Human rights activist Lilian Tintori was accosted by regime supporters outside of the Public Ministry building in Caracas today, and was forced to hastily leave the area.
Tintori has become a national icon and advocate for human rights since her husband, Leopoldo Lopez, was arrested and imprisoned in 2014 over his alleged role in the anti-government protests that shook the country that year. Lopez’s trial was universally condemned by human rights organizations as a farce.
Tintori was at the Public Ministry building participating in a protest on behalf of the regime’s political prisoner. In the image below, Tintori (in the middle, with the white t-shirt and green jacket) walks alongside two women. The woman on the left is holding a sign that reads “Free First Lt. Gustavo Sandoval and all political prisoners”, while the woman on the right is holding a picture, presumably of a loved one being held in a regime prison for political reasons. The pro-government protesters can be seen in the background tailing Tintori and the other protesters:
The video below shows Tintori, in the white shirt and green jacket, being forced into her vehicle by a hostile crowd. The crowd hurls insults at Tintori, and shouts “Murderers!” and “Get out!” as the vehicle drives away:
The Maduro regime maintains that there is no legitimate political opposition in the country, and that those opposed to it are violent right wing terrorists.
Student Arrest for Conspiracy Gets Conditional Release
Ariana Granadillo, a university student who was arrested at a protest on June 25, processed through a military tribunal and accused of conspiring to overthrow the Maduro government, was released today with conditions. Granadillo must appear before a judge every eight days, and is prohibited from leaving the country or speaking to the media.
Granadillo is one of approximately 800 Venezuelans who have been processed through military tribunals since 2017. The practice appears to be designed to submit political dissenters to secretive trials, and to charge them with serious crimes like treason and rebellion.
Ranking Officer in Oscar Perez Raid Promoted
Rafael Enrique Bastardo, the National Guard officer in charge of the deadly January 15 raid in El Junquito which ended in the likely executions of Oscar Perez and his six companions, has been promoted. Bastardo is now a lieutenant colonel, having previously held the rank of major.
Bastardo was promoted alongside approximately 16,00 officers from all branches of the Venezuelan military yesterday.
On January 15 of this year, Bastardo–who is the head of the Fuerzas de Acciones Especiales (FAES) of the National Bolivarian Police–headed the raid that resulted in the likely execution of renegade police officer Oscar Perez and six of his companions. In two videos posted by Oscar Perez that morning, Bastardo can be seen negotiating with the rebels.
Padrino Lopez: Officers Promoted For “Loyalty”
During the promotion event yesterday, Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez said that the selected officers were being recognized for their “loyalty” to the Maduro government.
Padrino Lopez also said that, among other factors, the decision to promote the officers was based on “the role” that each officer played in ensuring the “institutional stability of the country and the preservation of democracy and peace”.
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