Over 20 Injured, Almost 40 Detained in Venezuelan Opposition Protests

Almost 40 people were detained while more than 20 were injured in opposition protests all over Venezuela, the head of the Foro Penal rights group said.

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – On Tuesday, the opposition-led National Assembly voted to initiate impeachment proceedings against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, claiming he had violated democracy, to which the president accused lawmakers of trying to stage a parliamentary coup.

#26O: 2.pm Más de 20 heridos en concentración en Mérida incluyendo esta Sra de 79 años herida en la cabeza pic.twitter.com/ouFVb1KB4Y

— Alfredo Romero (@alfredoromero) October 26, 2016

​According to Romero, more than 20 people were injured in the state of Merida, while five were injured in Zulia.

Earlier on Wednesday, opposition leader Henrique Capriles initiated a large-scale peaceful protest across the country to defend the nation’s right to a referendum on Maduro's recall. According to media reports, police in some Venezuelan cities started to use tear gas against the opposition protesters.