CAMPAIGNING began yesterday for elections to Venezuela’s new National Constituent Assembly — which the opposition has called on Venezuelans to boycott.

People from across the country converged on the capital Carracas for a demonstration in support of the process intended to find a way out of the country’s economic and political crisis.

Once formed, the assembly will have the power to rewrite Venezuela’s constitution.

The start of the 19-day campaign for elections to the 545 directly-elected seats was announced by National Electoral Council President Tibisay Lucena on Wednesday.

United Socialist Party President Nicolas Maduro has urged citizens to participate in the campaign come “rain, thunder, or lightning.”

But the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mud) coalition has called the process a distraction from its demand of an early presidential election to oust Mr Maduro.

Their two-month campaign of peaceful protests interspersed with bloody riots has left some 80 people dead and more than a thousand injured.

The assembly, which will include business and indigenous people’s leaders among others, is tasked not just with amending the constitution but diversifying the economy away from dependence on oil exports.

The plunge in global oil prices has wrecked havoc on Venezuela’s economy as oil exports used to make up about 95 per cent of the country’s total exports and was used to fund their social programmes.

The elections will take place on July 30.