A Venezuelan journalist captured the dramatic moment he fled from riot police as they cracked down on protesters in Caracas yesterday (January 23).

In the video, the journalist is riding on the back of a motorbike and films the scene behind him as a protest disperses. Pedestrians, some covering their faces with scarves, are seen sprinting up the street as smoke rises in the distance and shots - possibly tear gas - can be heard.

“They are chasing us,” he says in Spanish.

Violence erupted across the country as thousands of people took to the streets to protest against President Nicolás Maduro.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself the nation’s interim president, with the backing of the United States, Canada, Argentina and other countries around the world.

In the meantime, the United Nations has called for dialogue to stop the escalation of violence in the country.