Thousands march in Venezuela against government

The opposition in Venezuela organized what they called the "mother of all marches" today, as thousands poured into the streets to demand that the government hold elections, release political prisoners, reestablish judicial independence and the powers of the National Assembly, and allow sufficient humanitarian aid into the country.

Demonstrators clash with riot police during the so-called "mother of all marches" against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, April 19, 2017.

The march followed a fortnight of violent protests, in which five people have been killed, triggered by a Supreme Court decision in March to assume the powers of the opposition-led Congress - which it quickly reversed under global pressure. Tens of thousands of opponents of President Nicolas Maduro flooded the streets of Ca. Tens of thousands of opponents of President Nicolas Maduro flooded the streets of auto.

In recent protests, security forces have fired rubber bullets and tear gas, as well as using a water cannon.

As night fell, a group of youths tore down signs and billboards to build barricades from which they threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at riot police.

The march followed a fortnight of violent protests triggered by a Supreme Court decision in March to assume the powers of the opposition-led Congress - which it quickly reversed under global pressure.

"The opposition is trying to provoke a conflict but they aren't going to achieve their goal", said Marquez, who wore a shirt emblazoned with the eyes of Chavez, a symbol of revolutionary zeal throughout Venezuela.

The Supreme Court reversed the decisions amid mounting global pressure and after the Venezuelan Attorney General, Luisa Ortega Díaz, called the decisions "a rupture of the constitutional order".

Wednesday's marches underscored the widening political rifts in the country, where the opposition has accused Maduro of creating a dictatorship in the last few years. The government last year abruptly postponed regional elections the opposition was heavily favored to win and cut off a petition drive to force a referendum seeking Maduro's removal before elections late next year. The opposition sees the government measures as turning Venezuela into a almost full-blown dictatorship.

But the government has shown little interest in backing down.

"President Maduro has called his supporters to march in some of the same places that the opposition had already targeted their supporters", David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America, said on Wednesday. Some opponents of President Nicolas Maduro say armed pro-government militias opened gunfire on a crowd of protesters, bu top officials say the boy named Carlos Moreno was assaulted while walking home from a soccer game.

Maduro didn't provide evidence to back his claim that a coup attempt was under way, and the opposition rejected his comments as a desperate attempt to intimidate Venezuelans from exercising their constitutional right to protest.

As tensions have mounted, the government has used its almost-complete control of Venezuela's institutions to pursue its opponents. It was unclear how many remained in custody. He has also warned that an opposition government would slash social benefits like healthcare for the poor and subsidized food.

"The US government, the state department, have given the green light, the approval for a coup process to intervene in Venezuela", Maduro said in a televised address Tuesday, according to The Guardian.

"We are concerned that the government of Maduro is violating its own constitution and is not allowing the opposition to. organize in a way that expresses the views of the Venezuelan people", Tillerson told a news conference.

Opposition marchers included Liliana Machuca, who earns about $20 a month holding two jobs teaching literature.

Her face was covered in a white substance to protect herself from the nauseous effects of what she expects will be another day of dodging tear gas canisters.