More Venezuela Protest Violence as Opposition Ignore Peace Calls

Almost 1 month after opposition leaders began calling for street protests to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the capital of Caracas saw more clashes between violent protesters and police Monday.

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While Venezuelan workers celebrated May Day, opponents of the Bolivarian Revolution continued violent protests in affluent neighborhoods of the capital, with vandalism including the burning of public vehicles and blocking major roads reported.

In the upper-class neighborhood of Altamira, in the eastern district of Chacao, some opponents attacked vehicles belonging to the National Guard. A number of other vehicles were also set on fire and masked protesters threw rocks and other projectiles at police, while others destroyed bus shelters and other structures in order to erect road blocks, referred to locally as 'guarimbas.'

Opposition leaders have renewed their calls to take to the streets Tuesday, after rejecting President Nicolas Maduro's initiative to convoke a National Constituent Assembly.

Opposition protests, which started weeks ago, have led to almost daily violence, claiming the lives of more than two dozen people and wounding more than 400 others, while also causing significant damage to public infrastructure and buildings including hospitals and schools, as well as small businesses who have been looted.