Teenagers shooting death in Venezuela sparks rallying cry by opposition
A day after a 14-year-old boy was shot to death by police forces in Venezuela, new details emerge from the protest where it took place — shining…
A man tries to help an injured youth lying on the ground in a pool of blood after he was shot in the head during an anti-government protest in San Cristobal, Venezuela, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015. Identified by Venezuela’s Ombudsman as 14-year-old Kluiverth Roa, his death has sparked a rallying cry for anti-government protesters.. (AP Photo)
A day after a 14-year-old boy was shot to death by police forces in Venezuela, new details emerge from the protest where it took place — shining a light on rising tensions in the extremely volatile South American country and the arrests of the alleged gunmen.
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In light of a new law passed this year that gives the Venezuelan government the right to use deadly force to quash public demonstrations, opposition activists are calling attention to the wave of violence in the country. One university student who asked to not be identified for fear of her safety, came forward to Univision news, detailing how she witnessed the boy’s shooting death on Tuesday.
The young woman says Kluiver Roa wasn’t involved in any of the demonstrations that took place in San Cristobal, rather he was trying to make it home from school when he got caught in violent street clashes: The boy couldnt enter the house, and managed to hide under a car, but the police noticed and dragged him out and almost a point blank range they shot him, a bit more than above his neck ? it entered one side and exited the other.
Some reports say that the teenager was trying to help a college student who had been hurt by a pellet gun in the street when the police shot him.
President Nicolas Maduro came out on national television to personally announce the arrest of the two officers the government says is responsible for the boy’s death.
“The police say that they were surrounded and pelted with rocks and attacked, and one of the police officers shot him, committing murder,” Maduro said on state-run TV.
Images of who appears to be another teenage boy kneeling shirtless, with smudges of blood on his chest, have sparked rumors that he’s the brother or Roa. The young man
14-year-old Kluiver Roa died during protest in San Cristobal, Venezuela. (@ANAK14/TWITTER)
appears kneeling in several news reports, facing a row of police in the middle of street wearing riot gear at the time the shooting happened. Even though the story behind this image remains unclear, it’s been used as a rallying cry for the injustices and rampant violence being lived in most Venezuelan streets on a daily basis.
Venezuelans are protesting soaring inflation, the shortage of basic stapes such as food and medicine and the violent crackdowns of civilian demonstrations.
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Since President Hugo Chavez’s death, Venezuela has suffered a spiral of violence, including violent protests both by and against pro-government sympathizers after Kluiver Roa’s shooting death. In 2014 San Cristobal was the epicenter of demonstrations that left at least 43 people dead.
