Caracas, Aug 22 (EFE).- Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab said Thursday that 70% of the deaths in post-election protests occurred on July 29, between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT on the 29th – 2:00 a.m. GMT on the 30th), meaning that 17 people were killed that day, while the remaining eight deaths occurred later.
Saab reiterated that none of the deaths were attributable to members of the state security forces, and blamed 100% of the victims on “criminal groups” that he linked to the largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD).
The prosecutor, who on Wednesday held a meeting with members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Venezuela, today stressed that “in just four hours – between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on July 29 – 70% of the events occurred (…) it was lethal, it was criminal that day.”
He insisted that none of the 25 murders were carried out by civil, military or police officials, since – he said – there is not a single “complaint” filed with the Prosecutor’s Office against state security forces.
During the meeting, Saab reported that two more deaths must be added to the 25 initially recorded, because “the blocking of roads by hooded men” and “armed men” caused “two fatal accidents” and “led to the death of two people.”
He also said that the Attorney General’s Office recorded 190 injuries in the protests, of which – he said – “approximately 100 are members of the police and military forces.”
Following the election, the largest opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), considered it “fraudulent” that the electoral authorities declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the presidential election, which triggered protests against the official result that, in addition to deaths and injuries, left more than 2,400 people arrested, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
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2024-08-22 22:42:18
