On Friday evening the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing concern over the political unrest in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and regret at the loss of life. “The Government of Guyana stands with the Government of Venezuela,” the statement read, “and fully supports its efforts at withstanding acts of destabilisation.”
Venezuela has been feeling the impact of student demonstrations over the past two weeks or so, and on Wednesday, three people were killed during a major protest. The official line from President Nicolás Maduro and members of his government is that the aim or the protestors is to instigate a coup, and it was in that context that a bench warrant was issued for the most charismatic of the opposition leaders, Leopoldo López, on a petition issued by the Attorney General. It contained allegations of conspiracy, solicitation to commit a crime, public intimidation, setting fire to public premises, damage to public property, murder and terrorism.
Mr López was present at the Wednesday demonstration for a brief period, it seems, but then so was opposition leader Henrique Capriles whom he has been accusing of pusillanimity in terms of his responses to the government. Mr López, of course, was also targeted by the late President Hugo Chávez because he was seen as a
