Police block opposition protesters as tensions rise in Venezuela
As Venezuela endured more power outages, police scuffled with protesters demonstrating against the government of Nicolas Maduro. Opposition leader uan Guaido has called for people to take to the streets.
Venezuelan opposition activists scuffled with police on Saturday morning in the run-up to a rally intended to keep up pressure on acting President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition leader Juan Guaido has called for people to take to the streets as has Maduro.
Venezolanos todos a sus puntos de concentración, seguiremos en las calles hasta conquistar la libertad.
En Caracas la victoria es en la Av. Victoria. #VamosTodos
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Dozens of demonstrators attempted to walk along an avenue in Caracas but were moved onto the sidewalk by police in riot gear. This led to the protesters shouting at the officers and pushing on their riot shields. One woman was sprayed with pepper spray, according to a local broadcaster.
The oil-rich OPEC nation was plunged into darkness on Thursday evening in what the governing Socialist Party called an act of US-sponsored sabotage but opposition critics called the result of two decades of mismanagement and corruption.
"The police abuse us even though they suffer the calamity that we do," said Lilia Trocel, 58, a merchant. "I still don't have power and I lost part of my food," she added, referring to food that spoiled due to the blackout.
Electricity has remained intermittent after the country's worst blackout in decades. The power flickered on and off in parts of Caracas on Saturday morning. In much of the country, it has remained out since Thursday.
Managers of the Caracas subway said Saturday that they were waiting for the power supply to stabilize before resuming service.
"We're tired of going so many hours without power, we want Maduro to leave," said Maricela Ruiz, 55, holding a sign at a rally in the western city of San Cristobal. "The little food we have is going bad. We don't have enough money to buy my grandson's baby formula. We need help."
Police presence in streets
Police overnight had blocked the demonstration's organizers from setting up a stage at the site of the rally, opposition legislators said via Twitter.
Protesters scuffle with police in Venezuela's continuing crisis
The Socialist Party has called for a competing march on Saturday to protest against what it calls imperialism by the United States. The United States has levied crippling oil sanctions on Maduro's government in an effort to cut off its sources of funding.
Two rights groups that are focused on health issues said the blackout had contributed to the deaths on Friday of a baby and a teenager, with hospitals unable to provide enough back-up energy generation. Authorities have not commented.
Venezuela has been mired in a major political crisis since Guaido invoked the constitution to assume the interim presidency in January, calling Maduro a usurper following the 2018 election, which Maduro won but was widely considered fraudulent. More than 50 countries, including Germany, have recognized Guaido and support his plan to lead Venezuela to fair elections.
"They're planning to tire us out, but they no longer have a way of containing the people, who have decided to ensure the end of the usurpation," Guaido tweeted on Saturday.
Venezuela is currently suffering from hyperinflation and widespread shortages of basic goods,
Maduro said Guaido is a puppet of Washington and dismisses his claim to the presidency as an effort by the administration of US President Donald Trump to control Venezuela's oil wealth.
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