Security forces in Venezuela have used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters who oppose the results of elections held on Sunday.

Thousands of people have come out through the streets of Caracas, and headed towards the presidential palace.

Crowds were heard shouting "Freedom, freedom!" and have called for the downfall of the Government.

Protests in Venezuela's capital have erupted after the current president, Nicolas Maduro, has declared victory.

The opposition considers Maduro's declaration a fraud, and believes that the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won over 73 percent of the vote.

Even the public polls, which were held before the elections, made the opposition candidate the winner.

The opposition parties have united this time, in an ongoing attempt to remove Maduro from power, who has been in charge of the country for 11 years.

Venezuelans also complain about the economic crisis in the country.

Several Western and Latin American countries, as well as the United Nations, have called on the responsible authorities to publish detailed voting data.

Argentina is one of the countries that has refused to recognize Maduro's victory in the elections, and in response, Venezuela has withdrawn its diplomats from Buenos Aires.

Diplomats in six other Latin American countries - Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay - have also withdrawn because of what the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, has described as "statements and intervention actions".

The Venezuelan government has announced that it has temporarily suspended commercial flights with Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Maduro has accused the opposition of calling for a coup.

"This is not the first time we are facing what we are seeing now", he said.

"They are trying to carry out a coup in Venezuela, of a fascist and counter-revolutionary character."

Meanwhile, senior officials of the American administration have said that the published results do not coincide with the will of the population.

The Organization of American States (OAS) said late Monday that it will organize a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the results of the elections in Venezuela./REL/