VENEZUELA AL DÍA, EL TIEMPO (Venezuela), CNN MEXICO (Mexico).
CARACAS – As the country remains tense following the election of Hugo Chavez’s handpicked successor, Venezuela’s National Assembly erupted in violence, as a brawl broke out between members of the ruling party (United Socialist Party) and representatives from the opposition (Democratic Unity Roundtable, which unites most of the opposition), reports Venezuela al Día.
There was a three-hour delay before Tuesday’s session began, and opposing legislators suspected the ruling party was holding a private meeting where they planned the attack. When the session commenced, Diosdado Cabello, President of the National Assembly began by declaring that all congressmen must recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela. If not, they would be denied the right to speak during the assembly. The opposition reacted by blowing vuvuzelas and taking out banners, which led to the beginning of the physical clashes.
This violent episode was only broadcast through private media and social media that the opposition are offering as testimony. During the session no other press or media is allowed in the room except for the camera’s broadcasting on the official Venezuelan TV channel, www.antv.gob.ve, controlled by the ruling party, according to El Tiempo.
In an interview for CNN Mexico, opposition congresswoman Corina Machado said that a congresswoman from the ruling party took her and threw her on the ground kicking her and hitting her. “A congressman is hospitalized right now, Américo de Gracia, because five congressmen from the ruling party jumped on him, threw him down the stairs and kicked him right next to me. If Maduro does not condemn these acts, it proves his weak governability and ilegitimate regime.”
One of the injured Congressmen tweeted with a link to a video of the fight where he is trampled. “Michele Reyes deputy from the PSUV party with a tricolor jacket hits me for taking out a panel protesting so I could speak”.
Michele Reyes dip psuv aragua Con chaqueta tricolor me golpea por sacar pancarta protestando que no dejaran hablar globovision.com/articulo/exclu…
— Julioborges (@JulioBorges) May 1, 2013
Solo en Venezuela twitter.com/AlejandroSleon…
— Eduardo Ponte (@acaballoregalao) 1 mai 2013
Injured reps Corina Machado and Jorge Borges
