Venezuela’s Maduro urges supporters to participate in peaceful demos

Venezuelan President-elect Nicolas Maduro has urged his supporters to participate in peaceful demonstrations, as the opposition plans protests against the country’s presidential election’s results.

“I continue calling for peace, and I call [on] the people to combat in peace,” Maduro said, calling for peaceful protests on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Monday, the National Electoral Council (CNE)’s president, Tibisay Lucena, presented the certified results to Maduro after declaring him “president-elect of Venezuela.”

Maduro made the remarks after defeated candidate Henrique Capriles and his supporters demanded a recount of votes.

After Maduro was announced president-elect, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets chanting “fraud” and “recount” in a district of Caracas.

Police used teargas after protesters tried to block roads in the capital.

The president-elect said he had won “a just, legal and constitutional victory.” He added that he was open to an audit. However, Capriles stated that he did not recognize the official results, saying instead that Maduro had lost the election.

Maduro, 50, became Venezuela’s acting president on March 8, following the death of late President Hugo Chavez, who lost a two-year-long battle with cancer on March 5.

Maduro has promised to continue the socialist policies of the former leader.