Demonstrators marched to Venezuelan military bases on June 24 to protest the shooting of a young demonstrator; the marches ended in violence once again.
Marchers from Caracas clashed with soldiers outside Venezuela’s La Carlota air base outside the Venezuelan capital.
They were protesting the shooting on June 22 of a 22-year-old protester by a military police sergeant.
The young protester was apparently trying to pull down or climb over the fence around the air base when he was shot.
Protesters set trucks on fire.
Police used tear gas to disperse marchers on Saturday, June 24.
So far at least 75 people have died in conflicts between protesters, national guard, and police. The protests have occurred almost daily as the nation endures a tremendous economic drought.
The oil-exporting nation is now nearly bankrupt. There are shortages of food and medicine.
Meanwhile President Nicolás Maduro supported the arrest of 14 army officers, who he claimed were planning a coup against his embattled government.
“All of those arrested are under military jurisdiction because they were involved in a coup d’état and have violated the fundamental laws for the integrity, the independence and the sovereignty of this country,” the president said.
Saturday was Armed Forces Day in Venezuela. Instead of honoring the soldiers for their service, demonstrators called for the troops to rise up against the president and in defense of Venezuela’s Constitution.
Maduro has announced plans to create a handpicked “Popular Assembly:” in July, which would rewrite Venezuela’s Constitution according to his personal desires.
