© 2024 WLRN
MIAMI | SOUTH FLORIDA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Venezuelan Violence Escalates As Maduro Regime Fights For Political Survival

This post was updated at 3:40 p.m.

Anti-government protestors in Venezuela were engaged in running street battles with security forces, as interim President Juan Guaidó said factions of the military were supporting his high stakes push to oust Nicolás Maduro.

In the opposition strongholds of eastern Caracas, armored troops carriers loyal to Maduro rammed into demonstrators armed with little more than rocks, sticks and molotov cocktails. Local TV showed one of the vehicles driving over the median and crushing a protester. 

Eye witnesses said forces loyal to Guaidó had taken the Altamira overpass, which bisects the city, and thousands of anti-government protesters were seen swarming onto the streets amid reports of gunfire and confrontations.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said there was a coup underway, but called it "insignificant" and said it was under control. 

Early Tuesday, Guaidó surprised the country by releasing a video recorded at the Carlota Air Force Base in Caracas. Surrounded by heavily-armed military forces, Guaidó said the time had come to peacefully force Maduro out of office and asked his followers to surround military bases, including La Carlota.

“Our armed forces, brave soldiers, brave patriots, brave men who follow the constitution have heard our call,” he said.

Leopoldo López, a former presidential candidate who has been jailed since 2014 — most recently under house arrest — also makes an appearance in the video. Later he said he's been freed by military loyal to Guaidó. 

Guaidó and López appeared together later in the day in eastern Caracas, still surrounded by members of the Bolivarian National Guard. Guaidó called on the people to take to the streets and "resist" until Maduro steps down. 

"Everyone in Venezuela, including the armed forces, are in favor of the Constitution," Guaidó said, speaking through a megaphone. "The one who is engaged in a coup is Maduro who has usurped the [presidency] at Miraflores." 

"We are going to stay here and resist and we're asking the military to incorporate themselves into this fight for Venezuela," he said.

The Maduro regime scrambled to downplay the apparent uprising.

Padrino López said the armed forces “remain loyal and firm in their defense of the national constitution and the legitimate authorities.” And Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said a “small group of military traitors” were being confronted in the opposition strong-hold of Altamira. Maduro officials also called on the people to surround the Miraflores presidential palace to defend the embattled leader.

Read more at our news partner, the Miami Herald.

Jim Wyss is the South America bureau chief for The Miami Herald. He has a master of science degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor of arts degree from American University in journalism and Spanish. He lives in Bogota, Colombia.
More On This Topic