Local media report looting and street clashes in Caracas

A man was killed in a protest in the Venezuelan capital on Thursday night, an official said on Friday, marking the ninth death in a wave of sometimes violent demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

Melvin Guaitan died of a bullet wound in the slum of Petare, municipal Mayor Carlos Ocariz said via Twitter. Local media reported looting and street clashes with security forces in poor areas of Caracas late on Thursday and early on Friday. Opposition leaders have promised to keep up their protests, demanding that Mr. Maduro’s government call regional elections that have been delayed since last year, free almost 100 jailed Opposition activists and respect the autonomy of the Opposition-led Congress.

Most serious protests

Mr. Maduro’s government is so far resisting the pressure of the most serious protests in three years.

Ruling Socialist Party leaders describe the protesters as violent hoodlums who are damaging public property and disrupting public order to overthrow the government with the support of ideological adversaries in Washington.