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→‎History: These descriptions are merely around 20% of all of the information provided in each case. It is actually pretty tame. Is there any other reason for opposing this inclusion besides Irwin Cotler? If not, you should really review WP:BADPOV before citing it again. Solving expand language tag
Tags: Reverted Visual edit
Retoring neutral version. Per WP:ONUS, discuss first. It is undue because this is an article about the protest method, not about the government's response. Nowhere does it specifically say that it is a "pejorative" term and it is already explained in the intro how the government uses the term, making the addition excessive, undue and redundant.
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[[File:Barricade_2_Venezuela_2014.jpg|thumb|A barricade built by protesters blocking a street in Caracas, 2014]]
[[File:Barricade_2_Venezuela_2014.jpg|thumb|A barricade built by protesters blocking a street in Caracas, 2014]]
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The '''''guarimba''''' is a [[Protest methods|protest method]] of erecting street barricades or roadblocks that has been used against the governments of [[Hugo Chávez]] and [[Nicolás Maduro]]. Although the erection of barricades in Venezuela dates back to the 1980s and 1990s by leftist university groups, the term has gained relevance during the governments of [[Hugo Chávez]] and [[Nicolás Maduro]], when it has become a pejorative and stigmatizing term. Government officials have used the term to disqualify and criminalize the opposition or opposition demonstrations.
The '''''guarimba''''' is a [[Protest methods|protest method]] used by some groups of the [[Venezuelan opposition]] that involves erecting street barricades or roadblocks. Although the erection of barricades in Venezuela dates back decades, the term has gained relevance during protests against the governments of [[Hugo Chávez]] and [[Nicolás Maduro]]. Venezuelan officials have used the term to disqualify and criminalize the opposition or opposition demonstrations.


== History ==
== History ==
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Guarimbas were particularly common in the [[Táchira|Táchira state]] and were even used to protect demonstrations, preventing security forces from advancing into areas where rallies or marches were taking place.<ref name=":13">{{cite book |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFMV/A_HRC_45_CRP.11_SP.pdf |title=Conclusiones detalladas de la Misión internacional independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre la República Bolivariana de Venezuela* |editor=International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela |page=321 |quote=bloqueos de caminos, incluidas “guarimbas” hechas de diferentes tipos de objetos y elementos (como tablas metálicas o troncos de árboles, pilas de basura o escombros de obras de construcción) |access-date=30 December 2023}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>
Guarimbas were particularly common in the [[Táchira|Táchira state]] and were even used to protect demonstrations, preventing security forces from advancing into areas where rallies or marches were taking place.<ref name=":13">{{cite book |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFMV/A_HRC_45_CRP.11_SP.pdf |title=Conclusiones detalladas de la Misión internacional independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre la República Bolivariana de Venezuela* |editor=International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela |page=321 |quote=bloqueos de caminos, incluidas “guarimbas” hechas de diferentes tipos de objetos y elementos (como tablas metálicas o troncos de árboles, pilas de basura o escombros de obras de construcción) |access-date=30 December 2023}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>


A former official of the [[Bolivarian Intelligence Service]] (SEBIN) told the {{ill|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|es|Misión Internacional Independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre Venezuela}} that its director, {{ill|Carlos Calderón (officer)|es|Carlos Calderón (comisario)|lt=Carlos Calderón}}, was directly involved in torture within the agency during the protests. Among other ill-treatment, he placed plastic bags on protesters, or poured water on them, and beat them to extract information.<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2022|pp=103}}</ref>
A former official of the [[Bolivarian Intelligence Service]] (SEBIN) told the {{ill|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|es|Misión Internacional Independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre Venezuela}} that its director, {{ill|Carlos Calderón (officer)|es|Carlos Calderón (comisario)|lt=Carlos Calderón}}, was directly involved in torture within the agency during the protests. Among other ill-treatment, he placed plastic bags on guarimba protesters, or poured water on them, and beat them to extract information.<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2022|pp=103}}</ref>

During the protests, on 13 February 2014, during his arrest in [[Valencia, Venezuela|Valencia]], [[Carabobo|Carabobo state]], [[Jorge León]] and his companions were insulted as "guarimbero" and were severely beaten with the butt of guns, helmets and kicks. Jorge suffered a skull fracture and rupture of the left eardrum with loss of [[cerebrospinal fluid]] as a result of the blows.<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=134}}</ref> When they were detained on 24 February and during their transfer, [[Andrea Jiménez]] and a companion were threatened with rape, death and dismemberment, insulting them with the terms "guarimberos", "squalids" and "bourgeois".<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=137}}</ref> During their detention from March 12, 2014 in [[Barquisimeto]], [[Lara (state)|Lara state]], [[Keyla Brito]] and her daughter Karkelys were stripped naked in the National Guard 47th detachment, being beaten while they were called "guarimberas" and "squalids".<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=141}}</ref>

In another case, on 19 March 2014, a member of the [[Venezuelan National Police|Bolivarian National Police]] pointed a gun at [[Gloria Tobón]]'s head during a protest in [[Táchira|Táchira state]], while another officer told him to "kill that bitch". Upon arresting her, troops poured vinegar in her face and beat her, calling her "bitch" and "guarimbera motherfucker".<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=353}}</ref><ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=409}}</ref> [[Robert González]] and eight of his companions were arrested while protesting on 21 April 2014 in [[La Victoria, Aragua|La Victoria]], [[Aragua|Aragua state]], being detained for four days. During their confinement, they were beaten and threatened, including threats of death and disappearance, while being shouted at as "guarimberos". They were subjected to asphyxiation by tear gas cannisters, as well as food, [[Water deprivation|water]] and [[sleep deprivation]] several times.<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|pp=149–150}}</ref>


The head of investigative journalists at ''[[Últimas Noticias]]'' reportedly resigned after being told not to do a story on guarimbas and after the manager tried to force her to say that the guarimbas were funded, that they were not protesters and to conclude the story by condemning them.<ref>{{cite news |date=7 April 2014 |title=Los periodistas denuncian más de 100 agresiones en Venezuela |newspaper=La Vanguardia |url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20140407/54404721772/periodistas-agresiones-venezuela-protestas.html |access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
The head of investigative journalists at ''[[Últimas Noticias]]'' reportedly resigned after being told not to do a story on guarimbas and after the manager tried to force her to say that the guarimbas were funded, that they were not protesters and to conclude the story by condemning them.<ref>{{cite news |date=7 April 2014 |title=Los periodistas denuncian más de 100 agresiones en Venezuela |newspaper=La Vanguardia |url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/internacional/20140407/54404721772/periodistas-agresiones-venezuela-protestas.html |access-date=7 April 2014}}</ref>
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In some cases, neighbors took garbage to the streets to protest against the lack of garbage collection in their neighborhoods. In [[La Villa del Rosario|Villa del Rosario]], [[Zulia|Zulia state]], there were sectors that had been without street cleaning for up to six months.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2023-12-30|date=28 June 2017|title=No es guarimba: Vecinos de La Villa sacan la basura a la calle por mal servicio del Imaur (FOTOS)|url=https://www.perijaneros.com/2017/06/no-es-guarimba-vecinos-de-la-villa-sacan-la-basura-a-la-calle-por-mal-servicio-del-Imaur.html}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>
In some cases, neighbors took garbage to the streets to protest against the lack of garbage collection in their neighborhoods. In [[La Villa del Rosario|Villa del Rosario]], [[Zulia|Zulia state]], there were sectors that had been without street cleaning for up to six months.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2023-12-30|date=28 June 2017|title=No es guarimba: Vecinos de La Villa sacan la basura a la calle por mal servicio del Imaur (FOTOS)|url=https://www.perijaneros.com/2017/06/no-es-guarimba-vecinos-de-la-villa-sacan-la-basura-a-la-calle-por-mal-servicio-del-Imaur.html}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

