Easter protests against Maduro

A section of demonstrators chose to show their opposition to the government of Maduro with a barefoot walk through the streets of Caracas, in continuation of a weekend of religious-themed protests.

The Via Crucis march, intended to mirror Jesus' walk to crucifixion, was only one of several shows of defiance across the country. It was held under the banner "Resurrection of Democracy."

On occasion, the protests turned violent, with masked demonstrators in the Chacao district throwing petrol bombs at police who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Several hundred people had gathered in the district, chanting "Liberty!" and placing barricades across the street.

Some protesters burned effigies of Maduro, while others hung them from lampposts in the district, which has been a scene of demonstrations since mid-February. The violence is believed to have killed at least 41 people, although no fatalities were reported on Sunday.

Government supporters, meanwhile, burned effigies of leading opposition supporters such as jailed protest leader Leopoldo Lopez.

Despite the unrest, Maduro would appear to have consolidated his position, with the number of protesters on the street said to be slowly dropping as weeks go by.

Opponents of Maduro claim his leftist government has failed the people, with world's second-highest murder rate and a shortage of basic goods such as toilet paper. The president's supporters, meanwhile, accuse opposition leaders of failing to rein in protesters and failing to prevent deaths.

rc/ng (dpa, Reuters)