By Valerie Gomez
Venezuelan protests hit close to home for South students.
Major opposition protests began in Venezuela Feb. 12 when students demanded increased security after a female student was allegedly raped on a university campus.
According to CNN, protesters are fighting against record inflation, shortages of food, and increased crime. As more protesters are being detained, more, especially mothers, are joining the protesters, urging the release of those detained.
Protesters want to bring to light the unjust and corrupt government. They also want increased security and for the disarmament of pro-government groups. Some refuse to stop protests until current President Nicolas Maduro resigns.
On Feb. 18, nearly 200 people marched from Boston Common to Copley Square to protest the horror in Venezuela. According to The Boston Globe, Venezuelans in Boston fear for the safety of their family and friends who live amidst the growing violence in Venezuela.
South students, Nicolas and Sebastian Lucena-Farias and their family joined the protest in Boston.
“Venezuela [has] right now one of the most critical times in her history and is under a regime disguised as a ‘democracy.’ Human Rights are violated every day,” said Maria Fernanda Farias, mother of Sebastian and Nicolas Lucena-Farias. “People are lacking main staples like food, medicine, security, medical assistance, etc. Students and civilians are on the streets protesting, demanding a change in the government and they have been tortured, and killed. There’s no freedom of speech, security, justice, peace.”
In the western Venezuelan states of Tachira and Merida, where the protests started, several students were arrested, leading to demonstrations in Caracas, the capital city. The Caracas protests, starting on Feb. 12, quickly turned violent with the death of three people.
According to BBC, students, who are mainly conservative, were the first to protest. The Table for Democratic Unity, an umbrella opposition group, joined the students in their efforts. Leopoldo Lopez, former mayor, and Maria Corina Machado, a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela, are the main leaders in the movement. Henrique Capriles, who lost to Maduro in the previous election, is the elected leader of the opposition. The protests are mainly made up of middle-class Venezuelans.
The government has actively enforced a media blackout, controlling the flow of information. Authorities have threatened to remove CNN Espanol from broadcasting in Venezuela; Colombian TV news has already been removed. According to 88.9 WERS radio station, protesters have been resorting to social media such as Twitter and Facebook to organize themselves.
According to The Guardian, President Maduro has blamed Lopez, leader of the opposition party Popular Will, for inciting violence. Lopez is in jail for alleged arson, damage to public property, and conspiracy. Authority has been beaten up politicians who try to visit the imprisoned leader.
In Caracas, the violent protests are so frequent that tear gas and the smell of burnt rubber has become part of the day for residents. Because many are afraid to go out at night, business are losing money. Public transportation has been unreliable.
More than 31 people have died and 461 injured in the violent protests.
Junior Sebastian Lucena, whose cousin participated in a protest, also wants for a better life for Venezuelans.
“It is devastating that students are being killed for protesting. People [lack] basic necessities such as food, healthcare, gasoline, and security in their home country” Lucena said.