After the activation of [[Plan Zamora]] during the protests, the number of arbitrary arrests and people tried before military courts increased significantly. Those detained were generally accused of being "guarimberos," a term that is not defined under the military terminology, and of the crime of "affront to the sentinel" (military personnel).<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|pp=49}}</ref> On July 2, 2017, a group of twenty-eight students from the [[Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador]] in [[Maracay]], Aragua state, who were staying overnight on campus as part of demonstrations were arrested in the early morning. The security forces raided the university, tied up and beat the security guards, and threatened and beat the students as they were taken away, while calling them "guarimberos".<ref name="Organization of American States 2018 187">{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=187}}</ref> In another protest, a "trancazo" in the vicinity of the [[Centro Sambil|Caracas Sambil shopping mall]], multiple protesters were detained in July and subsequently tortured. One of them, in addition to being threatened and beaten, had dirt poured on a head wound caused by the beatings, had pepper spray thrown in his face, had his hair cut with a knife and had his clothes torn, being accused of being a "guarimbero" and extorting him for money to be released.<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=177}}</ref> [[Orlando Moreno]], a student and representative of the [[Come Venezuela]] opposition party, was hung in a [[stress position]] in {{ill|La Pica Prison|es|Cárcel de La Pica}} after being arrested on 27 June and refusing to make a video confession. Moreno spent nine hours in the position, in which he could barely touch the ground with the tips of his toes, being called a "guarimbero" and beaten.<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=186}}</ref> On 20 July 2017, National Guardsmen broke into the home of [[Reny Elías]] to arrest him, an employee of the Health Secretariat of the Zulia governor's office. He was taken to a place where he was forced to lie on the floor along with twenty other people, where officers of the Bolivarian National Police insulted them, calling them "damned guarimberos" and threatening to kill them. They trampled them, beat them with rifles and threw tear gas and water in their faces, telling them "Tell the opposition to come and get you out of here!".<ref name="Organization of American States 2018 187" />

On 30 July, the day of the [[2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election|Constituent Assembly elections]] in [[San Cristóbal, Táchira|San Cristóbal]], [[Táchira|Táchira state]], a demonstrator was intercepted by armed men wearing balaclavas as he was returning home. One of them told him "You are a guarimbero!", hitting him on the head and arresting him. The protester was forced to hold [[Molotov cocktail|Molotov cocktails]] while they took pictures of him and to record an incriminating video, pointing to local youths of being leaders of the ''[[Resistencia (Venezuela)|Resistencia]]'' and claiming that they had paid him 100,000 bolivars to participate in the protest.<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=411}}</ref>


== Organization and tactics ==
== Organization and tactics ==
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</gallery>
</gallery>


== Government response ==
== Responses ==
⚫
The views on ''guarimberos'' are polarized in Venezuela.<ref name=":33" /> Critics have said that guarimbas affect local residents and businesses, having little political impact.<ref name="BBCStreetblockades22">{{cite news |date=27 February 2014 |title=Street blockades divide opinion in Venezuela |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26366809 |access-date=8 April 2014 |work=BBC News}}</ref> During protests against the government of [[Nicolás Maduro]], the term "guarimbero" was used by the government, leftists and opposition to criticize individuals who participated in the method.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book |author=Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/ijudiciary/cfis/legal-empowerment/subm-upcoming-legal-empowerment-aca-observatorio-derechos-humanos-u.pdf |title=Obstáculos para acompañar a víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos |date=3 May 2023 |editor= |quote=Funcionarios públicos del sistema de justicia penal en Mérida, mediante un lenguaje estigmatizador y violento diferenciaron en su perjuicio a estas personas y sus procesos judiciales bajo la denominación de “guarimberos” o “casos guarimba”. |author-link=Universidad de Los Andes (Venezuela) |access-date=13 January 2024}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite web |last=Alvarado |first=Marino |date=10 August 2017 |title=Grupos paramilitares alentados por el PSUV ensayaron su despliegue en Lara durante protestas de 2014 |url=https://provea.org/paramilitarismo/grupos-paramilitares-alentados-por-el-psuv-ensayaron-su-despliegue-en-lara-durante-protestas-de-2014/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=[[PROVEA]] |quote=De esta campaña de satanización de las barricadas hicieron eco organizaciones y personajes del quehacer político, tanto del oficialismo como de la llamada izquierda, “chavismo crítico”, y de la oposición ... La mayoría coincidió en que la “guarimba” debía ser desmontada a “cualquier costo”.}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> In 2014, the majority of Venezuelans rejected guarimbas according to a Datanalisis poll; disagreement with the tactic was shared by 70% of opposition respondents and 87% of independent and pro-government respondents.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2014-04-09 |title=Uso de barricadas contra o governo divide oposição na Venezuela |url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/noticias/2014/04/140409_venezuela_barricadas_mm_cj |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=pt-BR}}</ref> Opposition protesters have argued that ''guarimbas'' are also used as a protection against armed groups, and not only as a form of protest.<ref name="OPPbarricade">{{cite web |title=noticiascentro.com |url=http://www.noticiascentro.com/2014/guarimbas-protejen-contra-motomalandros/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413141901/http://www.noticiascentro.com/2014/guarimbas-protejen-contra-motomalandros/ |archive-date=13 April 2014 |access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref>
During the [[Bolivarian Revolution]], particularly during the administration of [[Nicolás Maduro]], the term "guarimbero" has become a pejorative and stigmatizing term, and government officials have used the term to disqualify and criminalize the opposition or opposition demonstrations.<ref name=":42">{{cite book |last=Márquez |first=Laureano |title=Historieta de Venezuela: De Macuto a Maduro |date=2018 |page=142 |chapter=La dictadura |quote=Las protestas incorporan la trance de calles y avenidas, principalmente en zonas de clase media y alta del país. Se establecen las "guarimbas" como lugares de reagrupamiento de protestas opositoras. Se trató de una acción contraproducente que generó caos, muertes accidentales y conflicto entre los mismos opositores. El gobierno de Maduro las aprovechó para descalificar a la oposición como fascista y violenta. |author-link=Laureano Márquez}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=57}}: "todo aquel que
participa en manifestaciones o expresa su desacuerdo es calificado de 'guarimbero' o 'terrorista'"</ref><ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|p=370}}: "Por otro lado, la constante utilización de insultos estigmatizadores con epítetos políticos degradantes y acusaciones de ser 'guarimberos' —un término peyorativo utilizado por partidarios del gobierno para describir a quienes participan en manifestaciones de la oposición – demuestra que los miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad conocían que los actos que estaban cometiendo, a saber: asesinatos, encarcelación u otra privación grave de la libertad física, tortura, violación y otras formas de violencia sexual, persecución o desaparición forzada, formaban parte del ataque dirigido en contra un grupo determinado de la población civil."</ref><ref>{{Cite book |author=Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/ijudiciary/cfis/legal-empowerment/subm-upcoming-legal-empowerment-aca-observatorio-derechos-humanos-u.pdf |title=Obstáculos para acompañar a víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos |date=3 May 2023 |editor= |quote=Funcionarios públicos del sistema de justicia penal en Mérida, mediante un lenguaje estigmatizador y violento diferenciaron en su perjuicio a estas personas y sus procesos judiciales bajo la denominación de “guarimberos” o “casos guarimba”. |author-link=Universidad de Los Andes (Venezuela) |access-date=13 January 2024}}</ref><ref name=":63">{{cite web |last=Alvarado |first=Marino |date=10 August 2017 |title=Grupos paramilitares alentados por el PSUV ensayaron su despliegue en Lara durante protestas de 2014 |url=https://provea.org/paramilitarismo/grupos-paramilitares-alentados-por-el-psuv-ensayaron-su-despliegue-en-lara-durante-protestas-de-2014/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=[[PROVEA]] |quote=El sector oficial desarrolló una abrumadora campaña de rechazo y satanización, calificando a este tipo de acción con el remoquete de “guarimbas” y a quienes las respaldaban se les llamó “guarimberos terroristas”, así éstos se convirtieron en el nuevo enemigo al que había que someter a sangre y fuego.}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> In response to the construction of barricades, security agencies have been deployed to remove them in coordination with [[Colectivo (Venezuela)|colectivos]], pro-government civilian motorcyclists. The term has been used as an insult against opposition protesters, or people perceived to have participated in demonstrations, as well as other disqualifiers such as "squalid", including at times when they have been subjected to torture and/or mistreatment.<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2022|p=327}}</ref>

