Venezuelan Deputy Maria Corina Machado, a leader of Venezuela's opposition, was kept from entering the National Assembly on Tuesday after hundreds of supporters rallied to protest her recent ouster from the legislature, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Venezuela's high court on Monday backed her ouster, the WSJ reported.
Machado promised supporters she would keep fighting for the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro, then she mounted a motorcycle and headed off to the National Assembly, her eyes running from tear gas that police fired to keep the crowd from following her, the WSJ reported.
When Machado encountered more riot police standing outside the congressional palace, she quickly jumped back on the motorcycle and sped away, according to the WSJ.
Before Tuesday's protest, many wondered if Machado's return to the legislative building would end in her arrest, the WSJ reported. The wealthy, well-traveled conservative has been a key figure leading the anti-government protests that have rocked Venezuela for seven weeks.
The other high-profile opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, has been imprisoned since Feb. 18, according to the WSJ. A sea of protesters accompanied him when he turned himself in on charges of provoking the unrest.
Lawmakers from Maduro's socialist party stripped Machado of her seat last week after she denounced alleged human rights abuses by her government at a meeting of the Organization of American States in Washington, the WSJ reported.
On Tuesday, Machado told the crowd that the Maduro administration had committed an unprecedented crime against the sovereignty of the people, according to the WSJ.
"Not only have they destroyed democracy in Venezuela, they're dismantled the republic," Machado said, the WSJ reported.
Also on Tuesday, the human rights group Amnesty International warned that government security forces may be committing abuses against protesters, according to the WSJ. The Maduro administration says it is investigating several reports of cruel treatment.
