Skip to content or view mobile version

Home | Mobile | Editorial | Mission | Privacy | About | Contact | Help | Security | Support

A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Violent Student Protests In Merida, Venezuela

Josué Wilson | 10.06.2006 15:37 | Education | Social Struggles | World

Compañeras y Compañeros,

Thank you for taking the time to read this important update on right wing pro-coup terrorism now taking place in Venezuela. I am a United States citizen living and working in Merida Venezuela reporting on what appears to be the face of US backed efforts to de-stabilise the democratically elected Venezuelan government.

Two weeks ago a heavily armed opposition student organisation held violent protests in the city of Merida. Using handguns, shotguns, and Uzis they have repeatedly attacked the police and the National Guard leaving between 26 and 36 wounded, at least two of those critically. The organization is called the Movimiento 13 de Marzo (M-13, not to be confused with the chavista Movimiento 13 de Abril M-13a) and has repeatedly worked to destabilise the city and country in collaboration with pro-coup anti-Chavez opposition groups.

The proclaimed reason for the protest is the ULA (University of the Andes) student elections, which were postponed when the Supreme Court ruled that the Administration and Faculty of the ULA were exerting unjust influence on the election and should not make up four of the five members of the elections monitoring committee. The M-13 claims that this is a violation of the ULA´s autonomy and that, although the Venezuelan judicial system is independent of the executive branch, the executive branch is responsible.

The reality is that the M-13 and its leader Nixon Moreno (who has been a "student" at the ULA for 15 years) are attempting to create chaos before the presidential elections this December and to incite the universities to rise up against a contrived attack on their autonomy. For the moment this plan has failed and almost none of the other Universities have responded. Their tactics of unprecedented violence strongly indicate that they were looking for a student death in order to inflame the country.

During the protests members of the M-13 chased down, stripped naked, beat, and attempted to rape police woman Sofía Aguilar at gunpoint. She has identified Nixon Moreno, the leader of the M-13, as the man who shot her partner and a member of the group who then beat him into a coma before she was assaulted. Between the protests members of the M-13 held a pistol to the head of a female member of the Juventude Comunista (JC, Communist Youth) and forced her to reveal the addresses of other JC members, one of whom they have severely beaten.

Although there is a long history of violence during protests in Merida, it has consisted of rock throwing and the occasional Molotov cocktail. Never have students come out so heavily armed and shot so many people without any provocation or escalation. It is widely suspected that the arms and extremely expensive elections materials possessed by the M-13 have been directly provided by, or bought with resources provided by, US Ambassador William Brownfield or the CIA.

Nixon Moreno is in close contact with the opposition ex-Governor of Merida William Dávila and reportedly has met at least once in a Barinas hotel with US ambassador William Brownfield. The US ties to this terrorist group are important in understanding the US support of opposition movements in Western Venezuela.

Below, in English and the original Spanish, is a public statement about the protests released by a coalition of youth organisations in Merida.

Please help to expose what is going on here and to inform your communities and contacts.

En Solidaridad,

Josué Wilson

Merida, Venezuela



PUBLIC STATEMENT

We, Revolutionary Student Movements, the Federation of University Centers of the University of the Andes, and the Popular Movement of Merida (Movimientos Estudiantiles Revolucionarios, la Federación de Centros Universitarios de la Universidad de los Andes y el Movimiento Popular Merideño) wish to make public our rejection of the terrorist acts perpetrated by the pro-coup opposition groups 13 th of March Movement, 20 Movement, Red Flag (Movimiento 13 de Marzo, el Movimiento 20, Bandera Roja,) and other splinter groups, led by the "pseudo student" Nixon Moreno (charged in the April 11th coup with the assault on the State Capital building of Merida, publicly accused by a young policewoman of being a member of a group who tried to sexually abuse her, and who assaulted a policeman who is now in a precarious state of health,) who in complicity with paramilitaries, narco-trafficers, and common criminals tried today to re-initiate a destabilizing agenda by means of violence in face of the presidential elections in the upcoming month of December, and by means of "Guarimbera" practices which include in their plan of action the use of high-calibre firearms in an indiscriminate manner against the people of Merida.

