groups intent on ousting him.

Maduro has called the protests a violent attempt to overthrow his government. But behind the protests are a large number of Venezuelans who feel they've reached a breaking point. The shortage of basic goods, skyrocketing inflation and what they call the repression by government forces have all contributed to the opposition's desire to see Maduro and his government replaced.

Also at stake is control of the country's vast oil reserves and an economy that, once strong, has descended into chaos as inflation soars to triple digits and the value of the currency plummets, according to analyses by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

At least 124 people have been killed, and thousands more have been injured, according to an August report by the Unitedyou don't live it. This is a regime that has stayed in power through fear."

Venezuela's unraveling has been a long and painful one. Lines for food get longer as food gets scarcer; diseases become deadlier as medical supplies wane. A meltdown of government institutions has consolidated power around Maduro's party and served to criminalize dissent, the Organization of American States, an international body made up of 35 countries from the Americas, said in its July report on the country's crisis. Earlier this month, a National Constituent Assembly was elected to rewrite the country's constitution. The opposition chose to boycott the elections, which many world leaders denounced.

Assembly members were tasked with writing a new constitution to stop what they called the imperial aggression from the fascist groups against the