Violence erupts in Venezuelan capital after mass protests against socialist regime sees riot police use teargas

VIOLENCE has erupted in Venezuela in the wake of a mass protest which was held to demonstrate people's anger over the current President and his socialist regime.

Dressed in white and chanting "this government will fall," hundreds of thousands rallied across the capital Caracas, taking to the streets to demand a recall referendum against  Nicolas Maduro on Thursday.

However the current President branded their protest branded 'the Takeover of Caracas" by his detractors, a front for "a coup" claiming arrests in recent days had stopped a takeover of the South American country.

The South American country is in the grip of an economic meltdown, and the opposing party of that in power, the Democratic Unity coalition, estimated at least 1 million people took part in the mass protests.

Cops clashed with the public on the streets in a series of violent scuffles as protesters streamed into the capital from the Amazon jungle and the western Andes.

Teargas was also used on a group of youths who threw stones and petrol bombs and security forces.

Naty Gutierrez, 53, who drove 75 miles and through several soldier road blocks told Reuters: "We are going to bring down Maduro!

"We are going to defeat hunger, crime, inflation and corruption. They've done nothing in 17 years. Their time is finished."

Those taking part waved flags and banners - it is hoped the protests will put pressure on Maduro.

It is the first of a series of marches which have been planned, and also includes a call for the people to bang their pots mid evening to show their disgust over the current President.

The opposition hopes its protests would prove they are the majority and heap pressure on Maduro and the national election board to have a vote over his position in power in the next year.

However the government is saying there won't be a referendum any time soon, despite the large numbers of people taking to the streets.

The timing is important, because if a plebiscite did not take place until 2017, and Maduro loses, his vice president takes over the Socialist Party, and there would be no new election.

But with the election board dragging its feet over the process and the government swearing the referendum will not happen this year, the opposition has no way to force it no matter how many people it brings onto the streets.

Since taking power in 1999, the country is currently in turmoil due to falling oil prices and a failing state-led economy.

This coupled with recession hitting its third year and triple digit inflation and food shortages, many of the 30 million population have had enough.

Maduro, 53, has seen his popularity halvein recent weeks to just over 20 percent in opinion polls.

He told his supporters: "We have stopped the coup today, the violent, fascist ambush."

At least a dozen opposition activists were being held in custody on Thursday.

Soldiers manned roadblocks into the capital, and extra police patrolled the streets in a bid to stop the march.

Construction worker Luis Palacios, 59, from the poor Caracas neighborhood of Petare said: "All they are interested in is staying in power. We want change, we are hungry."

Although the main event finished peacefully, a small group of youths hurled petrol bombs and stones at security forces, who retaliated with teargas.

The opposing party said those responsible were infiltrators.

Maduro joined his own supporters in the afternoon, singing on stage and fist pumping.