Venezuelan opposition parties and their supporters are set to hold protests around the country on Thursday in an eleventh-hour effort to put pressure on President Nicolas Maduro, one day before he is due to be sworn in for his third six-year term.

If you need one word to describe Venezuela these days, it would be fearful.” That’s what one Latin American diplomat told CNN this week, reflecting on the strange atmosphere in the country.

"We ask the world for solidarity right now," said Luis Gonzalez, a Venezuelan exile who has lived in South Florida for the past eight years. The rally comes in response to calls from Machado, who urged Venezuelans worldwide to mobilize peacefully against Nicolás Maduro 's decision to remain in power despite international recognition of opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of last year's presidential election.