2000 Demonstrators Arrested By Riots From The Presidential Election In Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro/PHOTO via Instagram @nicolasmaduro

The massive demonstrations that occurred in Venezuela led to chaos. Authorities were deployed and secured 2,000 protesters.

This mass riot occurred after the results of the recent presidential election came out. Maduro said these detainees would be jailed at a high level of security.

On July 29, following the presidential election, large-scale opposition protests took place in Venezuela, with several activists clashing with police and committing acts of vandalism.

Venezuela's opposition believes that its candidates won the election by a landslide.

Maduro said on July 31 that more than 1,200 people had been detained since the protests began. They are accused of destroying state infrastructure, incitement to hatred, and terrorism.

They thought criminal attacks, ambushes, guarimbas (violent riots) would continue again for 60 days, 120 days (as during mass protests in 2014 and 2017), that's what they expected," Maduro told ANTARA.

"However, within 48 hours, thanks to a response from the police-military-civilian union, we managed to overcome the fascist sparks, with the help of the constitution and in a peaceful manner.

"We detained 2,000 people, they will be sent to Tocoron and Tocuyito (the highest security prison). With maximum punishment. Justice. This time there will be no pardon," Maduro said in a speech at a public meeting in front of the presidential palace.

The detainees have "handed up evidence with the videos they recorded," the president said, adding that 80 percent of those involved in the violence, which burned election units and regional departments of the National Election Council, had been detained.

The presidential election in Venezuela was held on July 28. The next day, the National Election Council declared Nicolas Maduro, who got more than 51 percent of the vote, as the winner.

Venezuela's opposition claimed a landslide victory in the election, citing a vote count sheet they obtained from polling stations across the country.

United States and European lawmakers in charge of foreign affairs issued a joint statement on Friday saying opposition leadertuno Gonzalez won the Venezuelan presidential election and promised to hold Maduro accountable if he refused to relinquish power.

Moscow said Venezuela's opposition should recognize defeat in the election.

In addition, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned third countries against supporting efforts to destabilize the situation within Venezuela.