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 Almost a year after the death of socialist leader Hugo Chavez, the
bloodshed on Wednesday was the latest demonstration of the OPEC
nation's deep polarization and the mutual mistrust between both
political camps. Three people were shot dead after pro- and anti-government marches
in Caracas. Maduro said another person was in critical condition,
and he blamed "small fascist groups" that he said infiltrated the
opposition protest. "They want to topple the government through violence," Maduro said
on state television. "They have no ethics, no morals ... We will not
permit any more attacks." A government official said 23 people were injured, 25 arrested, four
police vehicles torched and some government offices vandalized. Some
opposition protesters, many with their faces covered, threw stones
and burned tires in the streets.
 Using the slogan "The Exit", meaning Maduro's departure from power,
hardline opposition groups have been holding mostly small protests
around the country for the last two weeks, complaining about crime,
corruption and the fast-rising cost of living. Leopoldo Lopez, an opposition leader who has called on his
supporters to take to the streets, said the government planned the
bloodshed to try to discredit his peaceful movement. "The government is playing the violence card, and not for the first
time," Lopez told Reuters TV after the shootings. "They're blaming me without any proof ... I'm innocent. I have a
clear conscience because we called for peace," he said, adding that
the demonstrations would continue. "We won't retreat and we can't retreat because this is about our
future, about our children, about millions of people." The protests have exposed differences within the opposition's
leadership, with some favoring a more moderate approach and saying
marches which turn violent only play into the government's hands as
it accuses them of being "saboteurs." INJURIES AND ARRESTS Maduro, a 51-year-old former bus driver and union activist, has
staked his presidency on maintaining Chavez's leftist legacy. He says opposition extremists want to recreate the situation in
2002, when huge street protests led to a coup that briefly ousted
Chavez. He returned to power with the help of loyal soldiers and
hundreds of thousands of "Chavistas" who took to the streets in
protest at the coup.
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There have been no signs that the current melees could topple
Maduro. Opposition and government supporters took to social media to blame
their foes for Wednesday's bloodshed, a familiar pattern in
Venezuela where both sides routinely blame the other despite having
little reliable information to go on. The opposition blames armed pro-government militant groups known as
"colectivos" for attacking dozens of their marches over the years,
scattering their supporters and spreading fear. "The colectivos are coming!" was a cry heard several times at the
opposition's latest rally, prompting some demonstrators to flee for
the safety of a nearby Metro station. One of the dead was a colectivo leader, Maduro said. Two spokesmen for the colectivos appeared on state TV late on
Wednesday to call for calm, and to demand Lopez face charges of
inciting violence. Sporadic political protests have become common over the last decade,
but they usually fizzle out within days as residents grow tired of
blocked streets and the smell of burning tires. Wednesday's outburst of violence could point to a widening rift
between opposition hardliners and those who favor returning to
bread-and-butter issues such as poor services, widespread corruption
and one of the world's worst murder rates.
 Opposition moderates note that their biggest successes, such as
turning pro-Chavez strongholds into opposition territory, have
resulted from leaders stepping away from theatrical street protests
to focus on voters' daily concerns.
(Additional reporting by Caracas bureau;
editing by Kieran Murray
and Eric Walsh)
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