Clashes at Venezuela protest against 'dictatorship'

Violence erupted for a third straight day at protests against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, escalating tension over moves to keep the leftist leader in power.
Opposition protesters chanting "No more dictatorship!" yesterday hurled stones at National Guard riot police who blocked them from marching on central Caracas.
The police responded with tear gas and water cannons, prompting chaos on the eight-lane highway where some 10,000 protesters had tried to break through security barricades.
Dozens of protesters were wounded, and at least six arrested, said AFP journalists on scene.
Scores of protesters were also wounded at violent protests on Tuesday and Wednesday in the volatile oil-exporting country, where a political crisis is raising concerns about democracy and stability.

Street protests are among the few options left for the center-right opposition to pressure Maduro, whom they blame for the country's descent into economic calamity.

Negotiations have failed and he has resisted international pressure, while retaining backing from the military and control over most state institutions.
The opposition has taken to the streets accusing pro-Maduro Supreme Court judges of attempting an internal "coup d'etat" for attempting to take over the opposition-majority legislature's powers last week.
The socialist president's supporters held counter-demonstrations yesterday, condemning Maduro's opponents as "imperialists" plotting with the United States to oust him.
Maduro himself downplayed the unrest.

"Venezuela is at peace, producing, working, with small flashpoints of violence. They were neutralized under constitutional authority, and they failed in their objective: to fill Caracas with violence," he said on state television.
Last week, the Supreme Court issued rulings transferring the National Assembly's legislative powers to itself and revoking lawmakers' immunity from prosecution.
The court later reversed the rulings after an international outcry, but kept in place other measures limiting the assembly's powers.
Opposition lawmakers launched an effort to impeach the judges on Wednesday.
But that would require a green light from the attorney general, prosecutor general and comptroller, all Maduro allies.

They refused yesterday to give the go-ahead -- though the attorney general had sharply criticized the Supreme Court rulings, in a rare display of dissent in Maduro's camp.
On the streets, protesters said they want to get rid of Maduro.
"We're tired of this dictatorship," said Yoleidy Rodriguez, a 22-year-old university student. "We're not afraid."
A group of protesters eventually managed to march up to the metal police barricade, their hands in the air, and spray paint "Freedom" on it in blue letters.