2014 Venezuelan protests

2014 Venezuelan protests
Part of Protests against Nicolás Maduro
Images from top to bottom and from left to right: Opposition march in Caracas on 12 February, National Guardsmen responding with tear gas, demonstators covering from tear gas at the Central University of Venezuela.
Date	12 February 2014 – 8 May 2014
Location	Venezuela
Resulted in	Negotiations between government and opposition 243 arrests and at least five camp sites in Caracas taken down on 8 May Smaller protests continue
Parties
Venezuelan opposition (VP, PF, UNT, AD, COPEI and others) Movimiento Estudiantil (Student opposition organization) Resistencia Anti-government protesters Anti-government students Government of Venezuela Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) Venezuelan National Guard Bolivarian National Police Public Order Service Great Patriotic Pole (PSUV, PCV, MEP, MRT and others) Pro-government paramilitaries (Colectivos) Pro-government demonstrators Pro-government students
Lead figures
Popular Will Leopoldo López David Smolansky Vente Venezuela María Corina Machado Movimiento Estudiantil Juan Requesens Justice First Henrique Capriles Fearless People's Alliance Antonio Ledezma Others Lilian Tintori Government of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro Diosdado Cabello Miguel Rodríguez Torres Elías Jaua Jorge Arreaza Luisa Ortega Díaz
Number
Hundreds of thousands[1][2][3] Tens of thousands of student protesters[4][5] Hundreds of thousands of pro-government demonstrators[6]
Casualties
Death(s)	43[7][8]
Injuries	5,285[9][10]
Arrested	3,689

In 2014, a series of protests, political demonstrations, and civil insurrection began in Venezuela due to the country's high levels of urban violence, inflation, and chronic shortages of basic goods^[11][12] attributed to economic policies such as strict price controls.^[13][14] Mass protesting began in earnest in February following the attempted rape of a student on a university campus in San Cristóbal. Subsequent arrests and killings of student protesters spurred their expansion to neighboring cities and the involvement of opposition leaders.^[15][16] The year's early months were characterized by large demonstrations and violent clashes between protesters and government forces that resulted in nearly 4,000 arrests and 43 deaths,^[7][8] including both supporters and opponents of the government.^[17]