Thousands of Venezuelans are expected to protest once again Saturday as opposition leader Juan Guaido cranks up the pressure on beleaguered President Nicolas Maduro -- in the midst of a sweeping electricity blackout that has crippled the crisis-wracked country. 

Most of Venezuela was plunged into darkness on Thursday evening after a huge power cut that the government of President Nicolas Maduro blamed on "sabotage."

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called on Europe Thursday to intensify financial sanctions against the regime of Nicolas Maduro, a day after Caracas expelled the German ambassador for "interference".

The Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday on six high-ranking members of the Venezuelan security forces and revoked the visas of other officials and their relatives in the latest effort to pressure President Nicolas Maduro into leaving office.

The sanctions are in response to the blocking of humanitarian aid convoys last week while the visa revocations on dozens of individuals are intended to punish people who have flourished amid the South American country's dire economic crisis, Elliott Abrams, the special representative for Venezuela, told reporters.

The UN Security Council will vote Thursday on two rival draft resolutions from the United States and Russia aimed at confronting the crisis in Venezuela, but both are expected to fail, according to diplomats.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denied Tuesday that any high-ranking Venezuelan officials have fled to his country, as the South American nation slides further into economic and political turmoil. 

Some Venezuelans are living in limbo across the border in Colombia, trapped after a failed effort to bring humanitarian aid into their country.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido is meeting with members of a multinational support group in Bogota Monday to hammer out a strategy to remove his rival Nicolas Maduro from office.

Edinson Cisneros gasped and wheezed as he tried to talk -- he was one of the protesters struck by rubber buckshot fired by Venezuelan security forces breaking up border demos demanding the entry of emergency aid from Colombia.

International pressure mounted against Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, with Washington vowing to "take action" after opposition efforts to bring humanitarian aid into the country descended into bloody chaos.