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RED VZLA Urgent Request to the OTP-3

REDACTED Page 27 of 190 In light of these events, the student leaders called for a protest in Caracas to be held on 12 February 2014 to demand the release of students detained during earlier marches and meaningful reforms.59 (ii)Protests on 12 February 2014 in Caracas, San Cristóbal, Carabobo and Miranda Student-led demonstrations began on 12 February 2014 in many cities all over Venezuela, including Caracas, San Cristobal, Carabobo and Miranda.60 The pro- government students also organized a demonstration in the west of downtown Caracas.61 In Caracas, the demonstration which was initially pacific and culminated in front of the headquarters of the Office of Public Prosecutions, where the students went to present a petition demanding the release of the detained students in Táchira. Clashes between the students, the security forces and a pro-government armed paramilitary group resulted in dozens of detentions and injuries. Two people were killed by being shot in the head as part of a disproportionate repression led by pro government armed paramilitary groups –called colectivos, and the Bolivarian Service on National Intelligence (SEBIN) including student Bassil Da Costa. Da Costa was among a protesting crowd in La Candelaria neighbourhood when SEBIN officers opened fire against them, and a bullet allegedly fired by SEBIN officer José Ramón Perdomo Camacho reached his head and killed him.62 The shooting was part of an articulated repression operation against the demonstrators that included the collaboration of the Bolivarian National Guard and the Bolivarian National Police (PNB).63 Video footage shows these two forces patrolling the protests 59 February 12 was specifically chosen because it was the 200 anniversary of the Battle of La Victoria, a battle where students played a prominent role in the Venezuelan city of La Victoria’s resistance against attacks by the Spanish army during Venezuela’s campaign for independence. February 12 is also designated as Venezuela’s Youth Day. 60 LA PATILLA. (2014) Así marchó la oposición en Venezuela 61 ANDRADE, A. (2014) Estudiantes oficialistas marcharán el 12 de febrero por la pacificación nacional. Noticiero Venevision. [Online] 10 February. http://www.noticierovenevision.net/politica/2014/febrero/10/88937=estudiantes-oficialistas- marcharan-el-12-de-febrero-por-la-pacificacion-nacional- [Accessed 22 October, 2015] 62 MOLINA, T. (2014) Mismo Sebin mató a Dacosta y Montoya. El Universal. [Online] 28 March. Available from: http://www.eluniversal.com/sucesos/140328/mismo-sebin-mato-a-dacosta-y-montoya [Accessed 22 October, 2015]; ULTIMAS NOTICIAS. (2014) Preso otro agente del Sebin por dos muertes del 12-F. Ultimas Noticias. [Online] 18 March. Available from: http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/actualidad/sucesos/preso-otro-agente-del-sebin-por-dos- muertes-del-12.aspx [Accessed 22 October, 2015]; RUNRUNES. (2015) La investigación que desarmó la historia oficial sobre el 12F. Runrunes. [Online] 16 June. Available from: http://runrun.es/rr-es- plus/investigacion/186376/la-investigacion-que-desarmo-la-historia-oficial-sobre-el-12f.html [Accessed October, 2015] 63 RUNRUNES. (2015) La investigación que desarmó la historia oficial sobre el 12F

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