Venezuela clashes: prosecutor accuses security officials of 'excessive force'
- 7 years ago
As Venezuela struggles to manage an ever-worsening economic and political crisis, its chief prosecutor has accused security officers of excessive force.
Luisa Ortega’s comments came after almost two months of near-daily anti-government rallies and as cracks appear in Nicolas Maduro’s Socialist administration.
She said 55 people had been killed and around 1,000 injured in the unrest, adding:
“In accordance with our investigation, the death of one particular student came about by a cardiogenic shock due to closed chest trauma. He was struck with an object like this,” she said, holding up a tear gas canister. “An object like this struck him. It goes here. This hit him. This is a tear gas bomb.”
Ortega said the findings contradicted official reports of 20-year-old Juan Pernalete being killed by a pistol.
She also expressed concern about a reported seven cases of military courts trying people who should have their cases heard in civil courts and demanded access to detainees.
Luisa Ortega’s comments came after almost two months of near-daily anti-government rallies and as cracks appear in Nicolas Maduro’s Socialist administration.
She said 55 people had been killed and around 1,000 injured in the unrest, adding:
“In accordance with our investigation, the death of one particular student came about by a cardiogenic shock due to closed chest trauma. He was struck with an object like this,” she said, holding up a tear gas canister. “An object like this struck him. It goes here. This hit him. This is a tear gas bomb.”
Ortega said the findings contradicted official reports of 20-year-old Juan Pernalete being killed by a pistol.
She also expressed concern about a reported seven cases of military courts trying people who should have their cases heard in civil courts and demanded access to detainees.