On 5 March 2014, attorney Juan Ernesto Garantón sued the opposition mayors of Baruta and Hatillo before the [[Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Venezuela)|Supreme Tribunal of Justice]] ({{Ill|Gerardo Blyde|es}} and [[David Smolansky]]), accusing them of collaborating with the closing of streets, stating that "although they have said they are against these protests 'guarimbas', there are no forceful actions to stop them".<ref name=":722">{{Cite book |author=[[CEPAZ]] |url=https://ccprcentre.org/files/documents/INT_CCPR_CSS_VEN_20686_E.pdf |title=Political Persecution in Venezuela. Systematization of patterns of persecution to Venezuelan political dissidents. |date=June 2015 |location=[[Ginebra]] |pages=39, 48, 49 |language=English |access-date=13 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=5 March 2014 |title=Demandan a alcaldes de Baruta y El Hatillo por "colaborar con la tranca de calles" |url=http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/226075/en-vivo-el-abogado-juan-ernesto-garanton-conversa-en-noticias24-sobre-la-demanda-contra-dos-alcaldes-de-oposicion/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140306053427/http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/226075/en-vivo-el-abogado-juan-ernesto-garanton-conversa-en-noticias24-sobre-la-demanda-contra-dos-alcaldes-de-oposicion/ |archive-date=6 March 2014 |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Noticias24}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

The Constitutional Chamber of the [[Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Venezuela)|Supreme Tribunal of Justice]], through an interpretation of Article 68 of the Constitution on the [[freedom of assembly]], ruled that demonstrations need authorization and that gatherings without prior authorization "may give rise to the police and security forces in the control of public order to ensure the right to free transit and other constitutional rights". The ruling contravened international standards for the protection of the right to demonstrate and facilitated repression by outlawing all protests that did not have a permit.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.observatoriodeconflictos.org.ve/oc/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/INFORMEcriminalizaci%C3%B3nyrepresi%C3%B3n-FINAL-digital-1.pdf |title=Situación de la criminalización y represión en Venezuela- 2018 |date=17 December 2023 |publisher=Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social |location=Caracas, Venezuela |publication-date=February 2019 |page=9 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-17 |title=Lo que hay detrás de las guarimbas |url=https://armando.info/lo-que-hay-detras-de-las-guarimbas/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=[[Armando.Info]] |language=es-ES}}</ref>


=== Government ===
The government has opposed the usage of ''guarmibas''<ref>"A la pregunta sobre si la motivación de las guarimbas es “protestar por unos problemas”, o sacar a Maduro del poder, 36,9% cree que lo hacen como protesta, pero 63,1% dijo que tienen como objetivo sacar del poder a Maduro. El porcentaje más alto (78,7%) corresponde a los más pobres, de las clases D y E. Como ven, en esos estratos socioeconómicos hay mayor conciencia de los verdaderos fines de la red de guarimbas, donde los niveles de rechazo son más altos." [http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/opinion/firmas/los-domingos-de-diaz-rangel---eleazar-diaz-rangel/repudio-a-las-guarimbas.aspx "Repudio a las guarimbas" at ''Ultimas Noticias''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702144645/http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/opinion/firmas/los-domingos-de-diaz-rangel---eleazar-diaz-rangel/repudio-a-las-guarimbas.aspx|date=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Presidente Maduro presenta vídeo donde se observa a grupos violentos preparando guarimbas - Noticias Diarias |url=http://www.noticiasdiarias.informe25.com/2014/02/presidente-maduro-presenta-video-donde.html |access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> and has said that the tactic was to support a [[soft coup]], relating it to [[Gene Sharp]]'s ideas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solano |first=Luisana |date=2014-04-07 |title=Rodríguez Torres: "Usamos métodos constitucionales" |url=https://runrun.es/nacional/inbox/111371/rodriguez-torres-usamos-metodos-constitucionales/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=[[Runrunes]] |language=es}}</ref>{{Unbalanced opinion|date=January 2024}} The government of Nicolás Maduro criticized the tactic's use as a way to disqualify the opposition as "fascist" and "violent".<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Presidente Maduro presenta vídeo donde se observa a grupos violentos preparando guarimbas - Noticias Diarias |url=http://www.noticiasdiarias.informe25.com/2014/02/presidente-maduro-presenta-video-donde.html |access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref>
The government has opposed the usage of ''guarmibas''<ref>"A la pregunta sobre si la motivación de las guarimbas es “protestar por unos problemas”, o sacar a Maduro del poder, 36,9% cree que lo hacen como protesta, pero 63,1% dijo que tienen como objetivo sacar del poder a Maduro. El porcentaje más alto (78,7%) corresponde a los más pobres, de las clases D y E. Como ven, en esos estratos socioeconómicos hay mayor conciencia de los verdaderos fines de la red de guarimbas, donde los niveles de rechazo son más altos." [http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/opinion/firmas/los-domingos-de-diaz-rangel---eleazar-diaz-rangel/repudio-a-las-guarimbas.aspx "Repudio a las guarimbas" at ''Ultimas Noticias''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702144645/http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/opinion/firmas/los-domingos-de-diaz-rangel---eleazar-diaz-rangel/repudio-a-las-guarimbas.aspx|date=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Presidente Maduro presenta vídeo donde se observa a grupos violentos preparando guarimbas - Noticias Diarias |url=http://www.noticiasdiarias.informe25.com/2014/02/presidente-maduro-presenta-video-donde.html |access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> and has said that the tactic was to support a [[soft coup]], relating it to [[Gene Sharp]]'s ideas.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Solano |first=Luisana |date=2014-04-07 |title=Rodríguez Torres: "Usamos métodos constitucionales" |url=https://runrun.es/nacional/inbox/111371/rodriguez-torres-usamos-metodos-constitucionales/ |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=[[Runrunes]] |language=es}}</ref>{{Unbalanced opinion|date=January 2024}} The government of Nicolás Maduro criticized the tactic's use as a way to disqualify the opposition as "fascist" and "violent".<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Presidente Maduro presenta vídeo donde se observa a grupos violentos preparando guarimbas - Noticias Diarias |url=http://www.noticiasdiarias.informe25.com/2014/02/presidente-maduro-presenta-video-donde.html |access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref>


