VENEZUELA: Anti-govt protests turns messy as protesters fling faeces at soldiers

Nationwide protests against President Nicolas Maduro which has lasted for over a month now turned messy when demonstrators lobbed bottles and bags of faeces at soldiers in Caracas.

Thousands of opposition supporters poured onto the streets decrying Venezuela’s economic crisis and demanding elections on Wednesday in the so-called “Shit March” on Wednesday on the main highway through Caracas.

“These kids live in a dictatorship, they have no other option but to protest however they see fit,” said Maria Montilla, 49, behind lines of youths with masks, slingshots and makeshift wooden shields.

Read also: Three more killed in Venezuela’s worsening anti-govt protests

Many carried stones and so-called “Poopootov cocktails” – faeces stuffed into small glass bottles – which they threw when National Guard troops blocked their path, firing gas and turning water cannons on the crowds.

“There’s nothing explosive here. It’s our way of saying ‘get lost Maduro, you’re useless!’,” said one young protester, who asked not to be named, between tossing bottles of faeces.

In the last one month, violent clashes between supporters of the opposition and President Nicolas Maduro have hit Venezuela with the opposition asking Maduro to step down, accusing him of eroding democracy.

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now