The 2020 Barquisimeto shooting occurred on 29 February 2020, when pro-government colectivos shot at the Speaker of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó and his supporters in Barquisimeto, Lara state during a demonstration, leaving ten injured.[1][2]
| Barquisimeto shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Venezuelan presidential crisis | |
.svg)  Barquisimeto 2020 Barquisimeto shooting (Venezuela) | |
| Location | Juan de Villegas parish, Barquisimeto, Lara state, Venezuela |
| Date | 29 February 2020 |
| Weapons | Firearms |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | 10 |
| Perpetrators | Colectivos |
Background
editA power struggle concerning who is the legitimate President of Venezuela began on 10 January 2019, when the opposition-majority National Assembly declared that incumbent Nicolás Maduro's 2018 re-election was invalid; that the office of the President of Venezuela was therefore vacant; and declared its president, Juan Guaidó, to be acting president of the nation. As of February 2020, Guaidó had been recognized as the interim president of Venezuela by 54 countries,[3] including the United States and most nations of Latin America and Europe.[4]
Shooting
editOn 29 February Juan Guaidó mobilized a march against the government of Nicolás Maduro in the Juan de Villegas parish, Barquisimeto, Lara state. Guaidó was in a van at the time of the shooting, which was fired upon by pro-government colectivos. Bolivarian National Intelligence Service agents were also reported of having participated in the attack.[1] The shooting left a total of ten wounded, including a 16-year-old boy.[5][non-primary source needed] Guaidó's vehicle received nine gunshots.[1]
According to opposition deputy Alfonso Marquina, in addition to the wounded, one person was kidnapped.[6]
Reactions
editDomestic
edit
Venezuelan government: Diosdado Cabello, president of the Constituent Assembly, said that the shooting was a false flag attack.[7]
- Venezuelan opposition: Juan Guaidó, after the shooting, said that "the dictatorship tried to assassinate me today. They aimed at me. Our only limit is the physical limit".[8] Guaidó accused Diosdado Cabello of being the intellectual author of the shooting.[9]
International
editThe European Union, Spain, and the Organization of American States condemned the attack against the demonstration.[1]
European Union: The EU issued a statement saying: "Acts of this nature against the opposition and the democratically elected National Assembly and its members are unacceptable and further hinder efforts towards a political solution to the crisis. The right of all political forces and civil society to demonstrate peacefully must be respected."[1]
Spain: The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the shooting and rejected the harassment against Juan Guaidó.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f Singer, Florantonia (2020-03-01). "El ataque a una concentración de Juan Guaidó deja al menos cinco heridos". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ "Colectivos chavistas atacaron una concentración convocada por Juan Guaidó en Barquisimeto". infobae (in Spanish). 29 February 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
- ^ DeYoung, Karen (4 April 2019). "Diseases surge in Venezuela under health system in 'utter collapse', report says". The Independent. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ Meredith, Sam (12 February 2019). "How a nationwide protest against Maduro could shape Venezuela's future". CNBC. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ "Lara - 10 heridos dejaría hechos violentos en contra de Guaidó", VPItv, YouTube, 1 March 2020, retrieved 2022-06-09
- ^ Juan Guaidó, tras el atentado por parte de colectivos chavistas: “La dictadura cobarde intentó asesinarme”. Publicado el 29 de febrero de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.
- ^ Cabello: lo ocurrido en Barquisimeto fue un falso positivo. Publicado el 2 de marzo de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.
- ^ Juan Guaidó, tras el atentado por parte de colectivos chavistas: “La dictadura cobarde intentó asesinarme”. Publicado el 29 de febrero de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.
- ^ Colectivos chavistas atacaron una concentración convocada por Juan Guaidó en Barquisimeto. Infobae. Publicado el 29 de febrero de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.