Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The helicopter circles buildings before gunshots and a bang are heard 
 
 A helicopter has attacked Venezuela's Supreme Court in what President Nicolás Maduro called a "terrorist" incident. 
 
 Four grenades were dropped on the court and 15 shots fired at the interior ministry on Tuesday, officials said. 
 
 Rogue policeman Oscar Pérez said he had piloted the stolen helicopter to attack what he called a "criminal government". His whereabouts are unknown. 
 
 Venezuela is in the midst of a political and economic crisis that has sparked mass protests. 
 
 Many of those opposed to Mr Maduro see the Supreme Court as one of his main supporters. 
 
 What happened in the attack? 
 
 A blue police helicopter was seen flying over central Caracas carrying a banner reading "350 Freedom" - a reference to a clause in the constitution cited by opponents of Mr Maduro to claim his government is illegitimate. 
 
 Images on social media showed two occupants, one masked. 
 
 The government said 15 shots were fired at a social event at the interior ministry. The helicopter then flew to the court and dropped four Israeli-made grenades of "Colombian origin". One failed to detonate. 
 
 No-one was injured. 
 
 How has the government responded? 
 
 President Maduro appeared on state television to denounce the attack. 
 
 He said: "I have activated the entire armed forces to defend the peace. And you can be assured that sooner or later, we are going to capture that helicopter and those that carried out this terror attack against the institutions of the country." 
 
 Image copyright EPA Image caption President Maduro is facing regular protests against his government 
 
 Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said the military had been deployed to apprehend the pilot and recover the German-built Bolkow helicopter. 
 
 State TV showed images of the pilot in front of the US Capitol building in Washington. 
 
 Mr Maduro has long claimed the US government is attempting to have him overthrown. 
 
 The government has urged calm but called for its supporters to rally outside the presidential palace on Wednesday morning. 
 
 And the opposition? 
 
 Freddy Guevara, of the opposition MUD alliance, said there was not yet enough information to comment on the attack. 
 
 But he posted a tweet on Wednesday calling on people to continue to oppose the Maduro government. 
 
 He said: "Maduro knows that nobody supports him, so today more than ever we must continue in the street, generating pressure to overcome this dictatorship!" 
 
 Some of the president's opponents took to social media to suggest he was responsible for staging the helicopter attack in order to justify a further crackdown on dissent. 
 
 Who flew the helicopter? 
 
 The police officer identified himself as Oscar Pérez in video statements posted on the social media platform Instagram. 
 
 Appearing in military fatigues and flanked by armed, masked men in uniform, he appealed to Venezuelans to oppose "tyranny". 
 
 Image copyright Instagram Image caption A police officer identifying himself as Oscar Pérez made a statement on Instagram 
 
 "We are a coalition of military employees, policemen and civilians who are looking for balance and are against this criminal government," he said. 
 
 "We don't belong to any political tendency or party. We are nationalists, patriots and institutionalists." 
 
 He said the "fight" was not against the security forces but "against the impunity of this government. It is against tyranny". 
 
 It is not clear how much support, if any, the officer has. 
 
 Mr Maduro said the pilot had previously worked for former Interior and Justice Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres, who the president has accused of links to the CIA. 
 
 Mr Rodriguez Torres quickly denied any involvement. 
 
 Analysis: Will Grant, BBC News, in Mexico 
 
 The sight of an apparently disaffected member of the security forces dropping grenades on the Supreme Court and allegedly firing on government buildings is extreme, even by Venezuela's standards. 
 
 Whether "Oscar Pérez" is indeed part of a coalition of like-minded "military employees, policemen and civilians" or just a rogue policeman is hard to say. 
 
 Certainly President Maduro was quick to dub the incident "a terrorist attack" and used it as a reason to "activate" the armed forces to keep the peace. 
 
 However, earlier in the day he, too, had thrown down the gauntlet to his opponents. "If the Bolivarian Revolution were to be destroyed," he said, "what couldn't be done with votes, we would do with arms." The opposition in Venezuela took that as an overt threat. 
 
 The security situation in Venezuela could hardly be worse ahead of a highly controversial election next month over the government's plans for a new constituent assembly. 
 
 Why now? 
 
 There have been almost daily anti-government protests in Venezuela for over two months as the country's economic and political crisis worsens. 
 
 Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Supreme Court in Caracas was the target of the attack 
 
 Those opposed to the government say they are determined to keep protests going until fresh elections are called and the government is ousted. 
 
 More than 70 people have been killed in protest-related violence since 1 April, according to the chief prosecutor's office. 
 
 Could this have been a coup attempt? 
 
 President Maduro was quick to suggest it was a coup attempt, but it is unclear how much support the police officer has. 
 
 Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Maduro reiterated his allegations that the US was supporting coup attempts against his government. 
 
 On Monday, he announced that five people had been arrested, accused of plotting against him and preparing for a US invasion. 
 
 Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Hugo Chávez is still a popular figure among supporters of Nicolas Maduro 
 
 However, Venezuela certainly has a history of coup attempts: 
 
 In 1992, the late Hugo Chávez tried to overthrow the government of President Carlos Andres Pérez. The attempt failed and Chávez was arrested and imprisoned. He would eventually be elected president in 1998 
 
 In 2002, Chávez himself survived an attempted coup by rebel military officers ||||| FILE - In this June 22, 2017 file photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gives a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela. Maduro said a helicopter fired on Venezuela's Supreme Court in a confusing... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this June 22, 2017 file photo, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gives a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela. Maduro said a helicopter fired on Venezuela's Supreme Court in a confusing... (Associated Press) 
 
 CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A police helicopter fired on Venezuela's Supreme Court and Interior Ministry in what President Nicolas Maduro said was a thwarted "terrorist attack" aimed at ousting him from power. 
 
 The confusing exchange, which is bound to ratchet up tensions in a country already paralyzed by months of deadly anti-government protests, took place as Maduro was speaking live on state television Tuesday. He later said the helicopter had fired on the pro-government court with grenades, one of which didn't go off, helping avoid any loss of life. 
 
 Adding to the intrigue, pictures of a blue police helicopter carrying an anti-government banner appeared on social media around the same time as a video in which an alleged police pilot, identified as Oscar Perez, called for a rebellion against Maduro's "tyranny" as part of a coalition of members of the country's security forces. Authorities said they were still searching for the man. 
 
 "We have two choices: be judged tomorrow by our conscience and the people or begin today to free ourselves from this corrupt government," the man said while reading from a statement with four people dressed in military fatigues, ski masks and carrying what looked like assault rifles standing behind him. 
 
 Many of Maduro's opponents took to social media to accuse the president of orchestrating an elaborate ruse to justify a crackdown against Venezuelans seeking to block his plans to rewrite the constitution. Venezuela has been roiled by anti-government protests the past three months that have left at least 75 people dead and hundreds injured. 
 
 After the incident, Maduro sounded alternately calm and angry as he told the audience about what had happened in the airspace just beyond the presidential palace. 
 
 "It could've caused a tragedy with several dozen dead and injured," he said, calling it a "terrorist attack." 
 
 Later, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas read a statement from the government accusing the helicopter of firing 15 shots against the Interior Ministry as a reception was taking place for 80 people celebrating national journalist's day. It then flew a short distance to the court, which was in session, and launched what he said were four Israeli-made grenades of "Colombian origin," two of them against national guardsmen protecting the building. 
 
 The pro-government president of the high court said there were no injuries from the attack and that the area was still being surveyed for damages. 
 
 Villegas said security forces were being deployed to apprehend Perez as well as recover the heisted German-built Bolkow helicopter. Photos of the pilot standing in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter were displayed on state television to further bolster the government's case that he was taking instructions from the CIA and the U.S. Embassy. 
 
 Maduro said one of the pilots involved in the alleged attack used to fly for his former interior minister, Miguel Rodriguez Torres, who he accused of working for the CIA. Rodriguez Torres, who has been leading a campaign against Maduro made up of leftist supporters of the late Hugo Chavez, immediately dismissed the accusation as baseless. 
 
 As the drama was unfolding outside the court, inside magistrates were busy issuing a number of rulings further hemming in the opposition. One dismissed a challenge against Maduro's plans for a constitutional assembly by chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz, a longtime loyalist who broke with the government over the issue. 
 
 The helicopter incident capped a volatile 24 hours that began with widespread looting in the coastal city of Maracay on Monday night and continued Tuesday when opposition lawmakers got into a heated scuffle with security forces assigned to protect the National Assembly. 
 
