Dark milestone for Venezuela's Maduro with 43 dead
The same number of people died in the 2014 anti-Maduro protests. Meanwhile, Venezuela deploys troops in Tichara province and US official at UNSC draws parallel between the Latin American country's escalating crisis and Syria.
As 2,000 guards and 600 special operations troops were deployed to Tachira, opposition supporters held a candlelight rally against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. May 17, 2017.
An opposition supporter participates in a candlelight rally against President Nicolas Maduro with a painting on the face that reads "freedom" and with a sentence on his forehead and glasses that reads "is forbidden to forget". May 17, 2017.
Candlelight vigil
In Caracas, opposition groups held a candlelight vigil. Thousands of protesters have been trying out non-violent protest strategies over the past week
Excrement cocktails were followed by a nationwide sit-in to block major thoroughfares.
US, Venezuela spar at UN
The United States warned at the United Nations that Venezuela's crisis was worsening and could escalate into a civil conflict like that of Syria.
Following Security Council talks, US Ambassador Nikki Haley called for countries to send a message to Maduro.
"We've been down this road – with Syria, with North Korea, with South Sudan, with Burundi, with Burma," she told reporters. "The international community needs to say 'respect the human rights of your people' or this is going to go in the direction we've seen so many others go."
She earlier warned that Venezuela was "on the verge of humanitarian crisis."
Brazil's Defense Minister Raul Jungmann told reporters Wednesday his country was making contingency plans for a possible influx of Venezuelan migrants.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez, however, said on Twitter that the United States was out to topple the Venezuelan government.
"The United States has shed light on the plan it is leading to intervene in Venezuela," she said. "Other countries (at UN headquarters) put it loudly and clearly: Venezuela is no matter for the UN to address."
While the UNSC met, Maduro supporters gathered outside the presidential palace in Caracas. However, Maduro remained a no-show.
TRT World's Anelise Borges has more details.
"Jews of 21st century"
Venezuelans living abroad, many of whom fled the country's economic chaos, have in recent weeks accosted visiting state officials and their family members. Maduro on Tuesday likened that harassment to the treatment of Jews under the Nazis.
Maduro, 54, who narrowly won the election in 2013 after Chavez's death, says he is the victim of an international right-wing conspiracy that has already brought down leftist governments in Brazil, Argentina and Peru in recent years.
However, the protests which have been taking place in the since April have been against Maduro's handling of an economic and political crisis.
Protesters are demanding early elections and accuse Maduro of trying to cling to power.
Elected in 2013, Maduro has accused the opposition of plotting a coup against him with US backing.
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