Hundreds of people gathered in eastern Caracas, Monday, to pay tribute to Neomar Lander, a 17-year-old protester who was killed during clashes between security forces and anti-Maduro protesters in the Venezuelan capital in June.
While the country celebrated the 234th anniversary of the birth of Venezuelan national hero Simon Bolivar, the crowd lit candles and laid rosaries on the spot where the young anti-Maduro protester died.
Opposition Deputy Williams Davila said, “We must never forget that there are more than 103 people killed as a result of political violence in Venezuela. We must always keep that memory alive, because they did not die for frivolous causes.” He continued, “Nothing more and nothing less than they died in the struggle for our freedom, for our democracy, for our republic.”
Opposition groups have been holding protests, often with violent clashes ensuing, in Caracas for several months, demanding early general elections, opposing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s constituent assembly plans and demonstrating against the economic crisis in Venezuela.