A student leader was shot dead as protests raged on in the streets of Venezuela Thursday in the latest spasm of anger aimed at removing President Nicolas Maduro from power. Crowds of students clashed with riot police firing tear gas in the mounting crisis in this oil-rich country saddled with shortages of food, medicine and other basics. The leftist Maduro’s
opponents accuse him of trying to strengthen his grip on power and delay elections by launching legal proceedings to overhaul the constitution. The latest toll provided by prosecutors on Thursday said 35 people have been killed in just over a month of protests against Maduro, whose opponents blame him for Venezuela’s dire economic mess. News of the latest deaths — up from a toll of 33 earlier Thursday — came as organizers announced a women’s march for Saturday. READ MORE
