- Title: Clashes break out during voting for controversial constituent assembly
- Date: 30th July 2017
- Summary: MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA (JULY 30, 2017) (REUTERS) NATIONAL GUARDSMEN RUNNING TOWARD PROTESTERS NATIONAL GUARDSMEN WITH RIOT GEAR WALKING IN FRONT OF OPPOSITION BARRICADE WITH TEAR GAS IN REAR GUARDSMEN RUNNING TOWARD BARRICADE GUARD THROWING ROCKS NATIONAL GUARD OFFICERS ON MOTORCYCLES IN FRONT OF PROTESTERS PROTESTERS YELLING AT NATIONAL GUARD TANK AND NATIONAL GUARD OFFICERS IN STREET NATIONAL GUARD OFFICER WALKING PAST WHAT WAS A BARRICADE SET UP BY PROTESTERS PEOPLE OUTSIDE HOUSE DAMAGED BY PROTESTS VARIOUS OF WINDOW BROKEN DURING CLASHES (SOUNDBITE (Spanish) CARMEN RIVERA, AREA RESIDENT, SAYING: "They're cracking down on the people. They don't respect adults nor children. I'm a sick woman. I fainted and everything because I have thyroid issues and faint. They hit my hand with a cartridge." NATIONAL GUARD TANK IN STREET BARRICADE CREATED BY OPPOSITION PROTESTERS IN FOREGROUND WITH NATIONAL GUARD OFFICIALS IN REAR NATIONAL GUARDSMEN NEXT TO TANK ON STREET VARIOUS OF WOMAN VOTING IN CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ELECTION VOTING CENTRE WITH MAN VOTING IN REAR (SOUNDBITE (Spanish) FRANCISCO ARIAS CARDENAS, GOVERNOR OF ZULIA STATE, SAYING: "They (the opposition) could have registered. They've already said they didn't go to the National Assembly and the National Assembly functioned without them. The constituent assembly will obviously take them into account. But they need to change their attitude. They need to talk, discuss problems, talk about their proposals and not just about destruction." ZULIA STATE GOVERNOR FRANCISCO CARDENAS LEAVING VOTING CENTRE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON LINE OUTSIDE VOTING CENTRE EXTERIOR OF VOTING CENTRE
- Embargoed: 13th August 2017 18:43
- Keywords: clashes constituent assembly violence Maracaibo
- Location: MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA
- City: MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA0016RWRYO7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Clashes broke out on Sunday (July 30) in the northwest state of Maracaibo Sunday as Venezuelans trickled to the polls to elect a constitutional super-body that unpopular leftist President Nicolas Maduro vowed would begin a "new era of combat" in the crisis-stricken nation.
Opposition parties are boycotting what they call a rigged election. Their sympathizers erected barricades across roads around the South American country and scuffles broke out with security forces who moved in quickly to disperse hooded demonstrators.
Furious that Maduro is plowing ahead and fearful of what will come after Sunday, some opposition activists were throwing rocks at security forces or burning trash to block roads.
Authorities confirmed three deaths over the weekend, including the killing of a candidate to the assembly during a robbery, although opposition lawmakers said the toll was much higher.
Critics say the assembly will allow Maduro to dissolve the opposition-run Congress, delay future elections and rewrite electoral rules to prevent the socialists from being voted out of power in the once-thriving OPEC nation.
Polls show some 70 percent of Venezuelans oppose the vote, which has been widely condemned internationally. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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