 At least 68 supermarkets, pharmacies and liquor stores were looted and several government offices burned following anti-government protests in Maracay, which is about a 90 minute drive from Caracas. 
 
 Maduro condemned the violence but with a stern warning to his opponents that's likely to only further inflame an already tense situation. 
 
 "We will never surrender. And what we couldn't accomplish through votes we will with weapons," he said. 
 
 On Tuesday, opposition lawmakers got into fisticuffs with national guardsmen as they tried to enter the National Assembly. In a video circulating on social media, the commander of a national guard unit protecting the legislature aggressively shoved National Assembly President Julio Borges as he's walking away from a heated discussion. 
 
 At nightfall, a few dozen people were still gathered inside the neoclassical building as pro-government supporters stood outside threatening violence. 
 
 -- 
 
 Follow Goodman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APjoshgoodman ||||| CARACAS (Reuters) - The Venezuelan government hunted on Wednesday for rogue policemen who attacked key installations by helicopter, but critics of President Nicolas Maduro suspected the raid may have been staged to justify repression. 
 
 In extraordinary scenes over Caracas around sunset on Tuesday, the stolen helicopter fired shots at the Interior Ministry and dropped grenades on the Supreme Court, both viewed by Venezuela’s opposition as bastions of support for a dictator. 
 
 Nobody was injured. 
 
 Officials said special forces were seeking Oscar Perez, 36, a police pilot named as the mastermind of the raid by the helicopter that carried a banner saying “Freedom!” 
 
 In 2015, Perez co-produced and starred in “Death Suspended,” an action film in which he played the lead role as a government agent rescuing a kidnapped businessman. 
 
 There was no sign on Wednesday of Perez, whom officials condemned as a “psychopath”, but the helicopter was found on Venezuela’s northern Caribbean coastline. 
 
 “We ask for maximum support to find this fanatic, extremist terrorist,” vice president Tareck El Aissami said. 
 
 The attack exacerbated an already full-blown political crisis in Venezuela after three months of opposition protests demanding general elections and fixes for the sinking economy. 
 
 At least 76 people have died in the unrest since April, the latest a 25-year-old man shot in the head near a protest in the Petare slum of Caracas, authorities said on Wednesday. 
 
 Hundreds more people have been injured and arrested in what Maduro terms an ongoing coup attempt with U.S. encouragement. 
 
 The attack fed a conspiracy theory by opposition supporters that it may have been a government setup and overshadowed other drama on Tuesday, including the besieging of opposition legislators by gangs in the National Assembly. 
 
 The helicopter raid also coincided with a judicial measure weakening the powers of dissident chief state prosecutor Luisa Ortega, who has emerged as a major challenger to Maduro. 
 
 “It seems like a movie,” said Julio Borges, leader of the opposition-controlled legislature, of the helicopter raid. 
 
 “Some people say it is a set-up, some that it is real ... Yesterday was full of contradictions ... A thousand things are happening, but I summarize it like this: a government is decaying and rotting, while a nation is fighting for dignity.” 
 
 Though Perez posted a video on social media showing himself in front of four hooded armed men and claiming to represent a coalition of security and civilian officials rising up against “tyranny,” there was no evidence of deeper support. 
 
 “CHEAP SHOW” 
 
 The government, however, accused the policemen of links to the CIA and to Miguel Rodriguez, a former interior minister and intelligence chief under Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez, who recently broke with the government. 
 
 “I’m not at all convinced by the helicopter incident,” Rodriguez told Reuters on Wednesday, saying the figures behind Perez in the video looked like dummies and expressing surprise the helicopter could fly freely and also not injure anyone. 
 
 FILE PHOTO: Police official Oscar Perez poses for photographs during an event of the Body of Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigation (CICPC) in Caracas, Venezuela March 1, 2015. REUTERS/Christian Veron 
 
 “Conclusion: a cheap show. Who gains from this? Only Nicolas for two reasons: to give credibility to his coup d’etat talk, and to blame Rodriguez,” he added, referring to himself. 
 
 Around the time of the attack, the pro-government Supreme Court expanded the role of the state ombudsman, a human rights guarantor who is closely allied with Maduro, by giving him powers previously held only by the state prosecutor’s office. 
 
