GNB disperses Caracas protesters with gas as they marched to Ombudsman's office
The Bolivarian National Guard again used tear gas against opposition gatherings at various points in Caracas. The previous day's events left three dead, dozens wounded and more than 500 detained.
Tear gas disperses new day of opposition protests in Caracas
Venezuela's National Guard (GNB) dispersed several gatherings of opposition protesters in Caracas with tear gas, according to dw.com. The citizens were attempting to march towards the Ombudsman's Office, in Libertador municipality, in the centre of the capital.
The incidents were recorded in the areas of El Paraíso, to the west of the city, and Santa Mónica, to the southwest. Several opposition parliamentarians distributed videos of the situation via Twitter and denounced the "repression" by the security forces.
Deputy from the Primero Justicia (PJ) party, José Manuel Olivares, claimed to have been struck by a device during the dispersal. "The GNB has just attacked us, once again, they fired tear gas canisters at us, regardless of the damage they might cause," Olivares declared, stating that he received a blow from "a canister fired at close range by the GNB" on O'Higgins Avenue in El Paraíso.
Deputies Gaby Arellano and Juan Miguel Matheus confirmed that the gathering in Santa Mónica was equally dispersed with gas. "We are gathering and, in the most cowardly manner possible, Nicolás Maduro sent the National Guard to crack down with tear gas canisters, simply for being here," Matheus stated in a video posted on Twitter. Despite the dispersal, the parliamentarians maintained their call for citizens to mobilise towards the centre.
Other opposition leaders and parliamentarians noted that protests also extended to the states of Carabobo, Lara and Zulia, events that until that point had proceeded without incident.
The mobilisation was convened by the opposition alliance Democratic Unity Table (MUD) at 26 points in Caracas, with a parallel call for protests in the country's 23 states. It was a fresh attempt to reach the Ombudsman's Office, following the previous day's protest events which concluded with three dead from gunshot wounds—two civilians who apparently were not participating in the marches and a GNB sergeant—in addition to dozens wounded and more than 500 detained.
Source: Google News VE — Caracas