Death toll in Venezuela protests over election results rises to 24, NGO says

Caracas. – At least 24 people have been killed in protests in Venezuela over the rejection of the official results of the July 28 presidential election. National Electoral Council (CNE) Declaring the President the Winner Nicolas MaduroThis is according to a report released by the non-governmental organization Provea on Tuesday.

“Provea records show that 24 people died between Sunday, July 28 and Monday, August 5, in events and protests related to the July 28 elections,” the group said in a report published on its website, but the government did not confirm the data.

He pointed out that Directorate of Strategic and Tactical Operations (DAET) of Bolivarian National Police (PNB) At least two cases of protesters being “murdered” were reported, in addition to other victims at the hands of armed civilians.

He added: “In at least nine documented murders of protesters, witnesses identified pro-government armed civilian groups or collectives as the likely perpetrators of these incidents.”

The NGO said the groups were involved in “open coordination with public forces to repress demonstrations, attacks on polling centers on election day, and acts of intimidation and harassment against opposition figures.”

“Most of the registered protests took place in neighborhoods and popular areas of Caracas and other cities in the country,” he added.

Given this situation, Provea warned that acts of retaliation and “exemplary punishment” against residents of these areas or public administration workers will escalate in the coming days.

Likewise, he said, he has begun receiving complaints of harassment, terminations and job-degrading behavior by state agency employees.

“Depriving people of their human rights to democracy, to truth in elections, and suppressing anyone who demands these fundamental principles is a crime against human rights,” Provea added.

On Monday, the NGO Penal Forum (Foro Penal) reported that the Caribbean country had arrested 1,010 teenagers (the executive raised the figure to 2,000), of whom at least 91 were detained, during demonstrations against the results of the parliamentary elections. On July 28, Maduro won, but the opposition and part of the international community did not know it.