We also denounce categorically the complicit and collaborative attitude of the University authorities under Chancellor of the University of the Andes Léster Rodriguez, the Administrative Vice-Chancelor Mario Bonucci, and the Dean of the School of Economic and Social Sciences Laura Toro. These administrators, accompanied by groups unconnected with the university who share the same reactionary pro-coup interests, presidential candidates, politicians on an old demagogic course, irresponsible social communicators who lack ethics, and all those manipulated by the interests and designs of North American Imperialism try to create a matrix of opinion in which they show the victimizers as victims, denouncing a supposed violation of the university's autonomy.

Before the community in general, evidence has proven the falsehood of these arguments by means of testimonial and audiovisual evidence which confirms the destructive actions brought by these paramilitary groups which represent a serious threat to the security of the nation and the peace of the republic.

We believe that the University has been and continues to be overrun by a band of parasitic pseudo-students, by paramilitaries, by narco-traffickers, and by the encysted bowels of administrative corruption whose cause is the apathetic neglect by those who until now have led, damaging the entire university community and the people in general, using university autonomy to shelter and support every kind of attempt or conspiracy against the social peace and wellbeing.

We the revolutionary student movements, the F.C.U. and all of the men and women affected by this wave of violence and unknown guerrilla acts of destabilizing intent, demand the defence of the true University autonomy, in which there is no room for paramilitaries, terrorists, coup plotters, conspiracists, sell-outs, lackeys, mercenaries, and in sum, all those who act against the peace of the Venezuelan people.

No to violence, no to the "Guarimbas," no to impunity, no to international interference, no to psychological and physical terrorism, no to coup seeking. We will remain united all for the defence of peace and sovereignty in the face of the hatred which threatens to do away with all of our hopes.

REMITIDO PUBLICO.

Nosotros, Movimientos Estudiantiles Revolucionarios, la Federación de Centros Universitarios de la Universidad de los Andes y el Movimiento Popular Merideño queremos hacer publico nuestro repudio a las acciones terroristas perpetradas por parte del golpismo y el oposicionismo representados por el Movimiento 13 de Marzo, el Movimiento 20, Bandera Roja y otros grupúsculos mas, que se encuentran dirigidos por el "pseudo estudiante" Nixon Moreno (imputado por el golpe de estado del 11 de abril, el asalto a la gobernación de Mérida, acusado públicamente por una joven policía merideña como integrante del grupo de maleantes que intento abusar de ella sexualmente, y quienes además agredieron a un agente policial cuyo estado de salud es precario), quien en complicidad con paramilitares, narcotraficantes y hampa común, hoy pretenden reeditar una agenda desestabilizadora mediante un clima de violencia frente a las elecciones presidenciales del venidero mes de diciembre, por medio de las practicas Guarimberas, que incluyen dentro de su plan de acción el uso de armas de fuego de alto calibre, de manera indiscriminada sobre el pueblo merideño.

Por otra parte denunciamos contundentemente la actitud cómplice y encubridora de las autoridades universitarias encabezadas por el ciudadano Rector de la Universidad de los Andes Léster Rodriguez, el Vicerrector Administrativo Mario Bonucci y la Decana de la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales Laura Toro. Estos personajes en compañía de grupos ajenos a la universidad pero con los mismos intereses reaccionarios y golpistas, candidatos presidenciales, politiqueros de una vieja trayectoria demagógica, y comunicadores sociales irresponsables y sin ética, todos ellos manipulados por los intereses y designios del Imperialismo Norteamericano, intentan crear una matriz de opinión en la que se muestran a los Victimarios como victimas, denunciando una supuesta violación de la autonomía universitaria. Cuando ante la comunidad en general, ha quedado evidenciada la falsedad de tales argumentos mediante pruebas testimoniales y audiovisuales que constatan las acciones vandálicas llevadas por estos grupos paramilitares, quienes representan una seria amenaza a la seguridad de la nación, y a la paz de la republica..

