Henrique Capriles News

Voracious inflation -- which the IMF said will climb to 720 percent this year -- means Venezuelans earning the minimum wage have to spend 10 percent of their income to buy a kilo of meat.

Venezuela`s opposition called for new protests Monday and Wednesday against the inauguration of a powerful new Assembly that embattled President Nicolas Maduro has tasked with writing a new Constitution.

Despite sitting on the world`s biggest oil reserves, Venezuela is in the throes of a punishing recession that has many poor families skipping meals amid scarce food.

The Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) blames Maduro for an economic crisis in which Venezuelans are having to queue for hours for rations of basic food and other goods.

The broad MUD coalition obtained a qualified majority, according to all the voting registers and necessary checks.