Riots In Venezuela After Maduro Claims To Win Elections, 15 People Arrested

JAKARTA - Venezuelan law enforcers detained 15 rioters for blocking roads, committing vandalism, and trying to destabilize the situation in the country.

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab said the detainees carried out acts of vandalism and burned down the headquarters of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela when people were inside.

Law enforcement officials confiscated bottles containing explosives and weapons from other rioters.

"The extreme right-wing group justifies these paid thugs and puts criminals on the list of 'politically persecuted'," the prosecutor continued.

Protests and riots broke out in Caracas on Monday, July 29. Protesters accused the authorities of cheating on the results of the presidential election won by incumbent President Nicolas Maduro.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said more than 20 soldiers were injured in the violence.

#AHORA@MinpublicoVEN designa Fiscalía 21 con competencia Nacional, para #investigar, #identificar y #sancionar a delincuentes financiados por la extrema derecha que a) golpearon salvajemente a un funcionario militarb) pretendieron incendiar en llamas c ) y le robaron su… pic.twitter.com/2wIB2WZQc8

— Tarek William Saab (@TarekWiliamSaab) July 30, 2024

#AHORA@MinpublicoVEN designa Fiscalmencar 21 con competencia Nacional, para #investigar, #identifikar y #sancionar a delincuets financialciados por la extrema derecha que a) golpearon salvajemente a un funcinario millitarb) pretendieron incendiaar en joc) y le robaron su... pic.twitter.com/2wIB2WZQc8

Venezuela held a presidential election on July 28. According to the National Election Council, with 80 percent of ballots calculated, the incumbent president Maduro got 51.2 percent of the vote.

His main opponent,fo Gonzalez, who represents the far-right party, earned 44.2 percent. Meanwhile Corina Machado, one of the opposition leaders, refused to recognize the election results, and declared Gonzalez the winner.