Venezuelan Protesters Return to Streets in Spite of Military Threats

Not to be dissuaded by a massive military crackdown, anti-government protesters returned to Plaza Altamira in Caracas on Monday, a day after Venezuelan troops took control of the area.

Demonstrators were searched for weapons before they were allowed back into the heavily guarded square, which has become the focal point for the unrest that has wracked the country for the past month.

Venezuelan security forces and protesters in Plaza Altamira, Caracas. Video courtesy of Instagram user Phuseche.

A Venezuela National Guard captain, General Padrino Lopez, was killed on Sunday in Maracay, Aragua state, further heightening tensions between protestors and security forces throughout the country. Lopez was the 29th person to be killed in the protests over the last six weeks. He died after being shot in the head.

President Nicolas Maduro warned over the weekend that he would deploy the military to clear Plaza Altamira if the protesters refused to leave. Maduro told protesters on Saturday: “Prepare yourself, we are coming for you.” The president, speaking to a military rally, then played "Give Peace A Chance" by John Lennon.

Keeping with his first promise, Maduro's security forces entered the plaza over the weekend to disperse the several hundred demonstrators that remained with tear gas and water cannons.

Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres told Venezuelan state television that the deployment of troops was in order to “re-establish the right of thousands of citizens of Chacao who have been forced to stay inside their homes by violent actions."

Although the protests remain relatively peaceful right now, it is unknown if they will turn violent in coming days, as leaders of the opposition have vowed to remain in the streets until their demands are met.

The demonstrations that have swept Venezuela in the past weeks have focused on several issues such as crime, rising prices, and the inclusion of Cuban soldiers in Venezuelan security forces.

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