Photo by Andrea Ballesteros
The looting and sacking that happened during the night of Thursday (April 20) and morning of Friday (April 21) on Cajigal street in El Valle (south section of Caracas) resulted in eleven deaths, of which three happened by firearm, according to an official from the Scientific Police (CICPC) that informed El Estímulo.
The disturbances also resulted in 20 businesses sacked by groups that came down from the surrounding neighborhoods, according to local business owners who were affected.
Six of the deceased are currently at the Clínico Universitario hospital, and two others are the coche hospital, informed an anonymous agent.
A police officer and witnesses informed to El Estímulo that eight of the deceased died from electrocution when they attempted to sack the La Mayer del Pan bakery, which had an electric fence.
Around 100 people are in the surrounding areas of the bakery, where two vans from the Bello Monte morgue are taking the bodies. The director if the CICPC, Douglas Rico, was seen at the scene for a moment, but he did not make a statement to the press.
Liliana Alcántara, owner of two of the sacked businesses, assured that the sacking took place from 10pm until early hours of the morning.
One of her businesses, the butcher shop, “Mi Cabaña Capanaparo”, was sacked entirely.
“There was nothing left. They took everything. They sacked two of my businesses, I managed to make it here but it was too late. I live in Tázon, but it was impossible to get here. That was war, a huge crowd, an avalanche of uncontrollable people.
“The police and the National Guard (GNB) clashed but they didn’t do anything, because a tragedy would have unfolded”, she stated.
On the other hand, the mayor of the Sucre municipality, Carlos Ocariz, confirmed the death of Melvin Guaitán at the entrance of the ‘5 de Julio’ town, in Petare.
Ocariz did not give any details about the circumstances of the death: if it happened during an opposition march, if Guaitan was participating in it or just passing by, if the shot was made by a citizan or by a security officer.
The events in El Valle and Petare happened in the middle of the heavy protests that have been taking place for two weeks against president Nicolás Maduro.
With information from Andrea Ballesteros
