

On Wednesday, the Trump administration placed sanctions on top current and former national officials,  and said more action may be forthcoming if  Maduro continues efforts to consolidate power.  

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