Venezuelan riot police break up opposition protest
Venezuelan riot police fired tear gas Tuesday to break up a demonstration in Caracas called by opposition leader Juan Guaido as he seeks to ramp up demands for elections to replace leftist President Nicolas Maduro.
Riot police moved in quickly to break up the demonstration soon after thousands of protesters began marching towards the National Assembly building from the east of the capital.
Guido, recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries including the United States, has been seeking to revive mass protests against Maduro which have largely fizzled out since spiking early last year.
As the opposition leader attempted to negotiate with a police cordon blocking the path of the march on Tuesday, they fired tear gas at the demonstrators, AFP reporters at the scene said.
"This picket today does not represent Venezuela, this picket represents the dictatorship," Guaido said, referring to the line of police with riot shields.
Most of the marchers left the area, but some with their faces covered threw stones at the police.
"A stage of sustained struggle begins today," Guaido said earlier as he addressed the crowd through a megaphone from the back of a truck.
Thousands of protesters had begun the march in east Caracas waving Venezuelan flags and caps in the national colors. Local media reported smaller protests in other cities.
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