More than 20 people were taken to the hospital amid anti-government protests in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, the country’s National Assembly deputy Jose Manuel Olivares said.
“13 electrocuted patients arrived [at the hospital], of whom 8 died and 1 is in grave condition!” Olivares wrote on Twitter on Friday, adding in another post that “Also came 8 patients injured by gunfire, 1 died in the emergency department of the University Hospital of Caracas.”
Earlier on Friday, local media reported that the death toll from ongoing protests against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stood at 10, with one person having been killed overnight in Caracas.
On Thursday, a spokesperson of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD, or Unidad) coalition announced that over 220 people were injured on the second day of the protests.
Executive Director of Venezuelan NGO (non-governmental organization) Foro Penal (Criminal Forum) Alfredo Romero wrote on Twitter on Friday that 1,289 people have been arrested amid protests in Venezuela since April 4.
Venezuelan National Assembly deputy Marialbert Barrios said on Thursday that a total of 585 people were arrested during anti-government demonstrations on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mass anti-government protests started in Venezuela at the beginning of April after the country’s Supreme Court decided to take on the legislative functions of the National Assembly, which is currently controlled by the opposition. The court’s decision was reversed, but protesters remained on the streets, demanding the resignation of the court’s members.