Protesters hurling rocks on Saturday clashed with police firing tear gas in Venezuela’s fourth demonstration in a week against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his government.
The rally was marked by anger over a ruling from the government banning opposition leader and Miranda state Governor Henrique Capriles Henrique Capriles from office for 15 years. About 4,000 people attended the demonstration.
Capriles narrowly lost the 2013 presidential election that brought Maduro to power following the death of his mentor late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez — father of the country’s “socialist revolution.”
Photo: EPA
The government move, which the 44-year-old Capriles announced on Friday last week, effectively prevents him from running against Maduro in next year’s general election.
Saturday’s violence broke out when protesters gathered in the east of the city changed course at Capriles’ request and headed downtown toward the government ombudsman’s office.
The district — seat of many government offices — is a pro-Maduro bastion, and the Venezuelan president’s supporters were holding a “cultural, sporting and recreational rally” there.
Venezuelan National Guard police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to force protesters back.
“They met us with gas and rubber bullets. They insist on siding with the dictatorship, but we are going to keep moving forward,” opposition lawmaker Juan Andres Mejia said.
Masked demonstrators threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at police, reporters at the scene said.
At least two police officers were hit by the flaming bottles.
The initial tally of injuries stood at 17, according to the mayor of one of Caracas’ districts.
According to Capriles, the building where he carries out his political activities was “attacked with bombs” shortly after the demonstration.
“What is the order of Maduro? To kill us? If something happens you know who is responsible and what must be done!” he wrote on Twitter.
Capriles was also one of the leaders of mass demonstrations against Maduro earlier last week that led to clashes with police. One protester died.
Protests also erupted in several other cities, including unrest-prone San Cristobal in the west, where masked gunmen reportedly set off explosions, causing demonstrators to flee.
Venezuelan Comptroller General Manuel Galindo imposed the ban on Capriles due to alleged “administrative irregularities” in his job as governor.
Capriles said that he would appeal the decision and stay in his post, which he has held since 2008.
Venezuela’s political crisis intensified early this month when the nation’s Supreme Court issued rulings curbing the powers of the opposition-controlled the Venezuelan National Assembly.
The court has consistently ruled in Maduro’s favor since the opposition majority took its seats in the legislature in January last year.
It drew international criticism for the rulings, which seized the assembly’s powers and revoked lawmakers’ immunity from prosecution.
The court reversed the rulings days later, but the opposition intensified its protests, prompting police to fire tear gas and water cannon to control them.
The opposition then came up with the idea of seeking the dismissal of the Supreme Court’s justices.
However, the ombudsman’s office blocked the move.
Capriles can appeal against his sanction within two weeks to the comptroller general and within six months to the Supreme Court.
The collapse in prices for Venezuela’s crucial oil exports has had a devastating impact on the country’s revenues.
Ordinary Venezuelans are suffering from shortages of food, medicine and basic goods along with a surge in violent crime.
New protests are planned for this week.
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