Venezuela: Maduro defiant as protests see hundreds arrested

At least 11 people have been killed, dozens injured and over 700 arrested as protests spread across Venezuela on Tuesday following the reelection of President Nicolas Maduro in a disputed vote.

The deaths were reported by Foro Penal, a non-governmental organization. Two teenagers are reported to be among the dead.

Opposition party "Voluntad Popular" said its national coordinator Freddy Superlano was among those detained, after being shoved into a car by armed men, according to video footage posted by the party on social media and then deleted. Ricardo Estevez, a senior official with Vente Venezuela, was also detained, the party posted on X.

Venezuela's Attorney General Tarek William Saab said that at least two security officials had been killed and that another 48 police and military officers had been injured.

He added that charges against some of those in custody will include terrorism.

What do we know about the protests?

The protests began shortly after Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) formally declared Maduro to have won Sunday's election with 51% of the vote, securing the long-ruling socialist a third six-year term.

But the opposition said it had proof that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, had chalked up an unassailable lead, based on data from the 73% of the vote tallies to which it had access.

"I speak to you with the calmness of the truth," Gonzalez told reporters on Monday. "We have in our hands the tally sheets that demonstrate our victory."

As opposition supporters took to the streets in towns and cities across the South American country, some protesters blocked roads, lit fires and threw petrol bombs at police, including near the presidential palace in the capital, Caracas.

Many rode motorbikes and jammed streets or draped themselves in the Venezuelan flag. Some covered their faces with scarves as protection against tear gas fired by police armed with batons and shields.

In the port city of La Guaira, people toppled a statue of Maduro's mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez, dragged it to the street and set it on fire.

"We are tired of this government, we want a change. We want to be free in Venezuela. We want our families to return here," one protester told the Reuters news agency, referring to the exodus of about a third of Venezuelans in recent years.

"I'll fight for my country's democracy," said another. "They stole the election from us."

Security forces responded robustly, with newspaper El Nacional reporting shots fired at demonstrators by pro-government paramilitaries known as Colectivos.

"We've seen this movie before," said Maduro from the presidential palace, pledging that security forces would keep the peace. "We have been following all of the acts of violence promoted by the extreme right."

Venezuelan Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, said Venezuela was facing a "coup d'etat" supported by the "fascist forces of the extreme right” with the backing of the "imperial forces” of the United States. "We will defeat this coup," he added.

What is the international community saying? 

Many countries have urged Venezuela to release the vote tally, with the US considering new sanctions for lack of transparency.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and US President Joe Biden were among those who called for the release of detailed election results.

Peru recognized Gonzalez Urrutia as Venezuela's legitimate president. Costa Rica offered political asylum to Machado and Gonzalez, but Machado replied her priority was to "continue this struggle" from Venezuela.

Meanwhile, Panama suspended diplomatic relations with Caracas after a plane carrying former presidents to observe the election was blocked.

In response, Venezuela withdrew diplomats from seven Latin American countries and asked envoys from those countries to leave.

United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk expressed concern over rising tensions and reports of violence, while the European Union's Josep Borrell batted for the demonstrators' right to protest peacefully.

At the same time, Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged others not to meddle in Venezuela's affairs.

ss, mf/wmr, jsi (AFP, dpa)