Controversial Venezuelan judge murdered

A controversial right-wing judge has been killed in Venezuela.

No one knows if Judge Nelson Moncada was assassinated. He could simply have been the victim of a crime.

The judge had ruled against protesters and opposition leaders. He famously upheld the sentence of opposition leader Leopoldo López, who was jailed for protesting the Maduro presidency.

So far 65 people have been killed since daily protests started in March.

Apparently some 35 warrants have been issued for police violence.

Meanwhile, the violence continues.

Venezuela has seen daily violent protests for months now.

The opposition said President Maduro has ruined the economy. it seems to be so.

Venezuela, once a wealthy oil exporter, is now impoverished. People face shortages of food and medicine.

Maduro has jailed opposition leaders. He has stopped local elections to maintain control in Congress. At one point he had his handpicked Supreme Court supplant Congress, but folded to international pressure and reinstated the Legislature.

After that, Maduro called for a personally chosen panel to rewrite Venezuela’s Constitution.

The opposition is calling for a new general election. Maduro refuses to allow it.

Maduro blames the unrest on agitators from the United States, which he claims wants to take over the South American country.

As the violence intensifies, hope for progress diminishes.