Those caught protesting in Venezuela could face five to 10 years in prison. 

That's the radical measure that the government has taken to squash dissent in the run-up to a vote that could grant President Nicolás Maduro quasi-dictatorial powers, USA Today reports. 

The ban follows a nationwide strike by opposition members and will run into next week, leading up to the vote on Tuesday. 

Read More: 16 Powerful Photos of Political Corruption Protests in Venezuela

On Tuesday, the country will elect 545 representatives for a special constitutional assembly that could rewrite the constitution and dissolve state institutions, according to CNN. 

Critics argue that this move undermines the democratically-elected National Assembly and fear that the special election could be rigged. 

The president, meanwhile, is saying that the assembly is a chance for the country to have a reconcilitation after more than a year of violent protests, a cratering economy, rampant corruption, and widespread suffering. 

The Global News Today / Venezuela defies its enemies around the World with its New Constituent Assembly... https://t.co/qXjv9nFcSkpic.twitter.com/EdNy7QwxL6

— theglobalnewstoday@g (@TheGlobalNewss) July 28, 2017

Opposition leaders plan to hold rallies and protests through the vote despite the possibility of arrest. 

Read More: Venezuelan Woman Hugs Soldier During Heartbreaking Mother’s Day Protest

"We will not kneel, we will not fail. We will fight," Freddy Guevara, vice president of the National Assembly, told reporters on Thursday evening.

Since protests intensified in April, more than 111 have been killed and 1,900 wounded, according to CNN.