Accion Democratica (AD) assault on Catia leaves 1 dead and 22 injured

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Sunday, May 25, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

The Accion Democratica-led "Assault on Catia" has left one person dead and 22 persons injuries. Urban warfare started early on Saturday morning as an armed group set up a barricade of two hijacked municipal buses.

National Guard (GN) soldiers sent to remove the buses after they took potshots from unidentified gunmen ... GN (CORE-5)  Regional Commander General Marcos Rojas says he is certain that the group belonged to opposition Bandera Roja (BR) ... BR leaders have denied the charges.

The AD rally itself only lasted an hour and had to be suspended because of increased street-fighting between opposition and government supporters threatening to spill over on to the site where the rally was being staged ... bottles, stones, shots and insults were exchanged in equal servings. 

Both sides are claiming that  the dead person, Modesto Graterol Bastidas (48), who received a bullet in the mouth and was declared dead on entering Catia Magallanes Hospital dead, is one of theirs. 

The shooting incident leading up to Graterol Bastidas' death took place near 23 de Enero Zone F Apartment Blocks 40. According to Las Ultimas Noticias tabloid,  a group of persons manning a street barricade fired on State Political & Security (DISIP) Police pickets ... the agents allegedly shot back killing Graterol Bastidas. The opposition claims that the dead man was an AD trade unionist motorcyclist and part of a security brigade. 

Movimiento Quinta Republica (MVR)  leader, Omar Mezza counterclaims that the dead man was a party sympathizer and says he has spoken to Libertador Mayor Freddy Bernal to pay for the funeral since Modesto Graterol Bastidas was poor and lived with an aunt who is very old. The MVR leader also slammed mainstream media for claiming the dead man as an AD militant. Mezza claims that 2 MVR militants were wounded in afternoon incidents in 23 de Enero. 

• Citizen Security Minister, Danny Azuaje has issued a statement saying security forces are carrying out an investigation into the identity of the group that allegedly started the rumpus by shooting at GN soldiers. 

AD president, Henry Ramos Allup is reported as saying he's pleased with the results of the rally and claims AD has recovered a foothold in western Caracas ... "the rally was a success and despite the violence, it was a triumph for democracy ... we showed our mettle ... AD provided the people and the grit." 

Boasting, Ramos Allup also stated that he would not rest until he discovered who fired on GN soldiers, hinting that it was the (23 de Enero-based) Tupamaros and other government armed bands. 

Coordinadora Democratica (AD) leader and presidential wannabe,  Enrique Mendoza was more low-key, saying he preferred to wait and see before establishing responsibilities. Ultimas Noticias reports that police presence helped keep down the number of casualties.

List of injured persons  to date: With bullet wounds Henry Mora Valero (38), Leonel Ramirez (20), Luis Viloria (29); GN soldiers Romero Nunez and Frank Lugo and civilians taken to the military hospital ; Catia Magallanes Hospital: Henry Ramirez and Richard Portillo (34); Catia Periferico Hospital: Damaso Silveira (43), Orlando Sanchez (46), Francisco Incerti (39), Pedro Perez (49), Diego Diaz, Orlando Montanes, Jacinto Benitez and Eris Villega (19) ... Alberto Pino with a knife-wound to the chest ... Alberto Gutierrez, Elio Fermin, Jose Calatayu and Jose Perez with concussion and bruises. An unnamed citizen was hit with a powerful firework.

Heedless of Saturday's provocation, AD leaders have confirmed that they will hold a similar rally in Petare during the coming month and it seems that what is left of the Coordinadora Democratica (CD)  is running the gauntlet as well.

What is clear from yesterday's incident is that AD has finally brought out its goon squads in a strange alliance with former Cold War enemies, the former ultra-left guerrilla group Bandera Roja (BR).

Yesterday's incidents quashes opposition media hype that Bolivarian Circles are reponsible for most of the political violence in Venezuela. The new opposition tactic spear-headed by Accion Democratica (AD) and the Christian Socialists (COPEI)  to regain the streets using traditional goon squads is an open invitation to violence and chaos and a prelude to political assassination and other terror tactics.

AD is banking on the theory that what  worked during the Fourth Republic, especially in the trade union movement will work today. Whether it has the same success depends on the reaction and response of the government and organized Chavists grass-root organizations and of course, the rational opposition, which still has something to say in the matter.