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<h1 id="reader-title">Here’s Your Guide to Understanding Protest
Deaths in Venezuela</h1>
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<div id="reader-estimated-time">April 25, 2017<br>
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<p>Headlines about ongoing violence in Venezuela are
practically inescapable, with over two dozen people dead
since opposition-led protests aimed at toppling the
government began in early April.</p>
<p>Right-wing opposition leaders have attempted to portray
the deaths as examples of state repression and evidence
of the "dictatorship" that they are aiming to topple.
Mainstream media have by and large echoed this version
of events, using titles like “Venezuelan Regime Has
Blood On Its Hands” and “Venezuela's Tiananmen Moment."</p>
<p>Some outlets have even gone as far as claiming the
elected government of Nicolas Maduro as engaging in “a
campaign of state genocide.”</p>
<p>The reality of the situation on the ground, however,
demonstrates something very different.</p>
<p>Of those killed thus far, three are attributed to state
security forces, while two of the dead are members of
police themselves. The total number of dead is
significantly bolstered by the eight who were
electrocuted as they attempted to loot a bakery, while
five of those killed were expressly connected to
opposition protests. On the other hand, 10 of the
deceased are attributed to right-wing violence.</p>
<p>In addition to the more than two dozen killed, 437
people have been injured in the protests, Venezuelan
Attorney General Luisa Ortega said.</p>
<p>Here’s a breakdown of those killed since the opposition
protests began.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">April
6</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">1.
<em>Jairo Ortiz</em>:</span> the 19-year-old student,
was shot by transit police Officer Rohenluis Leonel Mata
in the state of Miranda. Venezuelan police immediately
detained Mata, who is set to face criminal charges.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">April
10</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">2.
<em>Daniel </em><em>Queliz</em>: </span>the
19-year-old college student from Carabobo was shot by
police while participating in an opposition protest.</p>
<p>3. <em>Ricarda de Lourdes:</em> the 83-year-old woman
died at her home in Caracas on April 10 from
hydrocephalus. When her symptoms began flaring earlier
that day, she was unable to be transported to a nearby
hospital because opposition protesters blocked all of
the neighborhood’s roads, preventing ambulances from
picking her up.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">April
11</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">4. <em>Yey Amaro:</em> 37-year-old police
officer in the state of Lara, was hit by a vehicle
driven by opposition protesters on April 11 after trying
to mediate protests in his home state.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">5.
<em>Miguel </em><em>Colmenares</em><em>:</em></span>
the 36-year-old opposition supporter from Lara died from
multiple wounds received after the detonation of
explosive devices in Barquisimeto, Lara state.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">6.
<em>Gruseny</em><em> </em><em>Canelon</em><em>:</em></span>
the 32-year-old opposition supporter from Lara died of
organ failure after being shot during an anti-government
demonstration. Fifteen members of the National Guard
have been placed under arrest in the incident.</p>
<p>7. <em>Oliver Villa:</em> the 29-year-old digital
marketing entrepreneur was shot by unidentified
assailants on motorbikes in Caracas after evading an
opposition barricade in the El Paraiso sector of
Caracas.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">April
12</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">8. <em>Brayan Principal:</em> the
14-year-old resident of the Ali Primera Socialist City
was shot by opposition protesters after they toppled the
main gate of the commune.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">9.
<em>Carlos Moreno:</em></span> the 17-year-old student
was shot in the head while in Caracas. Family members
say he was not involved in the protest, and it is
suspected his murder was perpetrated by armed robbers
who stole his motorcycle.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">April
19</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a63e-e76c-0da4-305a27898145">10.
<em>Niumar</em><em> </em></span><em>Sanclemente</em><span><em>:</em></span>
the 28-year-old sergeant with the National Guard was
apparently killed by sniper fire in Los Teques, the
capital of the state of Merida.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>11. <em>Paola Ramirez:</em></span> the
23-year-old college student from Tachira was shot while
in the vicinity of a demonstration. A member of the
right-wing Vente Venezuela opposition group is under
arrest for the murder.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">April
20</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">12.
<em>Kevin Leon:</em> </span>the 19-year-old bakery
worker in the El Valle district of Caracas, was shot by
opposition protesters who were vandalizing his
workplace.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">13.
<em>Ramon Martinez:</em></span> the 28-year-old cook
who worked in the same bakery as Kevin Leon in the El
Valle district of Caracas was shot by opposition
protesters as he tried to protect the store.</p>
<p dir="ltr">14. <em>Francisco Gonzalez:</em> the
34-year-old died during the vandalization of the El
Valle bakery.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">15-22.
<em>Eight were electrocuted</em></span> when they
attempted to loot a bakery in El Valle, Caracas. Names
have not been released nor have the circumstances of the
electrocution been verified, though there is speculation
that the bakery had an electrified gate.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">23.
<em>Mervin </em><em>Guitan</em><em>:</em></span> the
26-year-old who worked for a mayor's office in Sucre was
shot by unidentified gunmen during a protest.</p>
<p dir="ltr">24. <em>Alberto Rodriguez:</em> the
16-year-old died from suffocation from tear gas used in
El Valle, Caracas.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">April
23</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">25.
<em>Almelina</em><em> Carrillo</em>:</span> the
47-year-old was struck in the head with a frozen water
bottle thrown from a building while walking near a
pro-government march in Caracas on April 19 and died a
few days later.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">April
24</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">26.
<em>Jesus Sulbaran</em>:</span> the 41-year-old
criminology student and an official in the governor's
office in Merida was killed while participating in a
pro-government demonstration, according to Venezuela’s
ombudsman.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">27.
<em>Renzo </em><em>Rodriguez</em>:</span> the
54-year-old was killed in the state of Barinas from a
gunshot wound to his chest when he was in the vicinity
of the mayor's office of the municipality of Barinas.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">28.
<em>Orlando </em><em>Jhosep</em>:</span> the
23-year-old died of a gunshot wound during a protest in
the city of El Tocuyo, Lara state.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">29.
<em>Daniel Infante</em>:</span> the 25-year-old
transportation worker was killed while participating in
a pro-government demonstration, according to Venezuela’s
ombudsman.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">30.
<i>Luis Marquez</i>:</span> the 52-year-old was shot
and killed in the capital of the state of Merida while
taking part in a pro-government demonstration.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">April
25</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">31. <span><em>Efrain Sierra</em>:</span> the
27-year-old lost his life after receiving a bullet in
the stomach on April 24 as he resisted the theft of his
motorcycle while passing through an opposition
barricade.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span>Disturbingly, there are also other
people whose murders during these dates raise concerns
about targeted assassinations and possible
paramilitary activity.</span></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><span>April 23</span></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><span><em>Esmin Ramirez:</em> </span>the
Venezuelan trade unionist was killed Sunday in the
southeastern state of Bolivar after being kidnapped in
an act that people close to him claim was politically
motivated. Ramirez, who was a member of the Movement 21
labor syndicate in the state-run iron ore producer
Ferrominera and part of the PSUV political party in
Cachamay, was killed in El Rinconcito sector in Guayana
City, a city along the bank of the Orinoco River in
Bolivar state.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em><span
id="docs-internal-guid-2b3556c9-a640-2bea-0838-609aed83e0fa">Jackeline
Ortega:</span></em> murdered in the greater Caracas
area in Santa Lucia del Tuy. Ortega was also a member of
the PSUV as well as a leader in the Local Committee on
Supply and Production, known as CLAP, a
government-created alternative food distribution
program.</p>
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