Venezuela conducts anti-Trump signature drive

A nationwide anti-Trump signature drive took place in Venezuela over the weekend to protest the stepped-up US sanctions, a government source said.

Called "No more Trump," the drive kicked off on Saturday with the signatures of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and continued on Sunday at central squares around the country, including the capital city of Caracas, Xinhua reported.

"We agreed that at every main square in our country ... there will be a signature drive," said Dario Vivas, Vice President of events and mobilisations for the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

The campaign serves to condemn the latest White House measures to further cut off the Venezuelan government's access to capital in a bid to oust Maduro from power.

US President Donald Trump issued an executive order that freezes all Venezuelan state assets in the United States on August 5.

Esteban Franco, a Caracas resident who signed the petition, said the campaign was to send the message that the US sanctions "are not doing harm to the president, but are harming our entire population."

"I came to sign for the benefit of my country and against the measures they are implementing," said Franco.

The government hopes to gather some 13 million signatures to back a manifesto it plans to present in September to the 74th session of General Assembly of the UN.