Venezuela's government on Thursday issued a ban on protests against a controversial weekend election that has already been the focus of deadly street demonstrations.

From Friday, those taking part in rallies, demonstrations, marches or similar events that "could disturb or affect" the vote would face between five and 10 years in prison, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said.

The order was issued ahead of a mass protest called for Friday by the opposition, which is trying to force President Nicolas Maduro to scrap Sunday's election of a body tasked with rewriting the crisis-hit country's constitution.