Various armed groups from Caracas’ ‘23de Enero’ parish declared themselves to be on revolutionary strike this Thursday, in order to protest against the repression shown towards them by officials from the DISIP (Directorate of Intelligence and Prevention Services), following the detonation of an explosive device in the entrance of the Fedecamaras (Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce) building last February 24th. This explosion caused the death of Hector Serrano, a suspected member of one of the area’s collectives.

Glenn Martin, a representative for one of the groups, indicated that the violent demonstrations were also taking place in protest against the private media, especially Patricia Poleo and the evening newspaper ‘El Mundo’, which, by his estimation, were those who had been singled out.

Furthermore, he noted the irony in the fact that “the opposition are awarded with an amnesty law, whilst populist groups are reprimanded”, for which he called upon the various collectives to reject these actions, as much from opposition groups as from the “revolutionary government’s own right-leaning members”.

The “populist strike”
This Thursday morning the entrances to the ‘23rd of January’ neighborhood of Caracas were closed off by groups of hooded people who were protesting against ‘repression’. According to information from the media, government-supporting organizations based in the area decided to ‘kidnap’ the neighborhood, burning tires and firing weapons.