Venezuelan police arrested 400 people after the country's food crisis erupted into looting this week, a pro-government official said Thursday, blaming the rioting on the political opposition.
Dozens of shops were broken into and looted on Tuesday in the eastern city of Cumana, the latest flashpoint in a crisis that has killed at least four people so far.
The governor of Sucre state where Cumana is located told state television channel VTV that "more than 400 people" were arrested including three suspected leaders of the looting in the city.
"We will follow the investigation until it leads us to the masterminds" of the disturbances, Governor Luis Acuna said.
Acuna is a member of the ruling Venezuelan Socialist Party of President Nicolas Maduro.
The opposition blames Maduro for an economic crisis in which Venezuelans are suffering shortages of basic foods and goods.
Maduro blames the crisis on an "economic war" by the business elite.
He has vowed to resist his center-right opponents' efforts to remove him from office and warned he will not tolerate violence.
His ally in Sucre, Acuna, on Thursday accused the opposition of "sowing paramilitary values, such as hate and crime, in some citizens."
He said Cumana "has been returning to normal" since Tuesday's outbreak of looting, which erupted during a protest against food shortages.
Elsewhere on Wednesday a 17-year-old boy died after being wounded at a similar protest in the western town of Lagunilla, authorities said.
"There must be no impunity," Acuna said of those arrested in Cumana.
"This is a situation that must not be repeated here or anywhere else."
The South American oil state is suffering an economic crisis brought on by the plunge in global crude prices over the past two years.
At least four people have died in disturbances in recent days, according to the state prosecution service.
Human rights group Provea puts the death toll from the latest wave of unrest at five, including a man who it says died during the disturbances in Cumana.
Venezuelan police arrested 400 people after the country’s food crisis erupted into looting this week, a pro-government official said Thursday, blaming the rioting on the political opposition.
Dozens of shops were broken into and looted on Tuesday in the eastern city of Cumana, the latest flashpoint in a crisis that has killed at least four people so far.
The governor of Sucre state where Cumana is located told state television channel VTV that “more than 400 people” were arrested including three suspected leaders of the looting in the city.
“We will follow the investigation until it leads us to the masterminds” of the disturbances, Governor Luis Acuna said.
Acuna is a member of the ruling Venezuelan Socialist Party of President Nicolas Maduro.
The opposition blames Maduro for an economic crisis in which Venezuelans are suffering shortages of basic foods and goods.
Maduro blames the crisis on an “economic war” by the business elite.
He has vowed to resist his center-right opponents’ efforts to remove him from office and warned he will not tolerate violence.
His ally in Sucre, Acuna, on Thursday accused the opposition of “sowing paramilitary values, such as hate and crime, in some citizens.”
He said Cumana “has been returning to normal” since Tuesday’s outbreak of looting, which erupted during a protest against food shortages.
Elsewhere on Wednesday a 17-year-old boy died after being wounded at a similar protest in the western town of Lagunilla, authorities said.
“There must be no impunity,” Acuna said of those arrested in Cumana.
“This is a situation that must not be repeated here or anywhere else.”
The South American oil state is suffering an economic crisis brought on by the plunge in global crude prices over the past two years.
At least four people have died in disturbances in recent days, according to the state prosecution service.
Human rights group Provea puts the death toll from the latest wave of unrest at five, including a man who it says died during the disturbances in Cumana.
