The 2017 Venezuelan protests began in late January following the abandonment of Vatican-backed dialogue between the Bolivarian government and the opposition. The series of protests originally began in February 2014 when hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans protested due to high levels of criminal violence, inflation, and chronic scarcity of basic goods because of policies created by the Venezuelan government though the size of protests had decreased since 2014. Following the 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis, protests began to increase greatly throughout Venezuela.

The opposition protests demanded immediate presidential elections to be held following controversy surrounding the prohibition to recall President Nicolás Maduro. The protests are listed below according to the month they had happened.

January 9 January – The National Assembly declares President Maduro of abandoning his office, accusing him of "breach of the constitutional and democratic order, the violation of Human Rights and the devastation of the economic and social foundations of the nation". 11 January – President Maduro declares the opposition-led National Assembly "self-dissolved" following their ruling that he had abandoned the presidency. 12 January – Multiple opposition leaders and members are arrested by the Venezuelan government for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government, with individuals including former general Raul Baduel. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski states that the Maduro administration is attempting to bar opposition politicians from being in office. Democratic Unity Roundtable Secretary General, Jesús Torrealba, stated that demonstrations would be held on 23 January 2017 on the anniversary of the fall of Marcos Pérez Jiménez's dictatorship, with Torrealba stating "there will be a national mobilization demanding democracy before the authoritarian regime". 13 January –Following the arrests of opposition members, a scheduled dialogue session between the opposition and Bolivarian government is cancelled. 19 January – The Vatican officially pulls out of the dialogue process between the Bolivarian government and the opposition, essentially ending talks between both parties. 20 January-Following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, the Venezuelan government gifted $500,000 toward Donald Trump's inauguration on 20 January 2017.

23 January – Several thousand Venezuelans protested throughout the country, with numbers much smaller than the previous year due to fear of repression and discouragement, along with reports that protesters were stopped by government checkpoints en route to the demonstration. The Bolivarian government had also cordoned of the planned march areas with police and closed all subway and transportation systems to the area. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles announces that the days march would be the last official march, with future demonstrations potentially occurring by "surprise". 24 January – The first surprise demonstration occurs with only hundreds of Venezuelans attending, blocking the Francisco Fajardo highway in both directions holding a sign saying "Elections now", with Venezuelan authorities not being able to respond until an hour later when the protest was peacefully broken up. 27 January – Members of the opposition-led National Assembly gathered for a meeting in the Caracas slum of Petare, one of the largest slums in the world, rebuking Russian rhetoric that regarded opposition protests as a "color revolution".

February 1 February – President Maduro announces that the Bolivarian National Militia would be directed towards an anti-protest objective, saying that his supporters "will multiply throughout the territory, special forces of rapid action, special troops of the militias ... to make our homeland impregnable". 12 February – Student leaders called for protests on 12 February, commemorating three years of national protests called La Salida, with marches in Caracas planned to pass by the area where student Robert Redman was killed on the first day of protests. Later, opposition deputies attempted to enter the CNE headquarters to present a document demanding a time frame of regional and municipal elections, with National Guardsmen responding violently towards the deputies after the politicians attempted to enter past them. 16 February - The Supreme Tribunal of Justice upholds a 13-year and 9-month prison sentence on Popular Will founder, Leopoldo López for inciting violence by "subliminal messages" at the 2014 anti-government protests. US President Donald Trump demands Venezuela release him.

March

22 March –In Los Ruices, Venezuelans suffering from chronic diseases protested outside of a social security pharmacy due to the shortages of medication facing the country. 29 March – The 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis begins, with immunity being taken away from opposition parliamentarians by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice of Venezuela (TSJ), with the TSJ assuming legislative powers of the opposition-controlled National Assembly.Coup in VenezuelaVenezuela Supreme Court takes over legislative powers from National Assembly 30 March -Deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State Mark Toner expressed disapproval on behalf of the United States by stating the U.S. considered the dissolution of the Venezuelan National Assembly as "a serious setback for democracy" in the country, further stating "The United States condemns the Venezuelan Supreme Court's March 29 decision to usurp the power of the democratically elected National Assembly..." 31 March - Attorney general, Luisa Ortega Díaz denounces the dissolution of the National Assembly with some protesters holding signs saying "No To Dictatorship".

