Caracas protesters vow to turn Venezuela into another Ukraine

[bemildred]

Warning: paywall.

While rushing away from a rainfall of tear-gas canisters in a leafy quarter of Caracas a well-informed 22-year-old student, who wishes to remain unnamed, cries: “We could turn Venezuela into Ukraine!” after news broke of the overthrow of President Yanukovich.

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The upper middle-class area has become an emblematic battleground in recent weeks, as the volatile Caribbean nation reels from the biggest street protests since socialist President Nicolás Maduro narrowly won an election in April to replace the late charismatic leader Hugo Chávez.

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However, the protests appear to be a widespread expression of discontent, without much of a political goal. “We are shouting for the millions who are struggling with many woes,” says David Smolansky, an opposition leader.

“Now they are repressing us, they are persecuting us, they are jailing us. If the government keeps acting like this, they will have to brace themselves for more protests,” he adds.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b944743e-9c87-11e3-b535-00144feab7de.html