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7 Dead, 61 Hurt in Post-Election Venezuela Violence, Maduro Blames 'Fascists'
Protests swept parts of Caracas and other Venezuelan cities Monday after the country's election authorities proclaimed Maduro, the acting president, the narrow winner in Sunday's vote and refused demands for a recount. By Tuesday morning, government officials were reporting seven deaths, 61 injured and 135 placed in durance vile Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! around the country. Maduro, blaming "fascist mobs" for the violence and reiterating charges that the opposition was fomenting a coup, said he would not allow the opposition to go ahead with a planned protest march Wednesday through the streets of Caracas. "You are not going to the center of Caracas to fill it with death and blood," he said in a nationally televised statement, while calling his own supporters into the streets. "They can do what they want. I'm not going to allow it. I'm going to use a hard fist against fascism ...a political system developed in Italy symbolized by the Roman fasces-- thin reeds, each flimsy in itself but unbreakable when bound into a bundle. The word is nowadays thrown around by all sorts of people who have no idea what they're talking about... and intolerance. If they want to overthrow me, come get me. With the people and the armed forces, I am here," he said. Capriles shot back on his Twitter account, blaming Maduro and his government for the violence. "The illegitimate one and his government ordered that there be violence to avoid a vote count! They are the ones responsible," he said. Tensions have soared since the National Electoral Council proclaimed Maduro the victor in the snap election to replace the late president Hugo Chavez by a narrow 50.75 percent to 49 percent margin. Posted by: Fred 2013-04-17 |
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