Thousands Protest in Venezuela as President Calls Emergency Meeting

The country’s political opposition called for a nationwide strike as more than 100,000 protesters took to the streets on Wednesday to demand a referendum against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and denounce his government’s growing authoritarianism. With the oil-dependent economy in a downward spiral, Mr. Maduro’s detractors urged Venezuelans to stay home on Friday for a 12-hour general strike, raising the ante on the Socialist government. The opposition said it was giving the government until Nov. 3 to enable a referendum this year to potentially oust Mr. Maduro—as permitted by the constitution—or else they will march that day to the Miraflores presidential palace in downtown Caracas, a hotbed of government loyalists where the opposition has been largely prohibited from gathering since 2002. More…