 Opposition leaders described that as an attempt to supplant chief prosecutor Ortega, who has confronted both Maduro and the Supreme Court this year after splitting ranks. 
 
 The Supreme Court on Wednesday evening said it approved a measure blocking Ortega from leaving the country, freezing her bank accounts, and summoning her to a July 4 hearing to discuss whether she has committed “serious offenses.” 
 
 Adding to Venezuela’s tinder-box atmosphere, opposition supporters again took to the streets nationwide on Wednesday to barricade roads. 
 
 One opposition lawmaker, Juan Guaido, filmed himself bleeding from wounds he said were inflicted by rubber bullets. 
 
 Opposition supporters hope that cracks within government may swing the crisis their way, and have been delighted to see heavyweights like Ortega and Rodriguez oppose Maduro. 
 
 Their main focus is to stop a July 30 vote called by Maduro to form a super-body known as a Constituent Assembly, with powers to rewrite the constitution and supersede other institutions. Maduro says the assembly is the only way to bring peace to Venezuela, but opponents say it is a sham vote intended solely to keep an unpopular government in power. 
 
 “We can’t let July 30 happen, we mustn’t,” said children’s health worker Rosa Toro, 52, blocking a road with friends. “We’re being governed by criminals, traffickers and thieves,” added lawyer Matias Perez, 40, protesting with a plastic trumpet. 
 
 Government officials lined up on Wednesday to condemn the helicopter attack, insisting it was the work of a few individuals and not representative of wider dissent. 
 
 Slideshow (16 Images) 
 
 Foreign Minister Samuel Moncada complained about the lack of international condemnation of the attack, saying it contrasted with the barrage of foreign criticism of the government. 
 
 “In Europe it’s now eight at night, but we’ve not had any reaction from European Union countries,” he said of a bloc that has been strongly critical of Maduro in recent months. 
 
 The minister rejected accusations that the attack was carried out by the government for its own purposes. 
 
 “Who can believe we are that sophisticated? Sending someone to throw grenades, who can believe that?” he asked. ||||| (CNN) A stolen police helicopter used during a daring attack on the Venezuelan Supreme Court was found Wednesday in a rural part of the country, but the man authorities say piloted the aircraft is on the run. 
 
 The helicopter was allegedly piloted by Oscar Perez, an officer in the country's investigative police force. As it strafed the court building and the Interior Ministry in Caracas on Tuesday, attackers fired gunshots and lobbed grenades, officials said. 
 
 The assault was a dramatic escalation of the months-long crisis engulfing the regime of President Nicolas Maduro. 
 
 None of those involved in the attack appear to have been tracked down. Venezuela has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Perez, according to Néstor Luis Reverol, the county's minister of interior, justice and peace. A red notice alerts authorities in other countries, including border officials, that someone is wanted. 
 
 The helicopter was found in the seaside state of Vargas, Venezuelan state news agency AVN reported. Photos published on the verified Twitter feed for Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami‏ show the helicopter in a clearing. It was found by the Venezuelan Air Force in a heavily-wooded area near the municipality of Osma, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Caracas. 
 
 Maduro condemned the attack as an attempted coup, saying "terrorists" were behind the offensive and that an operation was underway to track the perpetrators down. 
 
 But much remained murky about the assault. If it was an attempt to unseat Maduro's government, it was a spectacular failure; no one was injured and one of the grenades failed to explode, government officials said. 
 
 It was unclear how a rogue police helicopter could have circled high-profile buildings in the Venezuelan capital without being shot down. Witnesses and local journalists said the assault went on for about two hours. 
 
 Earlier Tuesday, Maduro appeared to foreshadow an uprising, saying that his supporters would be ready to take up arms if the "Bolivarian revolution" was threatened. 
 
 The attack came after months of protests against Maduro's regime and ahead of a vote on July 30 to elect members of a controversial new body that could make changes to the country's constitution. 
 
 Video messager 
 
 Before the attack began, a man who identified himself as Perez appeared in a video online saying an operation was underway to seize democracy back from Venezuela's "criminal government." Flanked by a group of armed men in military fatigues and balaclavas, Perez claimed to be speaking on behalf of a coalition of military, police officers and civil officials. 
 
