Venezuela crisis: Troops crack down on violent protests, at least 10 killed on bloody Sunday
A wave of bloodshed swept Venezuela as troops cracked down on violent protests against elections to choose the members of a powerful assembly, that president Nicolas Maduro has tasked with writing a new constitution
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A wave of bloodshed swept through Venezuela as troops cracked down on violent protests against elections to choose the members of a powerful Assembly that president Nicolas Maduro has tasked with writing a new Constitution. Maduro has issued a ban on protests during and after the vote, threatening prison terms of up to 10 years. AP
Protesters attacked polling stations and barricaded streets around the country, drawing a bloody response from security forces, which opened fire with live ammunition in some cases. During the election, Venezuelans abstained in massive numbers in a show of silent protest. AP
At least 10 people were killed on Sunday, prompting the United States to threaten further "strong and swift" sanctions on Maduro's government. In the past four months of protests in the crisis-stricken nation, the death toll has reached to 120. In this image, Bolivarian National Guards detain an anti-government demonstrator during clashes in Caracas. AP
Electoral authorities said more than eight million people voted to create a constitutional Assembly endowing Maduro's ruling party with virtually unlimited powers, a figure widely disputed by independent analysts. AP
During the elections, Venezuelans abstained in massive numbers in a show of silent protest against a vote to select a constitutional assembly giving the government virtually unlimited powers. AP
Senior opposition leader Henrique Capriles called on Venezuelans to continue defying the deeply unpopular Maduro with new protests against the election and the "massacre" that accompanied it. He also called for nationwide marches on Monday and a mass protest in Caracas on Wednesday, the day the new 'Constituent Assembly' is due to be installed. Getty Images
Venezuelans also protested in Miami, Madrid and various Latin American cities in solidarity with the protestors. The number of Venezuelans living abroad has soared, as the once-booming oil producer has descended into a devastating economic crisis marked by shortages, runaway inflation, riots and looting. AP