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Venezuela arrests dozens of protesters

Other News Materials 13 November 2010 22:38 (UTC +04:00)
Protests erupt at a metro station in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, with police arresting 33 as demonstrators expressed anger at long delays and poor service, Press TV reported.
Venezuela arrests dozens of protesters

Protests erupt at a metro station in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, with police arresting 33 as demonstrators expressed anger at long delays and poor service, Press TV reported.

The protests were the result of several weeks of growing frustration over the state of the increasingly deteriorating metro system.

Police said the passengers had prevented a train from leaving the station, and accused them of "sabotage" and "hijacking," the Latin American Herald Tribute reported.

Police Chief Luis Fernandez told Union Radio that "irresponsible people who boarded a train and stopped it" would be prosecuted.

According to Elenis Rodriguez, the detainees' lawyer, the protest was sparked when commuters were refused entrance onto a train after waiting for around 40 minutes.

She accused police officers of battery and denied the demonstrators were impeding the subway's operations.

Commuter groups say that the quality of service has deteriorated in recent years, pointing out the long delays and the urgent need for the maintenance of many trains, escalators and lines.

A shortage of trains causing heavy delays during rush hour is attributed to a lack of investment and maintenance in the system, The Washington Post reported.

President Hugo Chavez recently appointed a new head for the metro system, which was designed to carry around 600,000 passengers but transfers some 1.5 million commuters every day.

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