Venezuela Opposition Aims to Keep Protests Peaceful, but Violence Erupts
National Assembly said that I’m calling on the country, on all of Venezuela, to go out into the
streets until we have a democratic country with social justice, where there’s progress for all,
Officials said the casualties included two dead in gunfire in Mérida
and Barinas States, among the places where opposition protesters gathered against President Nicolás Maduro.
The most recent discontent arose on March 29 when the Venezuelan Supreme Court, controlled by leftist stalwarts,
essentially dissolved the country’s National Assembly and took on lawmaking powers for itself.
By NICHOLAS CASEYAPRIL 24, 2017
Venezuelan government officials blamed the opposition for attacks against pro-government demonstrators
on Monday during sit-ins organized by the opposition that gathered thousands in support of elections.
Diosdado Cabello, a top lawmaker in the country’s ruling Socialist party, said
he would call a pro-government rally on May 1, International Workers’ Day.
After the move was condemned internationally — and even by some in Mr. Maduro’s own party — the president told the court to undo parts of its ruling.
They became almost daily occurrences after security forces last Wednesday attacked
crowds of peaceful protesters with rubber bullets and water cannons.