(VOVworld) – Rallies in protest of President Nicolas Maduro continued in Venezuela’s capital Caracas. Protesting students are demanding that Maduro resign because of Venezuela’s high crime rate, food shortage, and economic difficulties. Neighboring countries, the US, and the Pope, have called for peaceful negotiations to resolve the conflict, but most of Venezuela’s opposition groups refused to participate in a peace conference held at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Elias Jaua, who is touring a number of Latin American countries to mobilize support for President Maduro’s government, condemned the opposition for creating instability.