Capriles supporters run from tear gas fired by riot police as they demonstrated for a recount of the votes in Caracas.
Agencies/Caracas
Venezuela’s president-elect Nicolas Maduro and opposition candidate Henrique Capriles yesterday blamed each other for a wave of deadly protests over the outcome of Sunday’s presidential election. Accusing “fascists” of the violence, which left at least seven people dead, Maduro said he would not allow the opposition to go ahead with a march through the centre of Caracas.
Capriles said the government had “ordered” the melee.
Capriles has demanded a full recount of votes from Sunday’s election after results showed a narrow victory for Maduro.
The election authority has ruled out a recount, raising fears of more violence in the South American nation, which has the world’s largest oil reserves.
The country saw waves of street protests during various parts of Chavez’s tumultuous 14-year socialist rule.
The deaths happened on Monday when hundreds of protesters took to the streets in various parts of the capital Caracas and other cities, blocking streets, burning tires and fighting with security forces in some cases.
Officials also said 135 people were arrested in the post-election violence.
State media and officials said the fatalities included two people shot by opposition sympathisers while celebrating Maduro’s victory in a middle-class area of Caracas.
One person died in an attack on a government-run clinic in a central state. Two, including a policeman, were killed in an Andean border state, officials said.
“We will defeat this violent fascism with democracy,” said Foreign Minister Elias Jaua, describing incidents and showing video footage to a group of ambassadors. “Those who attempt to take with force what they could not acquire through elections are not democrats.”
After Sunday’s vote, Capriles refused to recognise the results, and his followers poured into the streets. In Caracas on Monday night opposition supporters banged pots and pans, and Maduro backers responded with fireworks and music. In a wealthy district of Caracas, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets in a battle running into Monday evening with masked, rock-wielding opposition supporters. Capriles said his team’s figures show he won the election and he wants a full recount.
The National Electoral Council said an audit of 54% of the voting stations, in a widely respected electronic vote system, had already been carried out. The election was triggered by the death of Chavez last month after a two-year battle with cancer. He named Maduro as his successor before he died and his protege won the election with 50.8% of the vote against Capriles’ 49%.
“Where are the opposition politicians who believe in democracy?” Maduro said, blaming Capriles for the violence. Capriles, the governor of Miranda state, hopes to highlight the weakness of Maduro’s mandate and stir up opposition anger over his charge that the electoral council is biased in favour of the ruling Socialist Party. The strategy could backfire if demonstrations turn into prolonged disturbances, such as those the opposition led between 2002 and 2004, which sometimes blocked roads for days with trash and burning tires and annoyed many Venezuelans. A return to protracted trouble in the streets could renew questions about the opposition’s democratic credentials on the heels of their best showing in a presidential election, and just as Capriles has consolidated himself as its leader.