Turmoil is looming over Venezuela while President Nicolas Maduro is abroad. One of the opposition’s leaders, Miranda Gov. Henrique Capriles, has called for new protests against the government to call attention to the country’s current troubles.

On Monday, Capriles, who lost to Maduro during the 2013 presidential election, called for Venezuelans to take to the streets via Twitter. Capriles is leader of the Justice First party, which belongs to the opposition coalition Democracy Unity Roundtable (MUD in Spanish). He called for protests throughout the South American nation while Maduro traveled to OPEC nations and other countries that are Venezuela's allies asking for help.

“With insolence and irresponsibility the government did nothing to prevent the crisis,” Capriles wrote in Spanish, referring to the food shortages. “It is the only one responsible that is affecting the country’s peace.”

“And this is the moment for the mobilization of Venezuelans,” he continued to say in Spanish, laying blame at the government’s feet. “The only ones destabilizing the country are those in government.”

Capriles then dared the government to silence the opposition.

“How will the government prevent our people from mobilizing and demand respect for their rights to food? Jail them all?” he said.

However, Capriles has denounced the use of guarimbas, the barricades used in the 2014 protests to close off streets, reports The Associated Press. He calls for peaceful marches.

In a statement, Capriles placed the blamed for the food shortage and long lines at supermarkets on the Venezuelan government, saying that “there isn’t enough food; the population keeps growing and production continues to drop.”

To maintain rationing, police have begun enforcing a policy limiting people to shop twice a week at government-run supermarkets, reports AP. Military police have also been deployed to maintain the peace and control shoppers and protestors.

Nonetheless, people continue to experience shortages.

Venezuelan Twitter users share messages from people asking for medicine and blood for loved ones.

Despite the protests and unrest, government officials see another picture.

In a press release from the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV, Diosdado Cabello, PSUV vice president and president of the country’s National Assembly, claims “the majority of the people are aware an economic war is being waged against the country.”

"I don’t particularly believe what they say, that people are hopeless and desperate. I see a people who went to work with a lot of encouragement; people who want to get ahead,” he added, refuting the opposition’s allegations.

The press release alleges the Venezuelan right is behind the “economic war” and asserts the PSUV will side with the people against them.

Related