Various members of the Venezuelan opposition have been accused of promoting or supporting guarimba protests by government officials and supporters, including {{Ill|Gerardo Blyde|es}},<ref name=":72" /><ref name=":9" /> [[David Smolansky]],<ref name=":72">{{Cite book|title=Political Persecution in Venezuela. Systematization of patterns of persecution to Venezuelan political dissidents. |url=https://ccprcentre.org/files/documents/INT_CCPR_CSS_VEN_20686_E.pdf|access-date=13 January 2024|author=[[CEPAZ]]|language=English|location=[[Ginebra]]|date=June 2015|pages=39, 48, 49}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{cite web|access-date=2024-01-13|archive-date=6 March 2014|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140306053427/http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/226075/en-vivo-el-abogado-juan-ernesto-garanton-conversa-en-noticias24-sobre-la-demanda-contra-dos-alcaldes-de-oposicion/|date=5 March 2014|title=Demandan a alcaldes de Baruta y El Hatillo por "colaborar con la tranca de calles"|url=http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/226075/en-vivo-el-abogado-juan-ernesto-garanton-conversa-en-noticias24-sobre-la-demanda-contra-dos-alcaldes-de-oposicion/|website=Noticias24}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> national youth coordinator of the [[Popular Will]] Dario Ramirez<ref name=":72" /> and {{Ill|Carlos García|lt=|es|Carlos García Odón}}.
Similarly, the president of the [[National Assembly (Venezuela)|National Assembly]], [[Diosdado Cabello]], accused Dario Ramirez, national youth coordinator of the Popular Will opposition party and councilman, of financing the "guarimbas", stating: "Councilman requested an unpaid leave of absence. He has not returned, will he return? He left 'el pelero' and protesters 'guarimberos' who are paid by him are pending for his return".<ref name=":723">{{Cite book |author=[[CEPAZ]] |url=https://ccprcentre.org/files/documents/INT_CCPR_CSS_VEN_20686_E.pdf |title=Political Persecution in Venezuela. Systematization of patterns of persecution to Venezuelan political dissidents. |date=June 2015 |location=[[Ginebra]] |pages=39, 48, 49 |language=English |access-date=13 January 2024}}</ref> {{Ill|Alexis Ramírez|es}}, governor of the [[Mérida (state)|Mérida]], also accused the mayor of [[Mérida, Mérida|Mérida]] {{Ill|Carlos García|lt=|es|Carlos García Odón}}, of the [[Justice First]] opposition party, of collaborating with the "guarimbas", accusing him of "doing nothing to clean up the debris that are on the barricades in {{Ill|Las Americas Avenue|es|Avenida Las Américas (Mérida)}}; on the contrary, he has been dedicated to helping these protesters “guarimberos” and his silence gives a lot to think about".<ref name=":723" /><ref>{{cite news |date=25 March 2014 |title=Alcalde de Mérida denuncia persecución judicial por parte del Gobierno |url=http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/protestas-en-venezuela/140325/alcalde-de-merida-denuncia-persecucion-judicial-por-parte-del-gobierno |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20140329020418/http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/protestas-en-venezuela/140325/alcalde-de-merida-denuncia-persecucion-judicial-por-parte-del-gobierno |archive-date=29 March 2014 |access-date=13 January 2024}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>

In November, through an [[Enabling law in Venezuela|enabling law]], Nicolás Maduro reformed the Organic Law of National Security to create the Popular System for the Protection of Peace (SP3). The Minister of Defense, [[Carmen Meléndez]], stated that the SP3 was created due to "the constant threats that have been presented in the 15 years of revolution", including "the guarimbas".<ref>{{harv|Organization of American States|2018|pp=357–358}}</ref>


