Chief prosecutor: At least 113 deaths in Venezuela crisis

CARACAS, Venezuela — The death toll from nearly four months of anti-government protests climbed to at least 113 on Friday as Venezuela’s opposition called on backers to defy a protest ban ahead of a vote to launch a rewrite of the constitution.

Residents of the capital, Caracas, lined up for hours at grocery stores and banks to stockpile food and cash before what many expected would be a chaotic weekend.

Protesters say the election of a constitutional assembly on Sunday will allow President Nicolas Maduro to eliminate checks and balances and replace Venezuela’s democratic system with an authoritarian, single-party regime.

Maduro has deployed the military and police to clear blockades and protect a vote he says is meant to end a power struggle with the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which he blames for the spiraling political, economic and social crisis.

The opposition is boycotting the vote and asking backers to block streets starting Friday despite the official protest ban, potentially setting the stage for more deadly clashes.

Venezuela has seen near-daily protests since April against government attempts to undermine the opposition amid widespread shortages of food, medicines and other essentials.

Late Thursday the prosecutor’s office released a list of 109 dead from violence related to demonstrations and street blockades across the country since the protests began.

It later reported at least five more deaths via Twitter.