News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Aug. 9, 2017: An anti-government activist took a different stand against Venezuelan security forces Tuesday. He simply took his clothes off.
The unidentified man is among the latest naked anti-government protestors to face down security forces. On August 8th, this protestor dropped his pants at a barricade set up on a street of Caracas to protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as security forces watched.
The latest naked act of defiance comes on the heels of the April naked protest by Hans Wuerich Larios, 27, who had clambered onto the hood of an armored vehicle of the National Bolivarian Police force.
“Don’t throw any more bombs, brother, por favor!” he begged. But the security forces answered the man with rubber bullets at point blank range, stones, and a terse, unequivocal order from one police officer shouting: “Get down!” When he is moving away, he is blasted in the back with scatter-shot from a riot gun that leaves pox-like lesions across his body.
Recent demonstrations in Venezuela have stemmed from anger over the installation of an all-powerful Constituent Assembly that many see as a power grab by the unpopular President.
The dire economic situation also has stirred deep bitterness as people struggle with skyrocketing inflation and shortages of food and medicine.