 In his video message, Perez said he was a pilot in the special response unit of Venezuela's Criminal Investigative Police (CICPC) and demanded that Maduro step down. 
 
 The pilot of the helicopter, Oscar Perez, in a video message posted online. 
 
 "On this day, we are carrying out a deployment by air and land with the sole purpose to return the democratic power to the people and to ensure the laws to establish constitutional order," he said. 
 
 Photographs posted online showed a helicopter with the initials of the investigative police unit on its side, flying above the capital, Caracas. 
 
 Through an open door an occupant is seen holding a banner saying "Article 350 libertad" -- referring to an article in the Venezuelan constitution that allows citizens to oppose the government should it subvert democratic principles. 
 
 Se reporta explosión en el TSJ, un helicoptero del CICPC lanzó un explosivo a la sede del TSJ. pic.twitter.com/3OFjJthSGs — Reynaldo Riobueno (@reynaldor297) June 27, 2017 
 
 It remained unclear on Wednesday how much support the assailants enjoyed among the police and security services they claimed to represent. 
 
 The background of Perez, the apparent ringleader, appeared colorful: Reuters reported that he was involved in a 2015 action film, Suspended Death, which he co-produced and starred in as an intelligence agent rescuing a kidnapped businessman. 
 
 Maduro response 
 
 Minister for Communications and Information Ernesto Villegas called the incident an attempted coup. 
 
 He said the attackers had launched four grenades, two against a group of National Guards who were protecting the court building. About 15 shots were fired around the Ministry of the Interior, a few blocks away from the presidential palace, he said, while a social event was ongoing inside the building, celebrating the National Day of Journalists. Around 80 people were in the building, he said. 
 
 Maduro said he had activated government security forces to investigate the attack. 
 
 Earlier Tuesday, Maduro warned of a potential attack. Speaking at a rally, he said, "If Venezuela was launched into chaos and violence and the Bolivarian Revolution was destroyed, we would go to combat. 
 
 "We would never give up. And what couldn't be done with votes, we would do it with weapons. We would liberate our fatherland with arms." 
 
 Villegas said the vote on the constituent assembly would go ahead as planned. "This will not impede the right to vote by the Venezuelan people on July 30th to elect the members of the National Assembly constituency," he said. 
 
 Critics have said it would also allow for the reshaping of the current legislative body, as well as redefining the President's executive powers. 
 
 The government intimidates and restricts the media in Venezuela, taking CNN en Español off the air. The government tightly controls visas for foreign journalists including CNN, arresting those who report from inside the country without proper permits. 
 
