[ti:Venezuelans Protest President's Decision to Rewrite Constitution] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.96]Venezuelans blocked streets in Caracas Tuesday [00:06.80]to protest the president's call for a new constitution. [00:12.68]Protesters filled streets with pieces of metal and building materials. [00:19.48]Others set fire to small mountains of trash. [00:24.44]On Monday, President Nicolas Maduro signed a decree [00:29.68]to begin the process of rewriting the constitution. [00:34.76]The declaration orders the formation of a constitutional assembly. [00:40.88]In a speech, Maduro said some of the assembly's 500 members [00:47.60]would be elected by "workers" to replace the document. [00:53.00]The Venezuelan constitution was last changed in 1999, [00:59.40]under the rule of then-president Hugo Chavez. [01:03.80]"The day has come, brothers," Maduro said. "Don't fail me now. [01:10.60]Don't fail Chavez and don't fail your motherland." [01:15.04]The Associated Press reported his comments. [01:19.16]Fewer than half of the assembly's members would be elected, Maduro said. [01:25.84]He added that political parties would not be involved. [01:30.96]Maduro's opponents and some observers say the measure is part of a plan [01:37.92]to postpone elections set for later this year and presidential elections in 2018. [01:47.16]Opposition leaders urged Venezuelans to ignore Maduro [01:52.56]and to continue the protests that have lasted for more than a month. [01:58.68]"We must continue fighting," said Julio Borges, president of the National Assembly. [02:06.36]He said Maduro's move was "a scam to deceive the Venezuelan people." [02:12.76]Borges urged Venezuelans to fill Caracas' streets for two hours on Tuesday. [02:20.72]He called for larger demonstrations on Wednesday. [02:25.52]Thousands of Maduro's supporters marched in Caracas on Monday [02:30.96]in a show of support for the president. [02:35.04]The current political tensions started last July, [02:39.20]when Venezuela's Supreme Court announced a ruling to cancel [02:44.60]the National Assembly's legislative powers. [02:48.92]Years of political and economic problems [02:52.80]have led to shortages of food, medicine, and other goods. [02:59.08]Demonstrators are asking for the return of democratic ideas, [03:04.52]including recognizing the National Assembly's decisions, [03:08.92]releasing political prisoners and permitting humanitarian aid. [03:14.68]I'm John Russell. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM