At least two people were injured after unidentified assailants fired into a crowd of anti-government protesters in Caracas on Wednesday amid rival demonstrations over Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's handling of a deepening economic crisis.
The motorcycle-riding gunmen fled after firing the shots outside the attorney general's office, where opposition protesters had gathered.
The OPEC-member has been battered by inflation running at more than 50 percent a year, a shortage of hard currency, and dwindling supplies of consumer goods.
Thousands of students, accompanied by several opposition politicians, converged in downtown Caracas to denounce the economic policies of Maduro, who succeeded the late Hugo Chavez as president last year.
A day earlier, five youths were shot when people on motorcycles opened fire on protests in the western city of Merida, local media and student groups have said. Another 10 students participating in the protests were arrested, they said.
Protesters Wednesday demanded the release of the students detained in Merida and elsewhere at recent demonstrations in the interior of the country.
"We will not kneel," cried David Smolansky, a former student leader now mayor of the Caracas municipality of El Hatillo, challenging the government to "see who is stronger."
"They have taken our students prisoner. We want them released!" he shouted, as the flag-waving crowd chanted "it is going to fall, it is going to fall, this government is going to fall."
Meanwhile, waves of protesters clad in red -- the color of "Chavismo" -- gathered in different parts of Caracas and in other cities in support of Maduro.
They chanted slogans in support of his "economic war" against speculators and private economic interests that he blames for the skyrocketing inflation and shortages of food and other basic necessities.
State television showed images of the pro-government protests, which Maduro was scheduled to attend, while private channels showed intermittent images of the opposition demonstrations.
Late Tuesday, a government body that regulates the news media threatened sanctions against any media groups that "promote violence and create chaos in public life over the call to dialogue."
Many government critics blame the leftist government's strict currency and price controls for the shortages, which range from toilet paper and newsprint to rice and meat.
At least two people were injured after unidentified assailants fired into a crowd of anti-government protesters in Caracas on Wednesday amid rival demonstrations over Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s handling of a deepening economic crisis.
The motorcycle-riding gunmen fled after firing the shots outside the attorney general’s office, where opposition protesters had gathered.
The OPEC-member has been battered by inflation running at more than 50 percent a year, a shortage of hard currency, and dwindling supplies of consumer goods.
Thousands of students, accompanied by several opposition politicians, converged in downtown Caracas to denounce the economic policies of Maduro, who succeeded the late Hugo Chavez as president last year.
A day earlier, five youths were shot when people on motorcycles opened fire on protests in the western city of Merida, local media and student groups have said. Another 10 students participating in the protests were arrested, they said.
Protesters Wednesday demanded the release of the students detained in Merida and elsewhere at recent demonstrations in the interior of the country.
“We will not kneel,” cried David Smolansky, a former student leader now mayor of the Caracas municipality of El Hatillo, challenging the government to “see who is stronger.”
“They have taken our students prisoner. We want them released!” he shouted, as the flag-waving crowd chanted “it is going to fall, it is going to fall, this government is going to fall.”
Meanwhile, waves of protesters clad in red — the color of “Chavismo” — gathered in different parts of Caracas and in other cities in support of Maduro.
They chanted slogans in support of his “economic war” against speculators and private economic interests that he blames for the skyrocketing inflation and shortages of food and other basic necessities.
State television showed images of the pro-government protests, which Maduro was scheduled to attend, while private channels showed intermittent images of the opposition demonstrations.
Late Tuesday, a government body that regulates the news media threatened sanctions against any media groups that “promote violence and create chaos in public life over the call to dialogue.”
Many government critics blame the leftist government’s strict currency and price controls for the shortages, which range from toilet paper and newsprint to rice and meat.
