Two more people were killed during the unrest in Venezuela on Monday, raising the toll to 12 in April alone, Reuters reported. Anti-government protestors have been demanding early elections for the past four weeks. The protests were further fueled by the Supreme Court’s taking over the powers of the Opposition-dominated National Assembly. The apex court, however, soon revoked its ruling.
Opposition leader and two-time Presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, on Twitter, alleged that “paramilitary groups” were responsible for the killings.
Socialist President Nicolas Maduro’s government has claimed that its rivals are attempting to stage a coup with support from the United States, the news agency reported. Maduro’s supporters have been conducting demonstrations to counter the protests.
The anti-government protests, “sit-in”, on Monday involved blocking the roads in the Capital city of Caracas and had many people playing board games and eating and drinking during the demonstration.
The violent protests have claimed the lives of at least 24 people during the last four weeks, with politically-motivated shootings and clashes between security forces using rubber bullets and tear gas, and protesters resorting to pelting rocks and Molotov cocktails. The protestors have demanded the release of imprisoned activists and autonomy for the Opposition-led congress. The worsening economic crisis has also been a major factor in the protests.
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