On 1 April 2015, the General Commander of the [[Venezuelan National Guard|Bolivarian National Guard]] (GNB), [[Néstor Reverol]], published a procedural manual related to public order which defined [[Internal enemy|internal enemies]] of the State, including "individuals who may be nationals or foreigners who are in the national territory and who maintain positions opposed to the policies of the national government" and includes "guarimberos" within such category, defining guarimberos as individuals who risk the lives of others through death or injury and risking damage to "goods and services." The manual recognizes that such a group may not intend to cause harm and may be demonstrating for lack of services or civil and political rights, also stating that military intervention is required, accusing them of generating violence.<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=313}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite book|title=Manual de Normas y Procedimientos Operativos del Servicio De Policía Administrativa Especial y de Investigación Penal en Apoyo a la Administración Pública en Materia de Orden Público|author=[[Bolivarian National Guard]]|url=https://es.scribd.com/document/426298577/Manual-de-Orden-Publico|access-date=12 January 2024|pages=69, 79|date=1 April 2015|trans-title=Manual of Operational Standards and Procedures of the Special Administrative and Criminal Investigation Police Service in Support of the Public Administration in Public Order Matters|language=es}}</ref> The document also describes that "men, women, children and the elderly" may be "guarimberos", and therefore can be subject to various [[use of force continuum]] described in the manual.<ref name=":15" /><ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=405}}</ref>
On 1 April 2015, the General Commander of the [[Venezuelan National Guard|Bolivarian National Guard]] (GNB), [[Néstor Reverol]], published a procedural manual related to public order which defined [[Internal enemy|internal enemies]] of the State, including "individuals who may be nationals or foreigners who are in the national territory and who maintain positions opposed to the policies of the national government" and includes "guarimberos" within such category, defining guarimberos as individuals who risk the lives of others through death or injury and risking damage to "goods and services." The manual recognizes that such a group may not intend to cause harm and may be demonstrating for lack of services or civil and political rights, also stating that military intervention is required, accusing them of generating violence.<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=313}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite book|title=Manual de Normas y Procedimientos Operativos del Servicio De Policía Administrativa Especial y de Investigación Penal en Apoyo a la Administración Pública en Materia de Orden Público|author=[[Bolivarian National Guard]]|url=https://es.scribd.com/document/426298577/Manual-de-Orden-Publico|access-date=12 January 2024|pages=69, 79|date=1 April 2015|trans-title=Manual of Operational Standards and Procedures of the Special Administrative and Criminal Investigation Police Service in Support of the Public Administration in Public Order Matters|language=es}}</ref> The document also describes that "men, women, children and the elderly" may be "guarimberos", and therefore can be subject to various [[use of force continuum]] described in the manual.<ref name=":15" /><ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=405}}</ref>
Line 104: Line 91:
The {{ill|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|es|Misión Internacional Independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre Venezuela}} had access to a December 2016 [[Slide show|PowerPoint presentation]] prepared by the [[Strategic Command Operations (Venezuela)|Strategic Command Operations]] (CEOFANB) which included the "guarimbas" located in sectors controlled by opposition mayors as part of "internal or external threats" to be responded to in a civil-military exercise. The presentation made reference between military and civilian groups to fight against "the enemy and the groups generating violence".<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=318}}</ref>
The {{ill|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|es|Misión Internacional Independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre Venezuela}} had access to a December 2016 [[Slide show|PowerPoint presentation]] prepared by the [[Strategic Command Operations (Venezuela)|Strategic Command Operations]] (CEOFANB) which included the "guarimbas" located in sectors controlled by opposition mayors as part of "internal or external threats" to be responded to in a civil-military exercise. The presentation made reference between military and civilian groups to fight against "the enemy and the groups generating violence".<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=318}}</ref>


[[El Helicoide]] originally had a cell known as "Preventive I" in its Access Area, also known as "''Infiernito''" (Little Hell), with dimensions of 3 x 5 meters and where new arrivals were held. By 2014, it was the only cell of this type, but when detentions began to increase, three additional areas were created later, known as "Preventive II", "Preventive III" and "Preventive IV". By 2015, Preventiva I was intended for common prisoners, while the other three cells were intended for students, Twitter users and "guarimberos".<ref name=":82">{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2022|p=87}}</ref> One of the largest cells in El Helicoide was referred to as the "Guarimbero" cell, itself an annex of the "Guantánamo" cell. While "Guantánamo" held the majority of non-political detainees, detainees arrested during protests or opposition were incarcerated in the "Guarimbero" cell. Both cells have been overcrowded and in very poor conditions, with no access to water or toilets, and where inmates have had to sleep on the floor.<ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=90}}</ref><ref name=":82" />
Former detainees at the [[El Helicoide]] interviewed by the Fact-Finding Mission reported that there was a detention area referred to as the "Guarimbero" cell, itself an annex of the "Guantánamo" cell. While "Guantánamo" held the majority of non-political detainees, detainees arrested during protests or opposition were incarcerated in the "Guarimbero" cell. Both cells have been overcrowded and in very poor conditions, with no access to water or toilets, and where inmates have had to sleep on the floor.<ref name=":8">{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2022|p=87}}</ref><ref>{{harv|Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|2020|p=90}}</ref>

== Public opinion ==
⚫
The views on ''guarimberos'' are polarized in Venezuela.<ref name=":33" /> Critics have said that guarimbas affect local residents and businesses, having little political impact.<ref name="BBCStreetblockades22">{{cite news |date=27 February 2014 |title=Street blockades divide opinion in Venezuela |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-26366809 |access-date=8 April 2014 |work=BBC News}}</ref> During protests against the government of [[Nicolás Maduro]], the term "guarimbero" was used by the government, leftists and opposition to criticize individuals who participated in the method.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book |author=Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes |url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/ijudiciary/cfis/legal-empowerment/subm-upcoming-legal-empowerment-aca-observatorio-derechos-humanos-u.pdf |title=Obstáculos para acompañar a víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos |date=3 May 2023 |editor= |quote=Funcionarios públicos del sistema de justicia penal en Mérida, mediante un lenguaje estigmatizador y violento diferenciaron en su perjuicio a estas personas y sus procesos judiciales bajo la denominación de “guarimberos” o “casos guarimba”. |author-link=Universidad de Los Andes (Venezuela) |access-date=13 January 2024}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite web |last=Alvarado |first=Marino |date=10 August 2017 |title=Grupos paramilitares alentados por el PSUV ensayaron su despliegue en Lara durante protestas de 2014 |url=https://provea.org/paramilitarismo/grupos-paramilitares-alentados-por-el-psuv-ensayaron-su-despliegue-en-lara-durante-protestas-de-2014/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=[[PROVEA]] |quote=De esta campaña de satanización de las barricadas hicieron eco organizaciones y personajes del quehacer político, tanto del oficialismo como de la llamada izquierda, “chavismo crítico”, y de la oposición ... La mayoría coincidió en que la “guarimba” debía ser desmontada a “cualquier costo”.}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref> In 2014, the majority of Venezuelans rejected guarimbas according to a Datanalisis poll; disagreement with the tactic was shared by 70% of opposition respondents and 87% of independent and pro-government respondents.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2014-04-09 |title=Uso de barricadas contra o governo divide oposição na Venezuela |url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/noticias/2014/04/140409_venezuela_barricadas_mm_cj |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=pt-BR}}</ref> Opposition protesters have argued that ''guarimbas'' are also used as a protection against armed groups, and not only as a form of protest.<ref name="OPPbarricade">{{cite web |title=noticiascentro.com |url=http://www.noticiascentro.com/2014/guarimbas-protejen-contra-motomalandros/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413141901/http://www.noticiascentro.com/2014/guarimbas-protejen-contra-motomalandros/ |archive-date=13 April 2014 |access-date=7 March 2016}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 119: Line 103:
== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==


