Post by scumbuster on May 12, 2016 6:02:54 GMT -5
CARACAS – Venezuelan police used tear gas twice against opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles as he was trying to participate in a march to the National Election Council in downtown Caracas, the access to which was blocked by officers.
Capriles, who is also governor of Miranda state, was affected by tear gas sprayed at him by a Bolivarian National Police officer as he was trying to negotiate passage for the protesters into the downtown area.
Opposition spokespeople said that Capriles was taken to a medical aid center.
Capriles was on the main Caracas highway, which crosses the Venezuelan capital, and he had already advanced up to the boundary of Libertador district, where the National Election Council, or CNE, is located and where the city’s Chavista mayor, Jorge Rodriguez, has his office.
Capriles tried to get a group of police officers to let him and two dozen demonstrators cross their cordon, but he was detained, whereupon he tried to force his way through but was then sprayed with the tear gas while other officers fired tear gas canisters into the air.
The executive secretary of the opposition MUD coalition, Jesus Torrealba, who on Wednesday demonstrated with Capriles, told Union Radio that “Unfortunately, that situation occurred. Our brother Henrique Capriles was affected with a paralyzer that was directed at his face.”
He said that Capriles “is recovering satisfactorily” from the incident.
The demonstration was intended to pressure the CNE to move to the second phase of organizing a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro.
While the protest was under way, government supporters demonstrated in downtown Caracas in support of a referendum called by the governing PSUV party.
laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2411996&CategoryId=10717
Capriles, who is also governor of Miranda state, was affected by tear gas sprayed at him by a Bolivarian National Police officer as he was trying to negotiate passage for the protesters into the downtown area.
Opposition spokespeople said that Capriles was taken to a medical aid center.
Capriles was on the main Caracas highway, which crosses the Venezuelan capital, and he had already advanced up to the boundary of Libertador district, where the National Election Council, or CNE, is located and where the city’s Chavista mayor, Jorge Rodriguez, has his office.
Capriles tried to get a group of police officers to let him and two dozen demonstrators cross their cordon, but he was detained, whereupon he tried to force his way through but was then sprayed with the tear gas while other officers fired tear gas canisters into the air.
The executive secretary of the opposition MUD coalition, Jesus Torrealba, who on Wednesday demonstrated with Capriles, told Union Radio that “Unfortunately, that situation occurred. Our brother Henrique Capriles was affected with a paralyzer that was directed at his face.”
He said that Capriles “is recovering satisfactorily” from the incident.
The demonstration was intended to pressure the CNE to move to the second phase of organizing a referendum to recall President Nicolas Maduro.
While the protest was under way, government supporters demonstrated in downtown Caracas in support of a referendum called by the governing PSUV party.
laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2411996&CategoryId=10717