Protests across Venezuela have worsened since their start over a week ago. At least two more people have died from violence during the protests, bringing the death toll to five. One of the deceased is Genesis Carmona, a beauty queen from the state of Carabobo. In addition, the main highway in Caracas remains blocked by protesters, limiting mobility in the car-dependent city. On the night of February 19, violence reached a new, uncontrolled level in the large cities of Caracas, Merida, Valencia, and San Cristobal. National Guard and police officers maintained their presence in the cities, using tear gas and water cannons to attempt to break up protests; observers also reported that officers raided residential buildings and areas they believed student protesters were hiding.
Furthermore, government-backed paramilitary gangs called colectivos clashed with protesters and reportedly fired at civilians with live ammunition, targeting those they believed to be protesters. Pictures from that night on show major cities burning as barricades were lit on fire. Maduro has also threatened to declare a state of emergency and curfew on the state of Táchira, on the border with Colombia, to restore order. This would be essentially unprecedented, as the last state of emergency occurred in 1989. His statements highlight the severity of the situation in the eyes of the protesters and the government.
President Maduro continues to blame the opposition for inciting unrest in the nation. On February 18, opposition leader Leopoldo López turned himself into authorities after several days in hiding from a government arrest warrant. López organized a rally with thousands of supporters who followed him as he turned himself in; all wore white to highlight their peaceful demonstrations against the government. While the government dropped the most severe charges of murder and terrorism against López, he was officially charged with arson and conspiracy on February 19 and now he could face up to 10 years in prison. Maduro also blames foreign forces for intervening in Venezuela to cause the protests: on February 17 he expelled three American diplomats for conspiring to bring down his Socialist government, and he accused Colombian paramilitary forces and the United States of encouraging the violence.
As the protests have escalated to more dangerous levels, the international media remains inactive. Most major news sources have not done in-depth coverage of the protests; this is partly due to the difficulty in gathering information in Venezuela because of the Maduro government’s heavy-handed censorship. For example, CNN reporters had their equipment taken at gunpoint, reportedly by plain-clothes police officers. On February 21 President Maduro also revoked and denied CNN journalists’ media credentials. Local media also remains shut down and pictures on Twitter are not visible to Venezuelans.
Yet even considering the censorship in Venezuela, English-speaking and international news sources have barely, if even, featured articles describing the protests, leaving reports buried in their World or Americas sections. This is shameful: those outside Venezuela can do little to help the situation without being informed and spreading awareness about the protests, the violence, and the government’s response. Without the attention of major news sources, this job is being left to individuals using social media to spread the message. While this “grassroots” reporting has achieved much so far, the media is not relieved of its duty to provide basic accounts of widespread and increasingly untenable protests that are consuming a nation. The gravity of the situation demands their attention and the world’s support.
Photo credits: Time and New York Daily News