Venezuela burns: 26 dead after protests in recent days

Nicolás Maduro does not resign and isolates himself more and more from the rest of the world who has already expressed his support and gratitude to the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó.

Clashes between supporters of self-proclaimed President Juan Guaidó and security forces have taken a toll in recent hours. Maduro denounced the US intervention and Trump withdrew his diplomats.

Since last Monday, at least 26 people have been killed in anti-government demonstrations. The figure has been confirmed by the NGO Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social (OVCS). According to the same register, out of the total deaths, two occurred in the state of Amazonas, five in Bolívar, seven in Caracas, three in Portuguesa, three in Barinas, three in Táchira, two in Monagas and one to Yaracuy.

For its part, the NGO Penal Forum, which heads the defense of people considered political prisoners in the country, said that since Monday, Chavist security forces have arrested 328 people.

The escalation of the violence has intensified after the head of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, of the majority of the opposition, felt that Nicolás Maduro had usurped executive power after to have been reelected during a "fraudulent election" and to be qualified as "president in charge of Venezuela" until the call for new elections.

Chavismo's response was immediate and the repression of the Bolivarian National Force took control of the streets, leaving a halo of torture and death.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, did not rule out a military intervention and called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to resolve the problem. Almost simultaneously, a long list of countries has recognized the new government in a clear rejection of the dictatorial policy of Hugo Chávez's successor.

Russia, a strategic partner of Venezuela, which has already supported the regime in this political crossroads, has not seen the insistence of the American tycoon. So much so that President Vladimir Putin has warned that a military escalation could become "a bloodbath".

Similarly, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also ruled out an armed escalation in Venezuela as a better option, as it would mean "a disaster for the Venezuelan city".

Guterres pointed out at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland: "Sovereign governments have the opportunity to decide what they want.What worries us about the situation in Venezuela is the suffering of the population . "

SOURCE TN

GS