NGO records 9,286 protests in Venezuela in 2014

"Venezuelans took the streets in 2014 peacefully demanding their rights," said Marco Antonio Ponce, the general coordinator of the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict

In its latest report, non-governmental organization Observatorio Venezolano de conflictividad Social (Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict, OVCS) comments that 9,286 protests took place in Venezuela in 2014, that is, 26 protests daily. The research showed a hike in Venezuela's peaceful protests, marking a record high in the contemporary history of the nation. 

"Venezuelans took the streets in 2014 peacefully demanding their rights, yet the State responded with systematic political repression and criminalization, which resulted in a large number of people injured, dead, and political prisoners. We are concerned about the increase of impunity and human rights violations in Venezuela." Marco Antonio Ponce, OVCS general coordinator, said.

In the report, the NGO elaborates on the demands of the population, the sort of protests, the State's response, among other matters. It also explains that 52% of the protests on record during 2014 had to do with rejection towards Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his cabinet.

Source: http://www.eluniversal.com/