Venezuela marks one month of deadly violence

CARACAS: May Day protests risk being rough in Venezuela on Monday as it marks one month since deadly clashes erupted in a political crisis with no end in sight.

Protesters took to the streets from April 1 to demand elections after the courts tried to strengthen President Nicolas Maduro’s grip on power.

Marches in various cities erupted into clashes between riot police and protesters which have since left 28 people dead, according to public prosecutors.

“We are not going to cool down the street,” said senior opposition lawmaker Freddy Guevara, however.

“On May 1 we must show our strength, that we are in the majority and that we want to have our say in elections.”

The opposition has accused Maduro of installing a dictatorship.

It blames him for an economic crisis that has sparked food and medicine shortages in the major oilexporting nation.

Even residents of traditionally proMaduro districts have been joining in the protests against him in recent days.

“I have been a month now joining in all the protests because I want my country to be free of this dictatorship,” said Yoleida Viloria, 42, a hairdresser from the poor neighbourhood Petare in eastern Caracas.

The president has continue the socialist of vowed to “Bolivarian revolution” launched by predecessor Hugo Chavez.

Maduro has rejected opposition calls for general elections before his term ends late next year.

He has said he is willing to hold regional polls that were postponed in December.

But the electoral authorities have not set a date.

“Any election in the short term would be a defeat for Chavismo,” said Edgard Gutierrez, an analyst with pollster Venebarometro.

But the electoral prospects for the centre-right opposition coalition look slim. his late