Accessibility links

Breaking News

Student Leader Killed in Venezuelan Unrest


Anti-government protester throws teargas canister back at police during riots at Altamira square, Caracas, March 6, 2014.
Anti-government protester throws teargas canister back at police during riots at Altamira square, Caracas, March 6, 2014.
A student leader has been fatally shot in Venezuela in the latest wave of violent protests seeking to oust the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Officials in the university city of San Cristobal said Daniel Tinoco was killed Monday night after a day of street clashes between anti-government demonstrators, pro-government armed militia and security personnel. Tinoco was an outspoken student leader who often manned the barricades that have been erected as part of the anti-Maduro protests.

At least 22 people have been killed in five weeks of demonstrations against soaring inflation, shortages of basic consumer goods and one of the world's highest murder rates.

Chile has asked Venezuelan officials to investigate the fatal shooting Saturday of one of its citizens, Giselle Rubilar, the first foreigner killed in the unrest. Maduro blamed "extremist right groups" for her death.

"At the time she was standing there conversing and motorcycles arrived — they have been identified — from these extremist right groups," said the president. "They fired their weapons and they shot her in the temple and the bullet came out of her left side, and they injured two neighbors as well as Giselle."

Maduro last week opened a "peace conference," but the opposition has refused to participate until he releases jailed protesters.

Some information for this report comes from AP, AFP and Reuters.
  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG