UN chief calls for restraint in Venezuela

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for "maximum restraint" in Venezuela to avoid violence and to restore calm.

"The secretary-general urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint, and he appeals to all stakeholders to avoid any violence and take immediate steps to restore calm," Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said at a daily news conference.

"The secretary-general's message, both privately and publicly, has been the same, which is to ensure that people understand that his good offices remain available should both sides request them," he said.