Police Attack Venezuela Solidarity Rally In Argentina

On Tuesday, police in Buenos Aires heavily repressed a large protest at the Venezuelan Embassy in Argentina. The protesters showing solidarity with the Bolivarian government against the military coup that was ongoing at the time.

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“That guy shot me in the head” exclaimed one protester who had been hit by a police tear gas canister shot from close range. Videos of the moment were captured on Argentina’s C5N channel, showing the moment the man dropped to the floor and a policeman just a few meters away holding up his rifle and advancing towards the man and the crowd. For the first few moments after the shooting, the man laid lifeless on the road and other protesters attempted to drag him away before the same policeman shot at those trying to help. The police also fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the crowd.

After coming around he spoke to cameras with blood across his face, saying “I can identify the one who did this but they’ll just hide him away”.

Police sources say the man was hit on Luis María Campos Avenue in Buenos Aires, and was taken to the Fernández Hospital in a non-critical condition.

‘The Network of Intellectuals, Artists and Social Movements in Defence Of Humanity’ reported on the other cases of repression during the rally, saying; “...to another they shot them with a pellet gun centimeters from their back. They detained 15 comrades in a real witch hunt.”

The protesters, largely from the Communist Party of Argentina had rallied at the embassy against the U.S.-backed coup that had tried and failed to take a military base in east Caracas. The coup was not successful in penetrating the La Carlota base, and civilian supporters of the coup were not able to march past the wealthy eastern Caracas districts. Chavista crowds had already gathered in central Caracas and in front of the presidential palace to stop the coup's advancement.

It was in this tense atmosphere that Argentinians turned out in large numbers to reject the attack on the Bolivarian government, and to repel a small group of Venezuelan right wing protesters who were attempting to illegally enter the embassy.

Prior to the police repression, a number of videos show large numbers at the rally. A Caracas-based Argentinian journalist posted a video on Twitter showing the size, and saying “Solidarity with Venezuela from Argentina where the popular movements have mobilized at the Venezuelan Embassy to support democracy, the president and to stop the coup organised by the U.S. and their allies-servants #PuebloEnMirafloresConMaduro”.