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More arrests in Venezuela protests, Maduro slams 'coup-seekers'
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/11/us-venezuela-protests-idUSBREA1A19420140211(Reuters) - Venezuelan authorities have arrested another eight anti-government protesters, bringing to 19 the number being held amid street demonstrations that President Nicolas Maduro says are being orchestrated by foreign-backed "coup-seekers".
Ten months after Maduro narrowly won an election to replace his mentor and late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, a hardline wing of Venezuela's opposition is trying to whip up street protests over rampant crime, economic hardship and alleged state repression.
Maduro, a 51-year-old former bus driver and union activist who has pinned his presidency on maintaining Chavez's legacy, says extreme right-wing politicians backed by "imperialist" collaborators want to bring him down by undemocratic means.
The protests have been sporadic and seldom drawn crowds of more than a few hundred, though activists were hoping for bigger numbers at a march planned for Wednesday in Caracas.