Anti-Maduro protests persist in Venezuela, dozens jailed
CARACAS (Reuters) - President Nicolas Maduro's government kept dozens of student protesters behind bars on Friday as unrest still rumbled across Venezuela following this week's violence at political rallies that killed three.
Demonstrators gathered again in various cities, blocking roads and burning tires in some cases, to denounce the repression of protests and make a litany of complaints against Maduro ranging from rampant crime to shortages of basic products.
"We're going to stay out in the streets for the same reasons as yesterday and the day before: inflation, insecurity and a repressive state that refuses to release our colleagues," student Marcos Matta, 22, told Reuters, in Caracas.
Defying the president's prohibition of demonstrations, about 500 people gathered in Caracas' Altamira Square, a heartland of past opposition protests, to chant slogans and wave banners.
Maduro, a 51-year-old former union activist and bus driver, accuses his foes of seeking a coup against him similar to one that briefly toppled his predecessor Hugo Chavez in 2002.
However, there is no sign the street demonstrations threaten to oust him, nor that the military, whose role was crucial to Chavez's 36-hour unseating, will turn against Maduro.
The protests might in fact give him a chance to unite competing factions within the ruling Socialist Party, divide the opposition where many moderates oppose the street tactics, and distract Venezuelans' attention from economic problems.
Maduro has called supporters onto the streets of Caracas for Saturday and insisted unauthorized rallies will be stopped
Venezuela student protest ends in deadly violence
Police were out in force at the anti-government rally in Caracas on Wednesday
At
least three people were shot dead as violence erupted during
anti-government protests in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on
Wednesday.
The violence broke out after some 10,000 demonstrators had gone home following a mainly peaceful rally.Two people died after gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on the remaining crowd. A third died in later clashes.
The march was the latest in a series of mass protests against the policies of President Nicolas Maduro.
Chaotic scenes A crowd of demonstrators, many of them students, marched to the federal prosecutor's office to demand the release of 13 protesters who they say were illegally detained in previous marches.
Thousands heeded the call by student and opposition groups to protest on Wednesday
The violence broke out after a mainly peacefully rally in the capital, Caracas
But a small group of protesters stayed on after the march and clashed with police
It was at that time that a number of armed men on motorcycles shot at the crowd, triggering a stampede.
Anti-government protester Bassil da Costa, 24, was hit by a bullet and killed.
Also shot in the ensuing chaos was government activist Juan Montoya, who is believed to have been taking part in a rival, pro-government rally.
It is not clear whether the two victims were hit by the men on motorcycles or by other assailants.
The president of Venezuela's National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, blamed the killing of Mr Montoya on "fascists", without further clarifying who they might be.
A third man was shot dead during anti-government protests in the east of the capital.
'No coup d'etat' President Nicolas Maduro condemned the incidents, which he blamed on a "neo-fascist upsurge".
President Nicolas Maduro said those who committed acts of violence would not go unpunished
"There will be no coup d'etat in Venezuela, you can be absolutely sure of that, let the whole world know that," he said in a TV and radio broadcast.
Opposition politicians meanwhile called for new protests.
"Just as we condemn the violent incidents, we say to all Venezuelan families that we have to remain ready to continue fighting, calmly but with determination," Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma said.
"You have to know, Mr Maduro, that whatever you do, what started today will not stop until change is achieved in peace and with democracy for all Venezuelans," he added.
Growing discontent The march on Wednesday was the latest in a series of anti-government demonstrations in which protesters have demanded the resignation of President Maduro.
There have been a series of mass demonstrations against the government over the past weeks
Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world and is deeply politically polarised, with the opposition blaming the government for the country's economic troubles.
The country has the highest inflation rate in the region at 56.2% in 2013, according to official figures.
It is also beset by shortages, with shoppers often having to search a number of supermarkets for staples such as milk and toilet paper.
The government has blamed the shortages on "saboteurs" and "profit-hungry corrupt businessmen".
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