CARACAS, July 30. /TASS/. Over 20 Venezuelan service members have been injured in the riots that erupted after the country’s presidential election, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said.
"Twenty-three service members have been injured thus far; some of them suffered gunshot wounds. They are receiving medical treatment after falling victim to violence," he wrote on the X social media platform.
Earlier, protests and clashes with police broke out in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, with protesters chanting anti-government slogans and accusing the authorities of rigging the election results.
The defense chief stressed that the authorities would not allow a repetition of the 2014, 2017 and 2019 events, when large-scale protests and riots had led to casualties.
Venezuela held its presidential election on July 28. According to the National Electoral Council, with 80% of ballots counted, incumbent head of state Maduro received 51.2% of the vote. His main opponent Edmundo Gonzalez, who represented far-right parties, garnered 44.2%. Corina Machado, one of the opposition’s leaders, refused to recognize the election’s outcome, declaring Gonzalez the winner.