Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami said that Saturday's march was "illegal and unconstitutional" and accused opposition supporters and in particular, opposition leader Henrique Capriles, of inciting violence in the protests.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on Sunday for an investigation against a leading opposition politician for falsely suggesting the government was carrying out a Syria-like chemical attack against protesters.
CARACAS, Venezuela-Around ten thousand Venezuelan opposition supporters marched in the capital on Saturday, as the galvanized opposition kept pressure on embattled President Nicolás Maduro as the country headed for long Easter holidays.
The national comptroller earlier this year said he was considering barring Capriles, who is now governor of the central coastal state of Miranda, from holding office. He's now governor of Miranda state, which surrounds Caracas, and is one of the most recognizable leaders behind the protest movement that has been roiling the country this week.
The rally was marked by anger over a ruling from the leftist government banning opposition leader Henrique Capriles from office for 15 years.
"This is all part and package of the internal coup", Capriles said on Twitter, branding the government a "corrupt drug-trafficking leadership".
New protests are planned for next week. A 19-year-old man was shot dead in violence around protests on Thursday, and a police officer has been arrested.
US Missile Strike Destroyed a Fifth of Syria's Warplane Fleet, Pentagon Says
Once the ISIS threat has been reduced or eliminated, I think we can turn our attention to stabilizing the situation in Syria. Hours later a jet bombed the hospital in what the USA believed was an attempt to cover up the attack, the agency said.
The 44-year-old Capriles has been the most prominent leader of Venezuela's opposition over the past decade, twice coming close to winning the presidency despite institutional obstacles that tilted races in favor of the government. But now the almost-daily churn of events in what's being called the "ongoing coup" - the government's alleged moves to accumulate more power - has energized and united the normally fractious opposition leading up to. Several global human rights organizations have called on Maduro to release Lopez and other political prisoners.
Authorities have been investigating Capriles since the beginning of the year for what they say are a half dozen administrative irregularities, including taking suspicious donations from overseas.
Saturday's protests continued a week of unrest sparked by last week's Supreme Court decision in which it assumed the role of the opposition-led congress. She said she's thinking about joining a sister and scores of college friends who have left the South American country seeking a better future.
Local media reported Mr Ortiz was a university student planning to emigrate from Venezuela, like so many in the middle class that have fled to Colombia, Panama, Chile or the USA city of Miami amid the economic crisis and political turmoil.
The teen, Jairo Ortizo, died from a gunshot wound when National Guard troops tried to disperse crowds of protesters who had blocked a road on the outskirts of Caracas, authorities said.
Still, others have been motivated by the escalating political crisis and the opposition coalition putting on a more dynamic and coordinated front than usual.
None of the other opposition leaders have the profile or influence of Capriles or Lopez, and all could be subject to disqualification.
Comments