The Death Toll from Protests in Venezuela Reaches at Least 38

On Saturday, May 6, it was reported that with the death of another person in the violence in Venezuela, the death toll from the anti-government protests in the country over the past month has reached at least 38. The number of injured in these violent events is reported to be around 800. Protesters hold the President of Venezuela responsible for the severe shortage of food in the country and are calling for his removal from power. According to the Associated Press, a day earlier, 85 members of the Venezuelan army were arrested for expressing criticism of Nicolás Maduro, the president. Enrique Capriles, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, announced the arrest of these officers to the Associated Press, stating that dissatisfied military personnel from within the army had asked him to inform the public. On Friday, angry protesters in the municipality of 'Rosario de Perijá' in western Venezuela pulled down and burned a statue of Hugo Chávez, the former president of the country. Additionally, in the past week, protests and looting of stores have been reported from various cities in Venezuela, including Valencia, accompanied by the destruction of some buildings. Despite having the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela is facing the worst economic crisis in its history, with the population currently experiencing severe shortages of food and medicine. The opposition, which won the parliamentary elections at the end of 2015, accuses Nicolás Maduro of seeking to establish a dictatorship and is calling for new presidential elections and the removal of Maduro from power. The military remains a key factor in the political crisis in Venezuela, and reports indicate fears of a possible coup by the military in the future. Nicolás Maduro has attempted to increase his influence over the military by increasing financial support to the armed forces; he has also allowed 11 military personnel to hold federal minister positions.