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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is proclaiming Sunday's election for a assembly to rewrite the constitution a "success" despite violence that left at least nine dead. The opposition boycotted the vote, saying the unpopular measure would result in a socialist dictatorship. Maduro brushed off protesters' concerns: "It's been and it is a successful day with large participation. Let those who have eyes see. The oligarchy doesn't have eyes or ears for the people. They've always been invisible. ... We care about the people's truth." But death, protests, and violence overshadowed the voting. At least nine deaths have been reported since Friday, bringing the death toll over the last four months of protests to more than 120. They include 39-year-old lawyer Jose Felix Pineda, a candidate for the constitutional assembly, who was shot in his home Saturday night. On Sunday, four motorcycle policemen were hurt when someone threw explosives at a convoy in Caracas. A police station was also set on fire. Protesters both for and against the assembly battled each other across Venezuela, with the opposition blocking roads and police reacting with tear gas and rubber bullets. The opposition said the vote was rigged and called for an election boycott. Despite Maduro's claim of a large participation, reporters on the ground in Caracas said dozens of polling places were nearly deserted. Maduro cast the first ballot Sunday, calling it "the first vote for peace, the first vote for the sovereignty and independence of Venezuela." | 