 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A costumed demonstrator in Caracas, Venezuela, protests the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, August 6. Unrest continued to sweep through the country after a new legislative assembly was inaugurated following a controversial election on July 30. The new assembly has wide-ranging powers and is expected to rewrite the Venezuelan constitution at Maduro's behest. Opposition supporters, who see the vote as a power grab and an erosion of democracy, boycotted and staged demonstrations against the vote. Hide Caption 1 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Soldiers stop a vehicle and detain its passengers on the Paramacay military base in Valencia, Venezuela, on August 6. According to authorities, two people were killed when an anti-government paramilitary attack was quelled at the base. Hide Caption 2 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Anti-government activists stand near a flaming barricade in Valencia on August 6. Hide Caption 3 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A man is arrested in Valencia during clashes between anti-government activists and the National Guard on August 6. Hide Caption 4 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Members of the Venezuelan armed forces fly over Valencia in a helicopter while citizens demonstrate in support of a group that staged a paramilitary uprising at the Paramacay military base on August 6. Hide Caption 5 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuela's Chief Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz, third from left, is surrounded by employees of the General Prosecutor's office as she is barred by security forces from entering her office in Caracas on Saturday, August 5. Hide Caption 6 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Diosdado Cabello, a member of Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly, holds an image of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez as delegates gather for a group photo following their swearing-in ceremony on Friday, August 4. Hide Caption 7 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists protest against the newly inaugurated National Constituent Assembly on August 4. Hide Caption 8 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A woman in Caracas attends a vigil Monday, July 31, for anti-government activists who have died in the country's recent unrest. More than 120 people have been killed in Venezuela since early April, according to the attorney general's office. Hide Caption 9 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition lawmaker Juan Requesens addresses a rally in Caracas on July 31. Two other leading opposition figures, Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma, were rounded up from their homes, according to their families. Hide Caption 10 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Maduro celebrates the results of a national vote on Sunday, July 30. His opponents boycotted the election and demonstrated against it for weeks, saying he orchestrated it to get around the existing National Assembly, which the opposition has controlled since 2015. Maduro has argued that the Constituent Assembly will help bring peace to a polarized country, with all branches of the government falling under the political movement founded by his late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Hide Caption 11 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Members of Venezuela's national police are caught in an explosion as they ride motorcycles near Altamira Square in Caracas on July 30. Venezuela has seen widespread unrest since March 29, when the Supreme Court dissolved Parliament and transferred all legislative powers to itself. The decision was later reversed, but protests have continued across the country, which is also in the midst of an economic crisis. Hide Caption 12 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A wounded anti-government demonstrator is helped by medics during clashes with police in Caracas on July 30. Hide Caption 13 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator shouts slogans through a traffic cone during an anti-government protest in Caracas on July 30. Hide Caption 14 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A protester wounded by a pellet gun receives attention July 30 during a demonstration against the vote for a Constituent Assembly. Hide Caption 15 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A member of the National Guard fires at protesters during clashes in Caracas on Friday, July 28. Hide Caption 16 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator dressed as Venezuelan independence hero Simon Bolivar is silhouetted against a national flag in Caracas on Monday, July 24. Hide Caption 17 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan police Officer Oscar Perez joins in an anti-government protest in Caracas on Thursday, July 13. Perez allegedly piloted a stolen police helicopter used to attack the Venezuelan Supreme Court with grenades on June 27. Hide Caption 18 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan lawmakers Luis Stefanelli, left, and Jose Regnault appear stunned in a corridor of the National Assembly after a clash with demonstrators in Caracas on Wednesday, July 5. Supporters of Maduro stormed the building and attacked opposition lawmakers, witnesses said. At least seven legislative employees and five lawmakers were injured, according to National Assembly President Julio Borges. Journalists said they were also assaulted. Hide Caption 19 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela National Guard members clash with deputies of the National Assembly in the Parliament's courtyard in Caracas on Tuesday, June 27. Hide Caption 20 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A boy runs under a national flag during a June 27 protest in Caracas. Hide Caption 21 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Protesters tear down a fence at the La Carlota airbase outside Caracas on Friday, June 23. A soldier shot a demonstrator through the fence at the base on the previous day, killing him. Hide Caption 22 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Hide Caption 23 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Protester David Jose Vallenilla is shot through a fence by a member of the National Guard near a military base in Caracas on Thursday, June 22. Vallenilla later died in the hospital after suffering three gunshot wounds to the chest. Hide Caption 24 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Maduro holds up a copy of the Venezuelan constitution during a news conference at the presidential palace in Caracas on June 22. Maduro has called for changes to the constitution amid the unrest. Hide Caption 25 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A protester hides behind a barrier in Caracas on June 22. Hide Caption 26 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela An opposition activist displays bullet shells during an anti-government demonstration on Monday, June 19. Hide Caption 27 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela People flee during a clash between opposition demonstrators and riot police in Caracas on June 19. Hide Caption 28 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists aim projectiles toward riot police during a demonstration on June 19. Hide Caption 29 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Demonstrators stand in front of a police vehicle on June 19. Hide Caption 30 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A street in eastern Caracas is painted with the names of people killed during more than two months of protests. Hide Caption 31 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela During a "Grandparents' March" in Caracas, a man is blocked by police from reaching the Government Ombudsman's Office on Friday, May 12. Hide Caption 32 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists scuffle with riot police in Caracas on May 12. Hide Caption 33 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Thousands of Venezuelan protesters march on a Caracas highway on Wednesday, May 10. Hide Caption 34 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition activists clash with riot police in Caracas on Monday, May 8. Hide Caption 35 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Hide Caption 36 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela An armored National Guard vehicle runs over a protester in Caracas on Wednesday, May 3. The protester, 22-year-old Pedro Michell Yaminne, survived, his mother told CNN. Interior and justice minister Nestor Reverol told reporters that the "lamentable" incident was under investigation. He said that moments before Yaminne was run over, demonstrators hurled a Molotov cocktail at the armored vehicle, opened the side door and "brutally assaulted" the driver. Hide Caption 37 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator catches fire during protests in Caracas on May 3. It happened as protesters clashed with police and the gas tank of a police motorcycle exploded. Other photos from the scene showed the man being attended for burns to his body. Hide Caption 38 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator stands in front of an armored vehicle during protests in Caracas on Wednesday, April 19. Hide Caption 39 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Opposition leader Henrique Capriles reacts to tear gas during a protest on April 19. Hide Caption 40 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Riot police clash with demonstrators while tear gas fills the air in Caracas on April 19. Hide Caption 41 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Rescue workers tend to a demonstrator hit by a tear gas canister during anti-government protests on April 19. Hide Caption 42 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A demonstrator reacts during a march in Caracas on Saturday, April 15. Hide Caption 43 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela A protester suffering from the effects of tear gas is carried away on Thursday, April 13. Hide Caption 44 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Clouds of tear gas spread across a highway in Caracas during clashes on Monday, April 10. Hide Caption 45 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Demonstrators help a journalist whose leg was injured while covering clashes in Caracas on April 10. Hide Caption 46 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Thousands of demonstrators protest against Maduro in Caracas on Saturday, April 8. Hide Caption 47 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Venezuelan police line up before clashing with opposition activists on Thursday, April 6. Hide Caption 48 of 49 Photos: Crisis in Venezuela Demonstrators fight with national police officers in Caracas on Tuesday, April 4. Hide Caption 49 of 49 
 
