CARACAS.- Repression, persecution and new arbitrary arrests was the response of the Chavez regime the numerous protests that took place this Saturday, August 17, in Venezuelan territory in rejection of the electoral fraud of dictator Nicolás Maduro, who insists on perpetuating himself in power, despite having lost the presidential elections of July 28.
The ruling elite decided to intensify the practices of state terrorismdenounced by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), with a strong police and military deployment, which itried to dissuade the protesters who came out in defence of the victory of the opposition candidate Edmundo González. In addition, the number of arbitrary arrests of political leaders, human rights defenders and priests increased.
From early in the morning, officers of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), the main repressive body of Chavismo, attacked citizens who were gathering in the Bicentennial Plaza of Maracay, Aragua state (center), with tear gas bombs.
According to a report from social media users, two citizens, still unidentified, were arrested in the vicinity of Plaza Bicentenaria. In a video, it was possible to observe how Military officials took an elderly man away who was at the opposition protest, called by political leader María Corina Machado and diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia.
Attack on journalists
The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) reported that press workers who were documenting the use of tear gas to disperse protesters were attacked by the GNB.
“Journalist David Marcano, from El Periodiquito, was surrounded by uniformed officers when he was recording the use of tear gas to disperse protesters. Journalists are being harassed for covering repression in Aragua state“, warned the SNTP.
Vente Venezuela Human Rights Committee: “In the face of Edmundo González Urrutia’s great victory, this is what they have: repression and violence. We hold the regime responsible for anything that happens.”
Regime criminalizes protests
Faced with the meager popular support it has, the Chavista dictatorship, which had called for a counter-march, sent police and military from the various state security agencies into the streets, who were stationed in the various popular areas of Caracas and in the 23 states of the country, where citizens responded to the opposition call under the slogan of “we are not afraid”.
Some of the Venezuelan cities where the regime implemented its policy of state terrorism to stop opposition demonstrations were Barquisimeto, in the state of Lara (west); San Juan de los Morros, in the state of Guárico (north); Maturín, in the state of Monagas (north); Maracaibo, in the state of Zulia (northwest); Guatire, in the state of Miranda (north-center); and Puerto Ordaz, in the state of Bolívar (southwest); among others.
Arbitrary detentions
The escalation of repression and systematic persecution by the ruling elite reached a new level on Saturday, with the arbitrary arrest of the priest of the rural community of Machiques, in the state of Zulia, who was preparing to pray a rosary with the protesters.
Priest Elvis Cabrera had organized the community for a religious day to pray for Venezuela, when GNB agents arrived in the area to arrest him, so he decided to board a van in search of protection. However, the vehicle with the priest inside was towed by a crane, on instructions from the military, who took him to Detachment 114 of the GNB in Zulia, according to reports. “We demand an end to persecution and criminalization. Venezuelans have already decided”exclaimed the Vente Venezuela human rights team.
This Saturday, the regime also took a group of citizens from Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, including human rights defender Henry Alexander Gómez Fernández, according to the director of the Penal Forum, Gonzalo Himiob. They also arbitrarily detained the regional Organization Secretary of the Un Nuevo Tiempo (UNT) party and deputy to the Legislative Council of the state of Carabobo (north-central), Carlos Molina. Both were arrested in the context of the call for the “great world protest.”
“In the face of repression, we remain firm. They will not silence the truth”stated the Human Rights Committee of Vente Venezuela.
On Friday night, August 16, unidentified individuals took the secretary of the National Organization of Democratic Action (AD), Piero Maroun; and the regional president of the Copei ODCA party in Yaracuy (north-center), Alfonso Andara.
Maroun was arrested while having dinner with his wife, son and sister-in-law at a restaurant in Caracas. Andara was arrested when he was about to park his vehicle in the parking lot of his residence.