Consideramos que la Universidad ha sido y continúa siendo allanada por una banda pseudo estudiantes parásitos, por paramilitares, por narcotraficantes y por la corrupción administrativa que esta enquistada en sus entrañas y es causada por la desidia de quienes hasta ahora la han dirigido, perjudicando a toda la comunidad universitaria y al pueblo en general, utilizando la autonomía universitaria para cobijar y amparar todo tipo de atentados y conspiraciones contra el bienestar y la paz social.

Nosotros los MOVIMIENTOS ESTUDIANTILES REVOLUCIONARIOS, la F.C.U y todos los hombres y mujeres afectados por esta ola de violencia y actos guerreristas inéditos con propósitos desestabilizadores, instamos a defender la autonomía universitaria verdadera, en donde no tengan cabida, los paramilitares, los narcotraficantes, los terroristas, los golpistas, los conspiradores, los vendepatria, los lacayos, los mercenarios, en fin todos quienes atentan contra la paz del pueblo venezolano.

No a la violencia, no a las guarimbas, no a la impunidad, no a la injerencia internacional, no al terrorismo psicológico y físico, no al golpismo. Permaneceremos todos juntos por la defensa de la paz y la soberanía, frente al odio que amenaza con acabar nuestras esperanzas.

Josué Wilson

Upcoming Coverage
View and post events
Upcoming Events UK
24th October, London: 2015 London Anarchist Bookfair
2nd - 8th November: Wrexham, Wales, UK & Everywhere: Week of Action Against the North Wales Prison & the Prison Industrial Complex. Cymraeg: Wythnos o Weithredu yn Erbyn Carchar Gogledd Cymru

Ongoing UK
Every Tuesday 6pm-8pm, Yorkshire: Demo/vigil at NSA/NRO Menwith Hill US Spy Base More info: CAAB.

Every Tuesday, UK & worldwide: Counter Terror Tuesdays. Call the US Embassy nearest to you to protest Obama's Terror Tuesdays. More info here

Every day, London: Vigil for Julian Assange outside Ecuadorian Embassy

Parliament Sq Protest: see topic page
Ongoing Global
Rossport, Ireland: see topic page
Israel-Palestine: Israel Indymedia | Palestine Indymedia
Oaxaca: Chiapas Indymedia
Regions
All Regions
Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World
Other Local IMCs
Bristol/South West
Nottingham
Scotland
Social Media
You can follow @ukindymedia on indy.im and Twitter. We are working on a Twitter policy. We do not use Facebook, and advise you not to either.
Support Us
We need help paying the bills for hosting this site, please consider supporting us financially.
Other Media Projects
Schnews
Dissident Island Radio
Corporate Watch
Media Lens
VisionOnTV
Earth First! Action Update
Earth First! Action Reports
Topics
All Topics
Afghanistan
Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-Nuclear
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Fracking
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Policing
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista
Major Reports
NATO 2014
G8 2013
Workfare
2011 Census Resistance
Occupy Everywhere
August Riots
Dale Farm
J30 Strike
Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands
G20 London Summit
University Occupations for Gaza
Guantanamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
COP15 Climate Summit 2009
Carmel Agrexco
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Stop Sequani
Stop RWB
Climate Camp 2008
Oaxaca Uprising
Rossport Solidarity
Smash EDO
SOCPA
Past Major Reports
Encrypted Page
You are viewing this page using an encrypted connection. If you bookmark this page or send its address in an email you might want to use the un-encrypted address of this page.
If you recieved a warning about an untrusted root certificate please install the CAcert root certificate, for more information see the security page.

Global IMC Network


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech