26 people dead as political protests in Venezuela continue
Two men have become the latest fatalities of the political violence in Venezuela. The death toll now reaches 26.
According to The Independent, the victims were Orlando Medina, 23 and Luis Marquez, 52. The state prosecutor’s office in the western state of Lara said Medina was gunned down in a protest against the rule of President Nicolas Maduro, while state ombudsman Tarek Saab says Luis Marquez died in the Andean state of Merida Tuesday morning after being shot at a pro-Maduro rally.
The Venezuelan opposition launched street protests against the financial mismanagement and anti-democratic policies of the government three weeks ago. The protests resulted in the death of 12 people during demonstrations, and 11 others in night-time robberies. Four of the victims were teenagers.
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Since then 1,500 people have been arrested, with 801 still detained as of Tuesday, according to rights group Penal Forum.
The opposition is led by the Democratic Unity coalition who called for fresh elections, the release of jailed activists and autonomy for the opposition-led legislature. However, the government said that the protesters are backed by the US and want to bring back capitalism and free markets by violence. Democratic Unity is trying to keep on pressuring Maduro’s government and is planning a march in Caracas on Wednesday.
“The Venezuelan people will stay in the street until there is an election timetable, a humanitarian aid channel, freedom for political prisoners and independence for public institutions, especially the National Assembly,” said Ismael Garcia, a legislator with opposition party Justice First.
Maduro supporters marched in the state of Falcon on Tuesday chanting pro-government slogans and accusing the opposition of violence.
“They call themselves defenders of human rights but then they murder people. They’re the same as 2002,” Socialist Party No 2 Diosdado Cabello told the crowd, referring to a short-lived coup against the late President Hugo Chavez.
The Venezuela upheavals are the worst since 2014, when 43 people died during the protests against Maduro.
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