Wednesday 18 December 2002

The mystery assassin

"Mystery" my arse!

One of the mysterious aspects of the current crisis in Venezuela is who was behind the fatal shootings of three demonstrators taking part in a rally against the president, Hugo Chavez, earlier this month. Both sides are blaming the other for organising the attack and competing conspiracy theories have turned it into a Venezuelan equivalent of the Kennedy assassination.

A Portuguese-born taxi-driver, Joao De Gouveia, has already confessed to all three killings. On December 6, De Gouveia opened fire in Plaza Francia in Altamira, a centre for opposition protests. Josefina de Inciarte, 76, Keyla Guerra, a 17-year-old student and Professor Jaime Giraud, 53, were killed and are now seen as martyrs of the movement to remove Chavez. Thousands took part in marches in their memory last week.

De Gouveia was grabbed by demonstrators at the square after his gun appeared to jam and only rescued from a lynching by the police who took him into custody.

Full story...

MORE NEWS:
17 Members of Congress speak out on Venezuela added today
Chavez: Worst is over
OAS backs democratic institutions
US revealed in plot to oust Venezuela's President MUST READ!