Clashes break out at Venezuela Protest

The protest was a march towards the National Assembly (previously Congress) to present a document explaining the reasons for the students disapproval of the constitutional reform project, both is content and illegitimacy. But with the assembly controlled by a very vast mayority of Chavez supporters * so no one expects a change here.

The goal was to bring conscience abut the reform, so the people read the reform (which is largely unknown, more articles are constantly being modified, and the elections are in early december) and see the concentration of power in it. I had moderate success in doing so, I believe, but it also helped to mobilize those who oppose it but are too tired or apathetic to do anything.

If people don't read the reform they will default to judging it by if they like or dislike Chavez, not the reform And with so much of the opposition unwilling to vote cause of their distrust of the electoral authorities it would probably be approved.

* The political opposition didn't participated in the elections because considered the process unfair, recently one of the more moderate parties supporting Chavez refused to join the PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela) and believe the reform proposed by Chavez helps to create a near totalitarian regime, so they opposed and where kicked off the revolution

I have photos of earlier protests (may, june) on my flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/aandres/
and will post more of upcoming ones

Some other stuff, if anyone wants to make an artilce out of this, be my guest, consider it under Creative Commons: Attributive, Share Alike license
(I didn't had the time to check the writing or spelling, I apologize)

Today the student movement leaded by the student bodies of the most important universities of Venezuela made another march in protest against the constitutional reform project proposed by president Chavez, they consider it illegitimate (changing basic principles that cant be constitutionally changed in reforms) they say it seriously hampers political and economical rights as well as the civil liberties, disagree with the proposed unlimited reelection and the concentration of power on the president. They also consider that the reform is widely unknown by the people, both the original content and the added modifications by the National Assembly (dominated by chavez) and the elections are going to be held in just mere 31 days. this time the march headed towards the CNE (National Electoral Council), the electoral institution in Venezuela, asking for a deferral of the elections, so the people can get to know the proposed reform and it's impact.

This time the situation was more complicated than in the last march (Explanation in next paragraph), and the repression was much, much stronger, the concentration was completely dissolved by the action of the security forces, which pursued the students when they tried to leave the area, the main group all the way to the starting point, the UCV (Universidad Central de Venezuela) which they can't enter, but there Chavez supporters were waiting with rocks and a huge arsenal of tear gas (Government supporters have been known to use tear gas against opposers many times, including inside the campus of said university. Chavez supporters also throwed rocks to the rectoral building of the UCV, damaging and partially destructing some of the offices and hurting at least of secretary, it's worth noting that the UCV is a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

The march was allowed to get to three blocks from the CNE, a vary strong barricade was set just before a crossing, in the ending of a small street. After the students arrived a commission of them was allowed to walk to the CNE so they could meet with it's authorities escorted by the Metropolitan Police, the escort was necessary because of a group of Chavez supporters right next to the entrance of the CNE (they were allowed ti be there, even if they didn't had to file a permit, unlike the students), when they saw the students started trowing sticks, bottles and rocks at them, the National Guard tried to control them but didn't dispersed them.

After getting inside of the institution, they were received, they showed their point of view and in response the CNE said that they are bound by the constitution to make the elections at most 30 days after the National Assembly approves the reform (scheduled to happen tomorrow November 2), and that they should request that rather to the the legislative (which was unsuccessful) or the Supreme Court. While leaving a group of the commission tried to chain themselves to the stairs they were in as a sign of protest, to which the internal security and National Guard violently tried to prevent it, hurting some of them in the process. Vicente Diaz, one of the directors of the electoral council had to stop the use of excessive force by security forces and resolved it peacefully.

On the march itself news and rumors of their peers being mistreated started to flow, which provoked some to act against the police in the main barricade, some were throwing plastic bottles at first, but it soon became more violent as some separated the metal fences and thrusted them towards the police with shields, others tried to push over the vehicles that made the barricade itself, many tried to calm things down, but with limited success. Someone had gasoline and wanted to burn one of the units, fortunately one of the students stopped him, and gave the combustible to the cops so none would get hurt. Not much time after that, the police considered it was enough and repressed the protesters with water cannons, rubber bullets and lots of tear gas.

The number of students detained is unknown, Law professors and human rights activists were trying to investigate the number and situation of the detainees. Many students resulted injured, as well as policemen; a student was captured on live TV being hit by members of the Metropolitan Police (PM), he was bleeding on his face, when the police noticed the camera covered him, some even their faces with the shields, they couldn't find anything in his backpack other than notebooks (as seen on TV) and eventually let him alone. He lost two teeth, and he was the son of an ex-commander of the PM, whom is now in jailed, considered by many a political prisoner.

The Citizen Security vice-minister blamed the student as coup-plotters, destabilizers, and violent, while minister of interior relations and justice congratulated to actions of the PM and National Guard, qualifying it of "patriotic and heroic". Vicente Diaz, the director of the CNE criticized the actions of some of the students, the attitude of the congregated Chavez supporters in constant disposition prevent or affect manifestations of those who oppose them, and the excessive use of force by the security forces. The Student Movement criticized the violence from all sectors, recognized the excesses of some of the protesters and said the needed to talk to those involved to convince them that it wasn't the right way; A march to the Supreme Court was announced for next Wednesday.