Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the streets of Caracas in marches for and against President Nicolas Maduro's government, as the nation's massive divide becomes ever more evident.
The protests - which began on February 4 - are seen as the biggest test yet to socialist leader Maduro since he succeeded late leftist icon Hugo Chavez last year, with the country's economic problems at the heart of often bloody marches that have left 10 people dead and scores injured.
Saturday's competing mass rallies in the capital laid bare a chasm between those who support Maduro and those who oppose him, in an oil-rich country that despite having the world's largest reserves is grappling with basic goods shortages and rampant inflation.
And less than 24 hours after Maduro made a rare and open offer to US President Barack Obama of talks to end more than a decade of enmity, there appeared no prospect of a rapprochement after Secretary of State John Kerry hit out at the Venezuelan government's handling of the protests.
Heeding the call of opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost to Maduro in the election to succeed Chavez last year, at least 50,000 anti-government protesters streamed into several avenues in the Caracas neighbourhood of Sucre.
With some sporting Guy Fawkes masks or faces painted in the colours of the Venezuelan flag, they demanded the disarming of groups accused of intimidating and even attacking demonstrators.
"The state should stop these paramilitary groups," said the head of the main opposition coalition, Ramon Guillermo Aveledo. "It is unacceptable that there are armed groups that are out of control."
Others accused Maduro and late leader Chavez for allowing the economy to tailspin and for failing to tackle street crime and corruption.
"I can't stand the situation. It's not fair that we're in one of the richest countries in the world and still can't get food," 24-year-old student Joel Moreno told AFP.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of pro-government supporters, clutching flowers and dressed in red and white, gathered in the centre of the capital, a government stronghold.
Some of Maduro's backers, draped in the national flag, denounced the student protests.
"Venezuela is a country of peace and they can't come here and try to change what it is," Josefina Lisset said.
