A student protester in Venezuela was killed after being shot in the chest on Wednesday, with witnesses saying that they believe government intelligence services were involved.
Daniel Tinoco, 24, was confirmed dead by a hospital in Venezuela’s Carabobo state, CNN reported. Tinoco was a university student studying mechanical engineering.
While Venezuela blamed the death on right-wing factions, witnesses in San Cristobal told CNN en Español they believed the gunmen, 10 in total who burst from white trucks, were linked with the government’s intelligence services.
Protests in Venezuela have been going on for weeks, with groups blaming the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro for skyrocketing inflation, shortages of basic necessities, power outages, crime and a struggling economy.
The county’s opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez remains behind bars, where he has been since surrendering to government officials Feb. 18 on terrorism charges.
“If my jailing serves to awaken a people, serves to awaken Venezuela … then it will be well worth the infamous imprisonment imposed upon me directly, with cowardice, by Nicolas Maduro,” Mr. Lopez said at the time, the Associated Press reported.
SEE ALSO: Venezuelan opposition leader Lopez stands before judge
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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