The detainees include leaders and members of the opposition Popular Will and Justice First parties, Maduro said on state TV, accusing them of following US instructions to incite chaos.

There has been economic turmoil since the leader withdrew the 100-bolivar banknote last week before new bills were brought into circulation. Anger erupted in reaction to a national cash shortage on top of the country’s current economic crisis.

Venezuela trying to roll back disastrous cash gambit, but riots continue. Hundreds of arrests so far, and one death https://t.co/hXCNaijeDP

— Hannah Dreier (@hannahdreier) 18 dicembre 2016

Maduro has since said he will delay the withdrawal of the note until January 2

The government had said the scrapping of the 100-bolivar note was necessary to prevent smuggling and to tackle gangs which hoard Venezuelan currency abroad. (Euronews)