April 12 (UPI) — Some Venezuelans pelted President Nicolas Maduro with rocks and eggs during a pro-government military event, a moment shown on state television.
The incident occurred in the Bolívar state’s town of San Félix on Tuesday during the commemoration of the 1817 Battle of San Félix.
There are unconfirmed reports several people were arrested after the rally in relation to the projectiles. The latest protests in Venezuela began on March 30 after the Supreme Tribunal of Justice said it would assume the opposition-controlled National Assembly’s duties — a ruling it later reversed.
The South American country is facing a political, security and economic crisis in which basic goods such as food and medicine are in short supply, unavailable or unaffordable. Venezuela has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Maduro’s approval ratings often sink to the single digits.
The state of Bolívar has been a secure socialist stronghold since late former President Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998.
“Now you do not fool the people of Bolívar anymore! Venezuela entirely hates you, Nicolas Maduro and your narco-corrupt [government],” Henrique Capriles Radonski, governor of Venezuela’s Miranda state and a key opposition leader recently banned from public office, said in reference to the video of the crowd pelting Maduro with items.
Though the moment in San Félix was briefly shown on state television before channels cut away, the incident was captured by those in attendance, who distributed it on social media.
