A group of more than 20 homeless people occupied a synagogue on Monday in Caracas, arguing that the building had been abandoned and they needed a home.

The three-storey Beth Abraham synagogue in the Alta Florida neighborhood of the Venezuelan capital has been undergoing renovation for the last two years, said representatives of Venezuela's Jewish community.

Open gallery view A homeless woman sits wrapped in a blanket in the street. Credit: AP

Squatters stormed into the building early Monday. They settled on the second floor, away from prayer areas. Spokeswoman Yoly Aponte said they will demand the building's expropriation so it can be turned into a home for the 12 families who occupied it. Aponte said she herself had lived for several years in the building, where she rented a room.

In a recent clash with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Jewish groups including the Simon Wiesenthal Centre denounced what they saw as state anti-Semitism in the South American country.

Venezuela broke off relations with Israel in early 2009, in the wake of a military offensive in Gaza.

