Protesters Confront Riot Police in Maiquetia

Protesters confronted police and were tear-gassed in the streets of Maiquetia, in the state of Vargas, Venezuela, on April 13 amidst accusations that peaceful protests were being repressed by National Guard troops and police.

Demonstrators and opposition leaders claimed that security forces, under the direction of President Nicholas Maduro, were violating their constitutional right to protest by using oppressive and sometimes violent tactics, such as hitting protesters with tear gas canisters, dropping tear gas canisters from helicopters, beating protesters, destroying personal property and even killing.

Ongoing protests against Maduro swelled after the Supreme Court decision on March 10 to strip power from the opposition-controlled National Assembly. The Supreme Court later withdrew the ruling, but the move drew condemnation from Venezuelan opposition politicians and international governments. Credit: Jose Manuel Olivares via Storyful