* {{Cite book|title=Informe de la Secretaría General de la Organización de los Estados Americanos y del Panel de Expertos Internacionales Independientes sobre la Posible Comisión de Crímenes de Lesa Humanidad en Venezuela|url=https://www.oas.org/documents/spa/press/Informe-Panel-Independiente-Venezuela-ES.pdf|location=Washington D.C.|date=29 May 2018|author=[[Organization of American States]]|trans-title=Report of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States and of the Panel of Independent International Experts on the Possible Commission of Crimes Against Humanity in Venezuela|language=es}}}
* {{Cite book|title=Conclusiones detalladas de la Misión internacional independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre la República Bolivariana de Venezuela|url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFMV/A_HRC_45_CRP.11_SP.pdf|author=Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|date=15 September 2020|trans-title=Detailed findings of the independent international fact-finding mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela|language=es}}
* {{Cite book|title=Conclusiones detalladas de la Misión internacional independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre la República Bolivariana de Venezuela|url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFMV/A_HRC_45_CRP.11_SP.pdf|author=Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|date=15 September 2020|trans-title=Detailed findings of the independent international fact-finding mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela|language=es}}
* {{Cite book|title=Crímenes de lesa humanidad cometidos a través de los servicios de inteligencia del Estado: estructuras y personas involucradas en la implementación de un plan para reprimir la oposición al gobierno|url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/ffmv/2022-09-20/FFMV-CRP-3-Spanish.docx|author=Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|date=12 September 2022|trans-title=Crimes against humanity committed through the State intelligence services: structures and individuals involved in the implementation of a plan to repress opposition to the government.}}
* {{Cite book|title=Crímenes de lesa humanidad cometidos a través de los servicios de inteligencia del Estado: estructuras y personas involucradas en la implementación de un plan para reprimir la oposición al gobierno|url=https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/ffmv/2022-09-20/FFMV-CRP-3-Spanish.docx|author=Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela|date=12 September 2022|trans-title=Crimes against humanity committed through the State intelligence services: structures and individuals involved in the implementation of a plan to repress opposition to the government.}}

Revision as of 19:03, 21 January 2024

A barricade built by protesters blocking a street in Caracas, 2014

The guarimba is a protest method used by some groups of the Venezuelan opposition that involves erecting street barricades or roadblocks. Although the erection of barricades in Venezuela dates back decades, the term has gained relevance during protests against the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials have used the term to disqualify and criminalize the opposition or opposition demonstrations.

History

Origin

According to Cuban dissident Roberto Alonso, the use of the term began during the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez in the 1950s, when the resistance used churches as a refuge after acting against the dictatorship.[1][2] Venezuelan non-governmental organization PROVEA said that a history of using barricades previously existed when left-wing groups in Venezuelan public universities used a similar tactic during the 1980s and 1990s.[3]

Roberto Alonso popularized the term "guarimba".[4][5][6][7] Origins of the word guarimba are derived from the children's game of the same name that is similar to tag, where individuals jump from one circle to the other while avoiding being captured by someone.[4] According to Alonso, the word "guarimba" means "refuge" and not "barricade."[8]

Alonso said the protest method was inspired from the book From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp, which he read in turn after 19 people were killed in the Llaguno Overpass shootout and President Hugo Chávez was briefly ousted in the 2002 coup attempt.[4] By December 2002 Alonso started sending emails criticizing Chávez and detailing future actions, until his addresses list amassed over two million contacts.[4] In an essay in May 2003 inviting people to participate in the barricades, he described the guarimba:[4][unbalanced opinion?]

EVERYONE head out into the streets IN FRONT OF OUR HOMES and remain there.... La Guarimba is total anarchy. Everyone does what they want, depending on their level of frustration.

Three "golden rules" were also proposed for the guarimba tactic:[4][unbalanced opinion?]

  1. Barricade streets near your home
  2. Don't move away from your home
  3. Don't participate in confrontation

2004 protests

A rally in favor of the 2004 Venezuelan referendum to recall Hugo Chávez in the capital, Caracas.

The first "guarimbas" began on 27 February 2004, lasted five consecutive days and took place mainly in middle and upper class neighborhoods of Caracas and fifteen other cities of the country.[9] The demonstrations sought to protest against the decisions of the National Electoral Council, after it announced that the signatures presented to request the 2004 presidential recall referendum had to be examined a second time,[10][11] and were initially promoted by the Bloque Democrático (Democratic Block), a radical sector of the opposition which rejected the recall referendum as "a trap of the regime".[9] Alonso told his family to leave his Daktari ranch and travel to Miami.[12][non sequitur] Alonso said that he and an opposition leader launched guarimba protests on 5 March 2004 and planned to have a military coup on 7 March.[12][non sequitur]

That year, the "guarimba" consisted in erecting barricades near homes, with garbage and fire, and remaining present as long as no security forces or pro-government supporters arrived. In many places, the barricades did not generate confrontation with security officials or related entities and generated violence. However, in some cases, demonstrators confronted government or pro-government forces, destroyed public property and used firearms.[9] In its 2004 annual report, non-governmental organization PROVEA registered that 27 out of 370 street closures between October 2003 and September 2004, resulted in violence, although it acknowledged that there was a significant underreporting of these. Around one out of every three demonstrations in that period were characterized by barricades.[13]

The state response was varied. While the security forces dependent on opposition mayoralties (including the Metropolitan Police of Caracas, the municipal police of Baruta and the municipal police of Chacao) refrained from responding to the protesters and in some cases even helped to erect barricades, bodies dependent on the national government -particularly the National Guard- responded to contain and repress the demonstrators. Such actions also varied depending on the time and place. On some occasions, the action was in accordance with the law, while on others it was outside of it: it was denounced that multiple protesters were beaten, injured or arbitrarily detained.[9]

Negotiations between the opposition and government agreeing on signatures led to the end of the protests.[12] The Venezuelan government described the guarimba as "systematic acts of violent and disruptive civil disobedience designed to protest President Chávez, generate headlines, and create fear among civil society" and called for the arrest of Alonso.[4] During the protests, 9 people were killed, of which at least 4 were due to the response of security officials,[9] hundreds were injured and 300 were arrested.[4]

Following the guarimba protests, Alonso became a fugitive, meeting with a group of fifty individuals known as the "Brigade Daktari" in April 2004, then fled to neighboring Colombia and arriving in Miami in late April.[4][non sequitur] Weeks later on 9 May 2004, Alonso's ranch was raided by the Venezuelan government, with authorities arresting dozens of Colombians and accusing them of being paramilitaries destined to overthrow the Chávez government.[4][non sequitur] Two days later on 11 May, Alonso continued to call for rebellion against Chávez, making radio announcements in Venezuela promoting guarimba protests, saying "the illusion that we are going to overthrow a Castro-communist dictatorial regime with signatures, that does not exist."[14]

2009 protests

President Chávez used the term at an event in Carabobo in January 2009, referring to protests against the 2009 constitutional referendum, saying "guarimba be formed, that guarimba must be dissolved immediately" and:[15][16]

2014 protests

Main article: 2014 Venezuelan protests
A wall painting in Caracas criticizing "guarimbas", 2014
A mural previously criticizing the barricades changed to criticize the government, 2014
Barricade erected in Caracas in 2017.

