Venezuela Protests News 2015: Protesters Take Streets in Multiple Cities as Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Condemns Shooting Death of 14-Year-Old Boy
Venezuelans have taken to the streets in the wake of the shooting death of a teenager during a demonstration against President Nicolas Maduro's government.
High school student Kluiverth Roa was shot in the head by police on Tuesday. Roa was amidst the protests in the western city of San Cristobal and was 14-years-old.
Roa's father says the boy was not a supporter nor in opposition of the government during the protests. Rather, he was an innocent bystander.
Students in the mountain town of Merida clashed with police, and at least four protesters were seriously injured after police fired upon them with plastic ammunition, Aljazeera reports.
In the capital, Caracas, students marched to the justice ministry on Wednesday to revoke the resolution. A mall group of women dressed in white marched in protest of Roa's death as well. In addition, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado marched alongside the mother of Geraldine Moreno, a student protester killed last year, and the mother of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.
Last year, San Cristobal was the origin of demonstrations that swept Venezuela and left 43 people dead. Roa is the first person to die in protest-related violence since the defense ministry adopted the Resolution 8610 mandate, which allows security forces to use deadly force to control public demonstrations.
The students submitted a petition to the justice ministry calling to repeal the resolution and the firing of the director of the national police.
"If the government continues its abuses, continues violating the constitution and human rights, the student movement is going to continue resoundingly in the streets, demanding respect," Hasler Iglesias, a student leader, said in San Cristobal.
Police officer Javier Mora Ortiz has since been charged with intentional homicide in the death of Roa. Ortiz reportedly confessed to firing on Roa with plastic ammunition. However, Roa's family said the boy's autopsy suggests the bullet was a live round.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other party officials have condemned the killing.
"If any member of the security forces commits a crime, especially those in charge of maintaining public order, you must know that I'll be the first to have them arrested," Maduro said.
Roa's funeral was held on Wednesday.
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