Deadly election day in Venezuela as protesters clash with troops
Caracas, Venezuela (CNN)Deadly clashes between protesters and police marred voting on Sunday, as Venezuelans cast ballots on a controversial measure that could mark a turning point for their country.
The election will allow President Nicolás Maduro to replace Venezuela's current legislative body -- the National Assembly -- with a new institution called the Constituent Assembly that will have the power to rewrite the constitution.
The voting follows weeks of violent street protests in which many people have been killed or injured. On Sunday the death toll rose sharply with at least six people -- including two teenagers -- killed at protests and a National Guard officer also reported dead by the Attorney General's Office.
The death toll from the unrest ongoing since early April is 125, according to a statement from the Venezuelan attorney general's office. That number does not include at least two of Sunday's deaths, in which the reasons for the killings are under investigation.
Polls were set to close at 7 p.m. ET, after officials extended voting by one hour.
Maduro, in a 2½ minute message posted to Twitter, called the vote a historic moment.
"This has been and is a successful day with great participation," he said. "... Today is a day of victory."
International reaction was harsh, with many nations, including the United States, condemning the election.
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Clashes in the streets, call for Monday protest
A key opposition figure, Henrique Capriles, governor of Miranda state, labeled the election fraudulent and called for massive protests a noon on Monday.
Speaking at a press briefing in Caracas, Capriles said voter participation Sunday was less than 15%. He claimed voter turnout was three times higher two weeks ago for an opposition-led, non-binding referendum against Maduro's proposed Constituent Assembly.
In the streets Sunday, National Guardsmen clashed with opposition protesters and police fired tear gas at crowds in Caracas. As dozens of police officers rode motorcycles through the Altamira neighborhood, a large explosion went off. Agence France-Presse video showed two officers, each with a leg on fire as comrades rushed to help them.