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BY SOLE MALDONADO AYUSO
Venezuelan public prosecutors confirmed Tuesday that seven people died during Monday night
protests demanding a vote recount in the presidential election. There are also more than 60 injured
and 135 people arrested.
Newly-elected president Nicolas Maduro — Chavez’s successor — won the election on Sunday with
50.66% of the votes. His defeated opponent Henrique Capriles got 49.07% of the votes
but he didn’t approve of the results and called Maduro an “illegitimate president.”
(Via CNN)
According to The Guardian, Capriles’ campaign received almost 3000 reports of irregularities
during the voting process. Now the defeated candidate is asking the government for a vote
recount. He also encouraged his supporters to show their disagreement with the results
through peaceful protests.
Maduro reportedly agreed to the recount at first, and The White House and the organization
of American States backed Capriles’ demands, but then Venezuela’s Electoral National
Commission proclaimed Maduro president — without recounting the votes.
Voice of America reports Capriles’ followers began to get unruly, and “banged pots and
pans and burned trash bags as they marched through the streets of the Venezuelan capital
... They were confronted by police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them.”
According to Al Jazeera, Maduro responded to the protests by accusing Capriles of trying
to orchestrate a coup. Maduro banned protests of Sunday’s election results.
Global Post reports this election was seen by many as a chance to challenge the socialist
policies implemented by Hugo Chavez during his time in power. To many, Maduro’s election
represents the continuation of those policies.
Venezuela faces economic difficulties and worrying social instability. Capriles’ voters
and some analysts fear Maduro won’t be able to rise to the occasion, and say the ongoing
unrest is a sign he won’t be able to steer the oil-rich nation.