Guarimbas were particularly common in the Táchira state and were even used to protect demonstrations, preventing security forces from advancing into areas where rallies or marches were taking place.[17]

A former official of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) told the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela that its director, Carlos Calderón [es], was directly involved in torture within the agency during the protests. Among other ill-treatment, he placed plastic bags on guarimba protesters, or poured water on them, and beat them to extract information.[18]

The head of investigative journalists at Últimas Noticias reportedly resigned after being told not to do a story on guarimbas and after the manager tried to force her to say that the guarimbas were funded, that they were not protesters and to conclude the story by condemning them.[19]

Traffic blockades were carried out in streets and avenues, mainly in middle and upper class residential neighborhoods nationwide, and became places where opposition demonstrations regrouped.[20]

2017 protests

Main article: 2017 Venezuelan protests

During the 2017 protests, a military cadence of Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) officers, where they express wanting to kill protesters, went viral: "Quisiera tener un puñal de acero para degollar a un maldito guarimbero" (Spanish: I wish I had a steel dagger to slit the throat of a damn guarimbero).[21][22][23]

In some cases, neighbors took garbage to the streets to protest against the lack of garbage collection in their neighborhoods. In Villa del Rosario, Zulia state, there were sectors that had been without street cleaning for up to six months.[24]

Organization and tactics

According to PROVEA, guarimberos, or those who engage in guarimba tactics, are organized through social media and are not related to specific political groups.[3] The human rights group also says that while guarimberos help regulate the conflict between authorities and protesters, they do occasionally instigate confrontation.[3] As the protests evolved, the guarimberos developed a system comprising three groups; escuderos (squires), atacantes (attackers) and defensores (defenders).[25] Squires were tasked with repelling tear gas bombs and other projectiles, attackers would throw back gas canisters and defenders would tend to injured civilians and transport them away from areas of confrontation.[25]

During the 2014 protests, retired general Ángel Vivas tweeted a suggestion that wires should be hung across streets as a defense against pro-government colectivos. The Venezuelan government issued an arrest order against him afterwards.[26]

Protesters have used homemade caltrops made of hose pieces and nails, colloquially known in Spanish as “miguelitos” or "chinas", to deflate motorbike tires.[27][28] Demonstrators have cited videos of protests in Ukraine and Egypt as inspiration for their tactics in defending barricades and repelling government forces, such as using common items such as beer bottles, metal tubing, and gasoline to construct fire bombs and mortars, while using bottles filled with paint to block the views of tank and armored riot vehicle drivers. Common protective gear for protesters include motorcycle helmets, construction dust masks, shields and gloves.[29][3]

Responses

The views on guarimberos are polarized in Venezuela.[3] Critics have said that guarimbas affect local residents and businesses, having little political impact.[30] During protests against the government of Nicolás Maduro, the term "guarimbero" was used by the government, leftists and opposition to criticize individuals who participated in the method.[20][31][32] In 2014, the majority of Venezuelans rejected guarimbas according to a Datanalisis poll; disagreement with the tactic was shared by 70% of opposition respondents and 87% of independent and pro-government respondents.[33] Opposition protesters have argued that guarimbas are also used as a protection against armed groups, and not only as a form of protest.[34]

Government

The government has opposed the usage of guarmibas[35][36] and has said that the tactic was to support a soft coup, relating it to Gene Sharp's ideas.[37][unbalanced opinion?] The government of Nicolás Maduro criticized the tactic's use as a way to disqualify the opposition as "fascist" and "violent".[20][38]

Various members of the Venezuelan opposition have been accused of promoting or supporting guarimba protests by government officials and supporters, including Gerardo Blyde [es],[39][40] David Smolansky,[39][40] national youth coordinator of the Popular Will Dario Ramirez[39] and Carlos García [es].

On 1 April 2015, the General Commander of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB), Néstor Reverol, published a procedural manual related to public order which defined internal enemies of the State, including "individuals who may be nationals or foreigners who are in the national territory and who maintain positions opposed to the policies of the national government" and includes "guarimberos" within such category, defining guarimberos as individuals who risk the lives of others through death or injury and risking damage to "goods and services." The manual recognizes that such a group may not intend to cause harm and may be demonstrating for lack of services or civil and political rights, also stating that military intervention is required, accusing them of generating violence.[41][42] The document also describes that "men, women, children and the elderly" may be "guarimberos", and therefore can be subject to various use of force continuum described in the manual.[42][43]

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela had access to a December 2016 PowerPoint presentation prepared by the Strategic Command Operations (CEOFANB) which included the "guarimbas" located in sectors controlled by opposition mayors as part of "internal or external threats" to be responded to in a civil-military exercise. The presentation made reference between military and civilian groups to fight against "the enemy and the groups generating violence".[44]

Former detainees at the El Helicoide interviewed by the Fact-Finding Mission reported that there was a detention area referred to as the "Guarimbero" cell, itself an annex of the "Guantánamo" cell. While "Guantánamo" held the majority of non-political detainees, detainees arrested during protests or opposition were incarcerated in the "Guarimbero" cell. Both cells have been overcrowded and in very poor conditions, with no access to water or toilets, and where inmates have had to sleep on the floor.[45][46]

