Anti-Government Protests in Venezuela Turn Violent

Anti-Government Protests in Venezuela Turn Violent
By NICHOLAS CASEY and PATRICIA TORRESAPRIL 4, 2017
BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Venezuelan security forces on Tuesday clashed with protesters on the streets of Caracas as
thousands gathered to protest a decision by the country’s Supreme Court to seize power from the legislature.
While the court reversed the most disputed parts of its ruling on Saturday,
that did not stop crowds from massing in a large middle-class Caracas district to accuse President Nicolás Maduro of trying to eviscerate Venezuela’s democratic institutions and establish one-man rule.
Despite the tear gas and the pro-government gangs, Tuesday’s protest was a chance for many to renew grievances against the government’s
handling of the economy, which contracted an estimated 10 percent last year, leaving shortages of basic foods and medicines.
Lilian Tintori said that I march today to see my family reunited again,
The protest was the opposition’s most recent attempt to focus resentment against Mr. Maduro, who was
seen as being behind the botched attempt last week to effectively dissolve the National Assembly.
The National Guard and the national police arrived about an hour after the demonstration
began, firing tear gas into the throngs and deploying trucks mounted with water cannon.