BBC
The Venezuelan defence minister has described anti-government protests which erupted after the disputed election result was announced as “a coup”.
People took to the streets across cities and towns in Venezuela on Monday in protest after the government-dominated electoral authority had declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the election.
Two leading NGOs in Venezuela have said that there have been several deaths and dozens of people injured.
As people gathered for fresh protest rallies, Gen Vladimir Padrino read out a statement saying that President Nicolás Maduro had the “absolute loyalty and unconditional support” of the armed forces, which would “defeat the coup”.
Venezuela’s attorney general, who is a close ally of Mr Maduro, said a member of the military had been killed in the anti-government protests.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab added that 749 people had been arrested.
He told journalists that most would be charged with “resisting authority and, in the most serious cases, terrorism”.
The opposition Voluntad Popular (Popular Will) party said among those who have been detained was their national political co-ordinator, Freddy Superlano.
The party warned that the government was stepping up its repression of activists who have been demanding the publication of results from polling stations, which the opposition say prove that their candidate won.