April

1 April – The National Assembly holds a special session a calls for a concentration in Brión Square in Caracas to discuss the Supreme Court sentences. Although it was noted that the Supreme Court reversed its decision in following resolutions, the parliamentaries argued that the juridic action was a coup. 4 April – The opposition called for a march from Plaza Venezuela to the National Assembly; access to the meeting point was blocked by the Bolivarian National Guard. Twelve Caracas Metro subway stations were closed. Pro-government colectivos blocked opposition marches and fired weapons at protesters, with demonstrations resulting in the injuries of about 42 individuals, including seven police officers, while over 50 people were arrested. 5 April – National Guardsmen fired tear gas in the engineering faculty of the University of Carabobo and dispersed a protest, violating the university's autonomy. The rector of the university, the governor of Carabobo and other figures denounced the actions. There were 14 injured and 4 arrests during the protest and classes were suspended indefinitely. Hours later the detainees were released. 6 April – Jairo Ortiz, a 19-year-old student of the Universidad Experimental Politécnica (UNEXPO), was shot and killed while protesting in Carrizal, Miranda. 7 April – General Angel Vivas was arrested during a SEBIN operation that tricked him into helping a young man that hit his car into the front door of his house, three years after a detention order was published during the 2014 protests. 8 April – During the protests 16 subway stations and 19 Caracas Metrobus routes were closed; Henrique Capriles' campaign command was attacked with tear gas and burned by the Bolivarian Guard and Police. The Supreme Tribunal was attacked by violent protesters during the afternoon, burning furniture, breaking windows and damaging the front door. Although the SEBIN pointed out that Primero Justicia leaders were involved, opposition leaders like Freddy Guevara and David Smolansky denounced the attack. 9 April – Secretary General Luis Almagro stated "I can not help but admire the courage of the people in the street. When no one has solved this humanitarian and political crisis, neither by means of mediation nor by rigged dialogues, the people have decided to make their voices heard in the whole continent, as mandated by the Bolivarian Constitution in its Article 350. 10 April – Daniel Queliz, a 19-year-old student of the Arturo Michelena University, was shot and killed during a protest in Valencia by a Carabobo Police officer. More than 50 individuals wounded were reported. The National Guard fired tear gas at a clinic after receiving wounded from the protests, including parliamentary Delsa Solórzano, who was hit in the chest by a tear gas canister, affecting patients and forcing a baby to be taken out of the building. PROVEA, opposition leaders and the Ombudsman, Tarek William Saab, denounced that some canisters were fired from helicopters, which is against the Venezuelan Civil Aeronautics Law. 11 April –While visiting San Félix, Venezuela, President Maduro had objects thrown at him during a parade while riding in a convertible Tiuna military vehicle. Five persons were detained after the incident. In Barquisimeto, a child and a young man were shot and killed by colectivos during protests, while more than twelve individuals were wounded. 12 April –Venezuela's Catholic church called for a calm from violence and denounced violent colectivos, with Archbishop Jorge Urosa Savino saying "the government cannot continue to protect these groups that are acting illegally". Hours later, pro-government individuals stormed the Basilica of St. Teresa in Caracas, attempting to attack Urosa, though parishioners defended him and police arrested those behind the assault. 13 April – Two young students and members of Primero Justicia, the Sánchez brothers, were detained. Opposition leaders stated that they were tortured to force them incriminate leaders and parliamentaries. 27 subway stations were closed, 14 April –The opposition announced the "Grand March and Great Taking in All States" march to take place on 19 April to "overflow" Caracas. 15 April –President Maduro announced that over 2,000 security checkpoints would be established throughout Venezuela prior to the 19 April "mega march", with nearly 200,000 Venezuelan authorities said to be participating.

16 April –On Easter, Burning of Judas celebrations occurred, with Venezuelans burning effigies of TSJ judges, President Maduro, Ombudsman Tarek Wiliam Saab and other Bolivarian officials they accused of "betraying" Venezuela. Venezuela's intelligence agency, SEBIN, is ordered by President Maduro to take legal actions against individuals who state that they have tortured by authorities. 17 April –President Maduro ordered the expansion of the Venezuelan National Militia to involve 500,000 loyal Venezuelans, stating that each would be armed with a rifle and demanded the prevention of another event similar to the 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt. Diosdado Cabello, a high-level PSUV official loyal to the Bolivarian government, stated that 60,000 motorized colectivos and the National Militia would be spread throughout Caracas on 19 April "until necessary" to deter the opposition's "megamarch", calling their actions "terrorism".

Mother of All Protests

19 April –The "mother of all protests," as it was called by organizers, occurred. The day began with demonstrators gathering around the country at about 10:30am, with Caracas having 26 different routes for the main march to head to the office of the Ombudsman to demonstrate. As the march progressed through Caracas, the National Guard began to block routes and fire tear gas at marchers at 11:50am, with the demonstrators refusing to leave despite the use of force.