MADURO WARNS ’CRIMINALS’ AFTER HQ TORCHED

The fallout from the disputed Venezuelan election is turning ugly, with opposition protesters allegedly resorting to arson - torching one of the ruling party’s regional HQs and a mayoral office. President Nicolas Maduro used an address to the nation to brand the perpetrators criminals, showing a video of the fire on his mobile phone. While the official election results gave him 51% of the vote, the opposition - relying on exit polls - say they won a landslide. It has the support of the West, including the US.

Anti-government protests in Venezuela led to deadly violence in 2014 and 2017, with dozens killed. Back then, several government and ruling-party buildings were also torched.

A particularly gruesome incident during the 2017 unrest involved Orlando Figuera - a young Black man - who was stabbed and set on fire by protesters. It’s thought he was mistaken for a Maduro supporter as relatively few Black Venezuelans support the opposition. He later died of his wounds.

Before the current ruling party came to power in 1999, Afro-Venezuelans were subjected to widespread racial and economic discrimination. In the 25 years that the party has been in power, it has implemented several programmes to reverse the negative impact of the centuries of racism against Venezuelans of African descent. It is for this reason that many of them support the ruling party.

What do you think Africans can learn from the most recent events in Latin America?

Credit: VTV