Venezuelan soldiers have moved in on a protest site in the capital Caracas to evict demonstrators who had turned it into their stronghold against democratically-elected President Nicolas Maduro.  It comes a day after Maduro said police might have to “liberate” middle-class districts from makeshift barricades.

“We are going to carry on liberating spaces taken by the protesters,” the successor to late leader Hugo Chavez said in a speech at a pro-government rally in a different part of Caracas on Sunday.

Earlier, the masks and Molotovs came out again, after anti-government protesters marched through Caracas demanding an end to what they believe is Cuban meddling in the government and military.  It is, in fact, Venezuela that holds the upper hand in that pan-Caribbean friendship as a portion of Venezuela’s oil revenue is spread out among several Latin American countries as foreign aid.

Maduro is urging the United States to discuss “for peace and mutual respect of sovereignty” in a forum that would be mediated by the Union of South American Nations (Unasur).  He said he would name Diosdado Cabello, the head of Venezuela's National Assembly, to lead potential talks with the US “to speak while respecting peace for a dialogue among equals.”