New violence in Venezuela kills 1, injures over 90

New violence in Venezuela has killed one person and injured dozens of others in the capital, Caracas.

People marched across the country on Wednesday to protest the acute economic crisis that has hit the country.

An individual, identified as Miguel Castillo, 27, was killed in violence that erupted during protests in the capital.

Some 93 others were injured that same day.

In downtown Caracas, protesters were chanting, “Who are we? Venezuela! What do we want? Freedom!”

Along Caracas’ main highway, protesters threw jars of fecal matter at security forces.

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The latest fatality raised the death toll from more than a month of street protests and political turmoil to 38.

Anti-government protesters claim the Socialist government is responsible for triple-digit inflation, widespread food and medical supply shortages, and soaring crime in the country and demand the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro.

The recent upheaval has been compounded by a Maduro government plan to write a new constitution.

President Maduro says a new constitution is needed “to restore peace” and stop the opposition from carrying out a “coup d’etat”.

The opposition says, however, that writing a new constitution would give the president an excuse to put off regional elections scheduled for this year and a presidential election to be held in 2018.

Opposition parties have refused to participate in the plan.

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• Venezuela opp. won’t join bid to rewrite constitution

The government says the anti-government forces are pawns being used by the Unites States to remove President Maduro from power. The Caracas government and the opposition also trade accusations of hiring armed gangs to intimidate the other side.

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