Venezuelan soldiers opened fire on a group of civilians attempting to keep open a segment of the southern border with Brazil for deliveries of humanitarian aid, leading to multiple injuries and the first fatality of a massive opposition operation meant to deliver international relief into this devastated South American country, according to an eye-witnesses and community leaders.
"I ask the armed forces , is it constitutional for them to fire against unarmed indigenous people?" said Jorge Perez, a local councilman in Gran Sabana, the district where the town is located who said he was present when the soldiers opened fire.
"The majority of the people support the entrance of humanitarian aid, and we want to keep our border open," Silva said.
The activists belonged to the Pemones indigenous tribe that has joined the opposition effort to haul in aid donated by the United States and other countries from bordering nations on Saturday.
The aid is coming from nations - including the United States - that have demanded Maduro step down, and his government has ordered a full blockade the aid, and dispatched the military to reinforce Venezuela's borders.
The incident appeared to be the most violent confrontation yet in a still-unfolding operation that has seen thousands of volunteers seeking to reach bordering nations to haul in the aid.
Opposition leaders feared more clashes on Saturday, when volunteers will seek to bring aid over the border.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/one-dead-multiple-injured-after-venezuelan-national-guard-opens-fire-on-opposition-supporters/2019/02/22/09d60f1a-3518-11e9-8375-e3dcf6b68558_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ff6101841228
"I ask the armed forces , is it constitutional for them to fire against unarmed indigenous people?" said Jorge Perez, a local councilman in Gran Sabana, the district where the town is located who said he was present when the soldiers opened fire.
"The majority of the people support the entrance of humanitarian aid, and we want to keep our border open," Silva said.
The activists belonged to the Pemones indigenous tribe that has joined the opposition effort to haul in aid donated by the United States and other countries from bordering nations on Saturday.
The aid is coming from nations - including the United States - that have demanded Maduro step down, and his government has ordered a full blockade the aid, and dispatched the military to reinforce Venezuela's borders.
The incident appeared to be the most violent confrontation yet in a still-unfolding operation that has seen thousands of volunteers seeking to reach bordering nations to haul in the aid.
Opposition leaders feared more clashes on Saturday, when volunteers will seek to bring aid over the border.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/one-dead-multiple-injured-after-venezuelan-national-guard-opens-fire-on-opposition-supporters/2019/02/22/09d60f1a-3518-11e9-8375-e3dcf6b68558_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ff6101841228
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