‘For the past seven days, hundreds of students and young people in Venezuela have been protesting against the government – with brutal consequences. One of my friends has disappeared – he might have been arrested, but I have no way of knowing for certain. Another was left covered in blood after he was hit with a rubber bullet and one left a supposedly peaceful protest with pellet wounds all over his body. They hadn’t done anything wrong. Every day, we hear more stories of government officials arresting and then torturing young people who have done nothing more than peacefully protest against the government, and the massive social crisis it’s created. I’m so scared, but we have to keep taking to the streets and trying to ensure that the violence stops. All we have to throw are stones and they hit back with bullets.’
The police, National Guard and pro-government civilian armed militia attacked the groups using rubber bullets and tear gas.
27 year-old Laura Solorzana is one of hundreds of young people who have taken to the streets of Venezuela every day for the last week to march against a government they believe to be authoritarian and illegitimate. On 12 February, Venezuela’s Day of Youth, thousands of young people and students protested in over a 100 cities around the country.
According to the students groups who organised the marches, they were determined to protest peacefully, but the police, National Guard and pro-government civilian armed militia attacked the groups using rubber bullets and tear gas. On the 12 February, three students were killed and a further 25 were injured. Since then, there have been almost daily protests and nightly riots with more reports of violence and student arrests.
But why were they protesting in the first place? ‘Venezuela has been in the middle of a social crisis for a long time,’ explains Laura. ‘Food shortages have affected more than 80% of the population, inflation is at its highest level in four years at 56%. On top of that, many of us believe that the government is unconstitutional, and that they have no respect for freedom of expression and basic civil rights. People are angry.’
Tensions in the country reached boiling point a week ago, when popular opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, called for people to come together in a series of protests (he has since been arrested by the government for inciting violence – a charge which he denies).
While this was happening in Caracas, students in Tachira state were beginning to organise protest themselves. ‘Students were already protesting because a student had suffered an attempted rape on camps facilities. Three students were arrested for peacefully protesting and were sent to one of the most dangerous prisons in the country. This was why so many students were protesting on 12 February – to peacefully demand their immediate release,’ explains Laura.
We are trying to paint an accurate picture of what is going on by physically locating people and reporting their whereabouts – it’s our way of getting past the government blocks.
Since the 12 February protests, events have moved quickly. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro immediately closed down foreign television station which he says was trying to ‘foment anxiety about a coup d'état,’ adding (ominously) that ‘no one is going to come from abroad and try to perturb the psychological climate of Venezuela.’
Laura has another theory as to why the station was pulled. ‘He is attempting to create a media blockage. They pulled the Columbian Channel NTN24 because it kept us informed. Since then several Twitter users have taken on that responsibility – although the government is attempting to stop that as well by blocking images on Twitter. They’re trying to keep Venezuelans in the dark about what’s happening in their own country.’
In fact, Twitter has become a hub for anyone trying to collect and find accurate information about students who have been arrested, injured or killed during the protests. ‘After a friend of mine was arrested, I started to make lists of students who have been arrested (so far I have 251 names), or who have ‘disappeared’. I published the list on my blog, debilidadesyvicios.com, and people started sending names to my Twitter account @LauSolorzano. We are trying to paint an accurate picture of what is going on by physically locating people and reporting their whereabouts – it’s our way of getting past the government blocks.’
Those boys were tortured. We have heard that the guards beat their heads to a pulp and even raped one of them with a live fuse. Every time I think about it I cry
Equally as disturbing are reports of violence in prisons across the country at the hands of the guards. ‘I’ve heard reports of student protestors in Valencia, Carabobo being arrested by the National Guard and taken to Tocuyito prison, which is one of the most dangerous in the country,’ says Laura. ‘Those boys were tortured. We have heard that the guards beat their heads to a pulp and even raped one of them with a live fuse. Every time I think about it I cry.’
It makes for really difficult reading but, a week after the protests and riots first erupted, the violence looks unlikely to die down any time soon. Before his arrest yesterday, Harvard-educated opposition leader Lopez said he has ‘nothing to fear. I have committed no crime. I have been a Venezuelan with deep commitments toward my country and my people.’ Despite calling on supporters to wear white as a symbol of peace, many are bracing themselves for more violence.
Laura, for one, intends to remain a peaceful. ‘Despite what they may think, students are not protesting to overthrow the government. All we ask for is that the constitution is respected and our rights are guaranteed. There are still many many prisoners we believe have been incarcerated unfairly. Unlike the guards, I will never resort to violence, but with the work I’m now doing I fear that I’m going to become a target for it.’
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.