A non-governmental organization (NGO) said seven young people were killed during a demonstration in Venezuela on Monday following the announcement of President Nicolas Maduro’s re-election.
Alfredo Romero, director of the NGO Foro Penal, which specializes in defending political prisoners, says 46 people have been arrested. According to WorldAbout 40 people were injured, two of the victims were aged 15 and 18.
Amnesty International called for “unrestricted protection of human rights” and “freedom of expression and protest.” “People who take to the streets to demonstrate should under no circumstances be subjected to reprisals with excessive force or face violence with impunity,” they added.
Protests began in several regions of the country’s interior, including in Falcón state, where in the Plaza Chavez de las Eugenias, dozens of protesters tried to tear down a statue of the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, who presided over the country’s party from 1999 to 2013.
On Monday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) announced the re-election of Nicolás Maduro for a third consecutive term (2025-2031), with 51.2% of the vote.