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Venezuelan students clash with police over high court ruling

Students take part in a protest in San Cristobal, Venezuela on March 2, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Students in the Venezuelan city of San Cristobal have clashed with police in protest at a ruling by the country’s Supreme Court, which seeks to limit legislative powers of the opposition.

Protests broke out on Wednesday in the western city, where the students wearing masks set up road blocks and threw Molotov cocktails at officers.

The protesters are against a Tuesday decision by the high court that stripped the opposition-led National Assembly of power to remove judges and thus restricted the powers of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who faces allegation of packing the Supreme Court with allies.

A masked student takes part in a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, after the Supreme Court curbed the opposition-led National Assembly powers, in San Cristobal, Venezuela on March 2, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Reports said student protesters, from Catholic University, attacked a police brigade near the seat of the state government, pelting stones and petrol bombs.

According to a city official's tweet, “the protesters use violence to support a National Assembly that wants to violate the rule of law."

The opposition, the United Democratic Roundtable, won a victory over President Maduro’s United Socialist Party in the December 6 polls and took control of the National Assembly for the first time since 1999, when late president Hugo Chavez had risen to power.

The newly-elected National Assembly speaker, Henry Ramos Allup, has said he would find a way to have Maduro ousted within six months.

The opposition accuses Maduro’s government of mismanaging the economy and leading the oil-rich country to poverty.

Caracas denies the accusations, saying the US is behind the anti-government plots in the Latin American country.


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