NEIGHBOURING Venezuela has been experiencing a week of massive demonstrations, which has resulted in the death of three persons, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has issued a call for peaceful conflict resolution.In a statement, the regional organisation said, “CARICOM calls on all parties to take the necessary steps to refrain from any further action that would hinder a peaceful resolution of the differences and a return to peace and calm in the country.
“…the Caribbean Community is concerned by the confrontations which have taken place in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela over the past few days in the course of demonstrations. CARICOM deplores the deaths of three persons arising from the resulting acts of violence.”
CARICOM stressed too that the democratically-elected Government of the Bolivarian Republic must be respected.
“In all democracies, citizens have the right to air their views and differences; however this must be done within the constitutional framework and not through violent demonstrations. No democratic society can reasonably pursue disorder or any unwarranted subversion of democratic institutions,” CARICOM said.
Hundreds of students in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas have spent the past week alternating between peaceful daytime protests and night-time battles with police in unrest fed by rampant crime, high inflation and shortages of basic goods.
Opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, who is fast becoming recognised as the political figurehead of resistance to President Nicolás Maduro, re-emerged Tuesday from days of hiding and addressed thousands of supporters before turning himself in to police.
Written By Vanessa Narine