Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Caracas in Venezuela, to protest the results of Sunday’s presidential election.
The protests, which began after President Nicolás Maduro claimed victory, have led to violent clashes with security forces.
On Monday evening, protesters marched from the slums surrounding Caracas towards the presidential palace.
Security forces responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Many protesters are calling the election result fraudulent, claiming that opposition candidate Edmundo González won with 73.2% of the vote.
The police used water cannons and fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, who chanted “Freedom, freedom!” and demanded that the government step down. Footage from the scene shows protesters burning tyres and tearing down posters of President Maduro.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy commented on the situation: “Officers responding to the calls were shocked to find that multiple people, many of whom were children, had been subjected to a ferocious attack.”
Protester Paola Sarzalejo, 41, said, “The vote was terrible, fraud. We won with 70%, but they did the same thing to us again. They took the elections from us again.” Her father, Miguel Sarzalejo, 64, added, “He lost the elections, he has no right to be there right now.”
A young protester, Cristobal Martinez, said, “It was the first time I have voted in my life. There was a lot of discontent towards the government. The majority of people were participating for change.” He expressed frustration with the lack of progress under President Maduro, stating, “We want a change, we want decent jobs, a good future for our country.”
President Maduro has accused the opposition of trying to stage a coup. He said, “They are trying to impose in Venezuela a coup d’etat again of fascist and counter-revolutionary character.”
The Venezuelan attorney general warned that illegal actions during protests, such as blocking roads, will be met with strict penalties.
“32 people have been detained on accusations ranging from destroying electoral materials to sparking acts of violence,” the attorney general said.
In response to the unrest, Venezuela has recalled diplomats from several Latin American countries and suspended flights to Panama and the Dominican Republic. The Organization of American States will hold a meeting to discuss the election results on Wednesday.
The US has also expressed concerns about the election results, noting discrepancies with data received from various sources.
“The announced result does not track with data that we’ve received,” a senior US official said. They are calling for the Venezuelan electoral authorities to release the underlying data supporting the official results.