 Opposition lawmakers, guardsmen clash 
 
 Shortly before the helicopter incident, there were clashes about a mile away between opposition lawmakers and Venezuelan National Guardsmen outside the Venezuelan National Assembly. 
 
 According to the National Assembly's official Twitter page, the scuffles -- caught on video -- started after the National Guardsmen came into the building carrying electoral boxes, prompting demands for an explanation from lawmakers. 
 
 Members of the National Guard clash with deputies of the National Assembly in the courtyard of the Parliament in Caracas on Tuesday. 
 
 Opposition lawmakers said they had been prevented by guardsmen from leaving the building for over four hours. A journalist was injured, they said. 
 
 Late Tuesday night, the Venezuelan Supreme Court issued a decision that grants Venezuelan Ombudsman Tarek Williams Saab -- a Maduro loyalist -- powers to investigate, defend and oversee human rights complaints. 
 
 The decision follows disagreement between the offices of the Ombudsman and the Attorney General as to who is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of human rights abuses. 
 
 It is unclear from the Supreme Court's decision if the powers have been fully transferred to Saab or if the two offices will now investigate cases. CNN is seeking clarification from the government. 
 
 Months of chaos 
 
 Venezuela is in the throes of a political and humanitarian crisis which has brought thousands of people onto the streets in mass protests demanding a change of government. 
 
 Soaring inflation and widespread shortages of medicines, food and other essentials have infuriated many people, who are struggling to afford even basic necessities. 
 
 A group of hooded civilians stand outside the Parliament building in Caracas on Tuesday. 
 
 Under former President Hugo Chavez, who was Maduro's mentor, oil revenue fueled Venezuela's economy. However, falling oil prices have made state subsidies unsustainable.
– In what Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called a "terrorist attack" by people seeking to overthrow his government, a police helicopter attacked government buildings in Caracas on Tuesday with bullets and grenades. Officials say the stolen helicopter fired 15 shots at the Interior Ministry before launching four grenades at the Supreme Court building, Reuters reports. There were no reports of deaths or injuries. In a statement posted online, the police officer believed to have piloted the helicopter, flanked by armed men, said he was part of "a coalition of military employees, policemen, and civilians who are looking for balance and are against this criminal government," the BBC reports. The officer, who identified himself as police pilot Oscar Perez, called for new elections to be held and said the coalition was fighting "tyranny," not security forces. Maduro, whose government has been targeted by violent protests that have left at least 75 people dead over the last three months, said the attack could have "caused a tragedy with several dozen dead and injured," the AP reports. He said the armed forces had been placed on alert. "I have activated the entire armed forces to defend the peace," Maduro said. "Sooner or later, we are going to capture that helicopter and those who carried out this terror attack."