[BUSINESSWEEK] Several thousand anti-government demonstrators marched in Caracas today after President Nicolas Maduro tried to defuse two weeks of protests by granting Venezuelans an unexpected six-day holiday.
In the eastern Caracas municipality Chacao, an opposition stronghold, demonstrators held banners urging Venezuelans to ignore the holidays and continue protesting against crime, inflation and shortages of goods. As they attempted to block the city's main east-west highway, the National Guard broke up the march with tear gas and water cannons. Two U.S. senators proposed a resolution threatening sanctions for "violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Venezuela."
Maduro this week expanded the annual Carnival festivities by decreeing today and tomorrow national holidays, in addition to the scheduled days off on March 3-4. At least 14 people were killed in the past two weeks in the biggest demonstrations against the government since the former bus driver won presidential elections in April. |