CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Roberto Patino, a rising star in Venezuela's unravelling opposition movement, pushes through a crowd of children clutching spoons and waiting to eat.

The 30-year-old organizes a crew that hands out hundreds of meals each day in slums throughout the capital. It's the only solid nourishment for many of the children in Caracas' La Vega neighborhood.

"We've found fertile ground in these slums," Patino said of the lunches financed by Venezuelan donors, "for the message of change and creating a new Venezuela."

As President Nicolas Maduro cracks down on opponents amid an unprecedented economic crisis, desperation has driven some critics to support violent shortcuts to removing him from power. But many opposition figures see their best hopes in capitalizing on discontent with Maduro in rough neighborhoods long considered his strongholds.