UNITED NATIONS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for a national dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the opposition to achieve an agreed constitutional path.
In a statement, Guterres said the national dialogue is "urgently needed" for two major objectives to see "the eradication of violence, abuses and fanaticism and the preservation of an agreed constitutional path."
He said only a political solution can restore hope to the country and the solution can only be found by Venezuelans alone.
"The way out is through an agreement, elections and respect for fundamental rights and constitutional powers," he noted.
Street protests have been taking place in Venezuela since April, demanding early presidential elections and an end to any attempt to rewrite the constitution.
Citizens in Venezuela have been called on to vote in two key polls this month: a government-backed initiative to elect members of a National Constituent Assembly (ANC) to rewrite the constitution, and an opposition-organized plebiscite to gauge public support for the constitutional measure.
