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Venezuelan FM denounces opposition protesters' attack against national institutions

16 April 2013 22:12 (UTC +04:00)

In a conference with heads of diplomatic missions in Venezuela, Jaua denounced "serious acts of violence, intolerance and hatred", promoted Monday by the highest leadership of the Venezuelan opposition.

Protests were reported Monday in Caracas and several other Venezuelan cities by opposition groups who were angry with the election results that gave a narrow victory to Nicolas Maduro.

The opposition leader Henrique Capriles has rejected the election results and demanded a total recount of votes, claiming that Maduro's election is illegitimate.

Capriles'statements and the appearance of alleged ballot votes thrown away with vouchers in various regions of the South American nation led to the annoyance of his followers who took to the streets to demonstrate.

"There are hundreds of acts of violence committed by fascist groups," said Jaua, citing the attacks on government facilities in the states of Barinas, Tachira, Merida, Miranda and the Capital District.

Headquarters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), health care facilities such as Barrio Adentro and Integral Diagnostic Centers were burned and looted, according to images broadcast by state-run TV channel VTV. So far a man was killed and a woman was injured in northwestern Lara state during the protest.

The minister said that those responsible are paid members of fascist groups and activists as well as members of university student unions.

"The Venezuelan opposition since yesterday have converted from a democratic opposition to fascist opposition, as promoters of destabilization and undermining to democratic peace", Jaua said.

Capriles on Tuesday called on his supporters to march to all regional offices of the National Electoral Council to demand a manual recount of 100 percent of the votes.

Jaua said the government has taken measures to maintain public order, and that supporters of Venezuelan government are deployed in the streets to defend the institutions of the socialist revolution led by late President Hugo Chavez.