Venezuela protests lead to 3 more deaths, hundreds of injuries

CARACAS, Venezuela — Chaos erupted in Venezuela this week during another round of protests against the socialist government, with buildings set afire, tear gas canisters lobbed back and forth, and at least three new deaths reported.

State security officers unleashed a volley of tear gas and rubber bullets.

The unrest is taking a mounting toll as Venezuela’s opposition vows to step up near-daily demonstrations and President Nicolas Maduro shows no intention of conceding to opponents’ demands.

International pressure on the troubled South American nation is also increasing, with the Organization of American States voting Monday to hold a rare foreign ministers’ meeting later this month to discuss the crisis.

The embattled Venezuelan president has vowed to resolve his nation’s crisis by convening a special assembly to rewrite the nation’s Constitution, while the opposition is demanding that a new presidential election be held immediately.

Polls indicate the great majority of Venezuelans want Maduro gone as violent crime soars and the country falls into economic ruin, with triple-digit inflation and shortages of many basic foods and medical supplies.