See also

References

  1. ^ "¿Qué son las 'guarimbas'?". La Vanguardia. 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  2. ^ "¿Quiénes están detrás de las guarimbas?". CNN en Español. 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kobelinsky, Por Fernanda. "Quiénes son los "guarimberos", la vanguardia callejera de las manifestaciones contra el chavismo". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Zeitlin, Janine (11 October 2007). "War on Hugo Chávez". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. 'The real genesis for the plan, Alonso says, is an 88-page booklet, From Dictatorship to Democracy'; 'In December 2002, Alonso began feverishly e-mailing alertas criticizing Chávez and describing future action. His contact list swelled to more than two million e-mail addresses.'
  5. ^ "Dirigente opositor radical denuncia allanamiento de su residencia en Venezuela". El Universo (in Spanish). 2004-05-17. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
  6. ^ Lander, Luis E.; López Maya, Margarita (January 2005). "Referendo revocatorio Elecciones Regionales en Venezuela". Revista Venezolana de Economía y Ciencias Sociales. 11 (1). Universidad Central de Venezuela. the CD, which called civil disobedience which triggered five days of violence in some cities of the country, an event known as 'La guarimba', 'El guarimbazo' or 'El plan guarimba'. ... the Democratic Bloc (BD), ... among other means on the internet and for several months, an action of protest or 'civil disobedience' that consisted of the massive closure of streets - with garbage, tires, cars - in front of or near the home of each protester. Its objective was to provoke a generalized situation of anarchy and violence that incited the intervention of the Armed Forces to overthrow the President, an objective that was not achieved. Although the CD never recognized any link with the BD's proposal, the similarity of the protest actions in those days generalized the use of the name with which it circulated on the internet. ... Mr. Robert Alonso, from the BD, commanded, through a network built by him, this plan (La guarimba).
  7. ^ "Lo que hay detrás de las guarimbas". Armando.Info (in European Spanish). 2014-03-17. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  8. ^ "Robert Alonso Presenta Ésta es la estrategia libertaria!". robertalonsopresenta.com. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  9. ^ a b c d e PROVEA (September 2004). Contexto y Balance de Situación (PDF). pp. 11, 16. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Capturan "paramilitares" en Venezuela". BBC News. 9 May 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  11. ^ Zeitlin, Janine (11 October 2007). "War on Hugo Chávez". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. 'The real genesis for the plan, Alonso says, is an 88-page booklet, From Dictatorship to Democracy'; 'In December 2002, Alonso began feverishly e-mailing alertas criticizing Chávez and describing future action. His contact list swelled to more than two million e-mail addresses.'
  12. ^ a b c Zeitlin, Janine (11 October 2007). "War on Hugo Chávez". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008.
  13. ^ PROVEA (September 2004). Respuestas organizativas de la sociedad (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Ex presidente y líder de oposición llaman a la rebelión en Venezuela". El Universo (in Spanish). 2004-05-12. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
  15. ^ "Chávez ordenó "echarle gas" a los opositores". infobae (in European Spanish). 2017-10-29. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  16. ^ "Venezuela.- Chávez ordena echar gas "del bueno" contra las manifestaciones de estudiantes". Europa Press. 18 January 2009. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  17. ^ International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (ed.). Conclusiones detalladas de la Misión internacional independiente de determinación de los hechos sobre la República Bolivariana de Venezuela* (PDF). p. 321. Retrieved 30 December 2023. bloqueos de caminos, incluidas "guarimbas" hechas de diferentes tipos de objetos y elementos (como tablas metálicas o troncos de árboles, pilas de basura o escombros de obras de construcción)
  18. ^ (Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela 2022, pp. 103)
  19. ^ "Los periodistas denuncian más de 100 agresiones en Venezuela". La Vanguardia. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  20. ^ a b c Márquez, Laureano (2018). "La dictadura". Historieta de Venezuela: De Macuto a Maduro. p. 142. Las protestas incorporan la trance de calles y avenidas, principalmente en zonas de clase media y alta del país. Se establecen las "guarimbas" como lugares de reagrupamiento de protestas opositoras. Se trató de una acción contraproducente que generó caos, muertes accidentales y conflicto entre los mismos opositores. El gobierno de Maduro las aprovechó para descalificar a la oposición como fascista y violenta.
  21. ^ ""Quisiera degollar a un maldito guarimbero": los escalofriantes versos que cantan los militares chavistas". infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  22. ^ "Video: 'Quisiera degollar con un puñal de acero a un maldito guarimbero', gritan militares en Venezuela durante entrenamiento". Prensa (in Spanish). 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  23. ^ "Funcionarios del Sebin entrenan con consignas de odio contra la oposición". Diario Las Américas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  24. ^ "No es guarimba: Vecinos de La Villa sacan la basura a la calle por mal servicio del Imaur (FOTOS)". 28 June 2017. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  25. ^ a b "La 'mujer maravilla' y el 'hacker guarimbero' contra Maduro". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  26. ^ "Ángel Vivas, un general de Venezuela que atrincherado se enfrenta al régimen chavista". ICNDiario (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  27. ^ Hallan “miguelitos” y clavos en barricadas de Ciudad Ojeda: FOTOS+VIDEO Archived 13 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "Guarimbas con miguelitos y chinas: el idioma de las protestas venezolanas- América Latina- Reuters". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  29. ^ Neuman, William (26 February 2014). "Crude Weapons Help Fuel Unrest in Bastion of Venezuelan Opposition". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  30. ^ "Street blockades divide opinion in Venezuela". BBC News. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  31. ^ Observatorio de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Los Andes (3 May 2023). Obstáculos para acompañar a víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos (PDF). Retrieved 13 January 2024. Funcionarios públicos del sistema de justicia penal en Mérida, mediante un lenguaje estigmatizador y violento diferenciaron en su perjuicio a estas personas y sus procesos judiciales bajo la denominación de "guarimberos" o "casos guarimba".
  32. ^ Alvarado, Marino (10 August 2017). "Grupos paramilitares alentados por el PSUV ensayaron su despliegue en Lara durante protestas de 2014". PROVEA. Retrieved 2024-01-13. De esta campaña de satanización de las barricadas hicieron eco organizaciones y personajes del quehacer político, tanto del oficialismo como de la llamada izquierda, "chavismo crítico", y de la oposición ... La mayoría coincidió en que la "guarimba" debía ser desmontada a "cualquier costo".
  33. ^ "Uso de barricadas contra o governo divide oposição na Venezuela". BBC News (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  34. ^ "noticiascentro.com". Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  35. ^ "A la pregunta sobre si la motivación de las guarimbas es “protestar por unos problemas”, o sacar a Maduro del poder, 36,9% cree que lo hacen como protesta, pero 63,1% dijo que tienen como objetivo sacar del poder a Maduro. El porcentaje más alto (78,7%) corresponde a los más pobres, de las clases D y E. Como ven, en esos estratos socioeconómicos hay mayor conciencia de los verdaderos fines de la red de guarimbas, donde los niveles de rechazo son más altos." "Repudio a las guarimbas" at Ultimas Noticias Archived 2 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ "Presidente Maduro presenta vídeo donde se observa a grupos violentos preparando guarimbas - Noticias Diarias". Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  37. ^ Solano, Luisana (2014-04-07). "Rodríguez Torres: "Usamos métodos constitucionales"". Runrunes (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  38. ^ "Presidente Maduro presenta vídeo donde se observa a grupos violentos preparando guarimbas - Noticias Diarias". Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  39. ^ a b c CEPAZ (June 2015). Political Persecution in Venezuela. Systematization of patterns of persecution to Venezuelan political dissidents (PDF). Ginebra. pp. 39, 48, 49. Retrieved 13 January 2024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  40. ^ a b "Demandan a alcaldes de Baruta y El Hatillo por "colaborar con la tranca de calles"". Noticias24. 5 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  41. ^ (Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela 2020, p. 313)
  42. ^ a b Bolivarian National Guard (1 April 2015). Manual de Normas y Procedimientos Operativos del Servicio De Policía Administrativa Especial y de Investigación Penal en Apoyo a la Administración Pública en Materia de Orden Público [Manual of Operational Standards and Procedures of the Special Administrative and Criminal Investigation Police Service in Support of the Public Administration in Public Order Matters] (in Spanish). pp. 69, 79. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  43. ^ (Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela 2020, p. 405)
  44. ^ (Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela 2020, p. 318)
  45. ^ (Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela 2022, p. 87)
  46. ^ (Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela 2020, p. 90)

Bibliography

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