Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators clashed with police officers

(17 Apr 2014) Hundreds of anti-government demonstrators clashed with National Police officers on Thursday in Caracas as the government and the opposition worked to advance a dialogue to bring an end to political unrest. The violence broke out during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro organised by university students in the Venezuelan capital. Protesters threw rocks at police, who responded with tear gas. Street protests that began in Caracas and other cities on 17 February have left at least 41 people dead, 674 wounded and approximately 2,285 detainees, of whom 175 remain subject to judicial proceedings, according to the Attorney General's Office. Negotiators for the government and the opposition agreed earlier in the week to broaden membership in a truth commission that is to investigate who is to blame for the 41 deaths tied to weeks of political unrest in Venezuela. But opposition leaders subsequently criticised the government for not accepting a proposal for amnesty to be granted to people arrested during the protests. The agreement on the truth commission was announced following hours of negotiations that took place on Tuesday night behind closed doors in what both sides described as a much-needed if torturous attempt at dialogue in a nation polarised by 15 years of socialist rule. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...