- Title: Venezuelans march for 60th day, protest Goldman Sachs in NY
- Date: 30th May 2017
- Summary: CARACAS, VENEZUELA (MAY 30, 2017) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF LINES OF NATIONAL GUARD OFFICERS, THROWING BACK TEAR GAS CANISTER TEAR GAS CANISTER HURTLING TOWARDS CAMERA, PROTESTER THROWING IT BACK CROWDS OF PROTESTERS, TEAR GAS PROTESTERS BREAKING OFF A METAL RAILING PROTESTERS MOVING METAL RAILING TO USE AS BARRICADE PROTESTERS IN HELMETS, GAS MASKS, IN FRONT OF TEAR GAS AND NATIONAL GUARD PROTESTERS THROWING BACK TEAR GAS CANISTER, RUNNING OPPOSITION LEADER, HENRIQUE CAPRILES (BLUE SHIRT, BASEBALL CAP) MARCHING CAPRILES SIGNALLING TO MARCHERS TO TURN BACK, STARTING RUNNING VARIOUS OF CROWDS OF PROTESTERS RUNNING FROM TEAR GAS PROTESTER JUMPING ON BACK PICKUP TRUCK DRIVEN BY GREEN CROSS MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS PROTESTER WITH BURNING MOLOTOV COCKTAIL CROWD OF PROTESTERS RUNNING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OPPOSITION LAWMAKER, MIGUEL PIZARRO, SAYING: "We have been resisting for 60 days, 60 days in the streets. Today is the student protest against repression, against all the excesses by (President Nicolas) Maduro and (Minister of the Interior and Justice, Nestor) Reverol. Once again there is tear gas and pellets, once again they are trying to ambush a peaceful demonstration. All of this has one objective, that we become tired, that we are scared, but after 60 days, after all the deaths, after all the arrests, no one is tired, no one is giving up or stepping back. We have to change this country." CROWD OF PROTESTERS WITH CLOUD OF TEAR GAS PROTESTERS GRABBING AND DODGING TEAR GAS CANISTERS PROTESTERS IN GAS MASKS WITH MAKESHIFT SHIELD PROTESTER SHOUTING, AFFECTED BY TEAR GAS PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF NATIONAL GUARD, TEAR GAS PROTESTERS GATHERED ON STREET, TEAR GAS CLOSE-UP OF A PROTESTER WITH A PLASTIC HELMET AND FACE COVERED POLICE ON MOTORBIKES GATHERING OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS WEARING RED CLOSE-UP OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS CHEERING WITH SIGNS WITH AN IMAGE OF INDEPENDENCE LEADER SIMON BOLIVAR AND READING (IN SPANISH): "CONSTITUENT (ASSEMBLY)" GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS WITH VENEZUELAN FLAGS AND SIGNS WITH AN IMAGE OF INDEPENDENCE LEADER SIMON BOLIVAR AND READING (IN SPANISH): "CONSTITUENT (ASSEMBLY)" CLOSE-UP OF SIGN WITH IMAGE OF FORMER PRESIDENT, HUGO CHAVEZ, READING (IN SPANISH): "LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION" GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS IN FRONT OF STAGE PRESENTER INTRODUCING PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, ELIAS JAUA GENERAL VIEW OF GATHERING, SUPPORTERS WEARING RED, BANNERS IN THE COLOURS OF THE VENEZUELAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, ELIAS JAUA, SAYING: "The pockets of violence have been dressed up in the idea, the debate, the strength of politics, which is the essence and nature of the human society. And today, we have to recognise (the authority) of our companion President Nicolas Maduro, for all of those who always doubt him, for those who are shocked by political audacity, today we can say Nicolas was right to call the Constituent Assembly, which is to say, to call on the power of the people, the political power of the people, the original power of the people."
- Embargoed: 13th June 2017 22:52
- Keywords: Venezuela march protests opposition clashes Nicolas Maduro Goldman Sachs New York
- Location: CARACAS, VENEZUELA AND NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: CARACAS, VENEZUELA AND NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: Venezuela
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA0016J16BEV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Venezuelan opposition protesters completed 60 days in the streets on Tuesday (May 30), as a student march maintained the momentum of a movement calling for leftist President Nicolas Maduro to hold elections and allow humanitarian aid into a nation struck by widespread hunger and shortages.
Fifty-nine people have died in the often violent street melees, which Maduro calls an effort to overthrow his government.
Two Venezuelan opposition leaders, Henrique Capriles and Carlos Paparoni, were wounded on Monday by security forces dispersing protests in the capital Caracas against President Nicolas Maduro, according to one of the leaders and an opposition legislator.
Another opposition leader at the march on Tuesday, Miguel Pizarro, said they would not give up despite the deaths and repression seen as an attempt to tire protesters and quell the movement.
Meanwhile in Caracas, a rally was held in support of Maduro and a controversial Constituent Assembly he has called in the name of holding elections and giving power to the people, whilst opposition leaders call it an attempt to confuse voters expectant of regional elections, and to override the opposition-led National Assembly.
In New York, about two dozen protesters chanting "Prosecute Goldman Sachs" and "Shame on you Goldman Sachs" picketed outside of Goldman's headquarters in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, over transactions allegedly carried out between the investment bank and the Venezuelan government.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc's statement that it never transacted directly with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro when it bought 2.8 billion dollars of bonds for pennies on the dollar was dismissed by the country's opposition on Tuesday as an effort to "put lipstick on this pig."
Goldman, in a statement late Monday confirming the purchase, said its asset-management arm acquired the bonds "on the secondary market from a broker and did not interact with the Venezuelan government."
The New York-based investment bank came under fire from Venezuelan politicians and protesters in New York opposed to Maduro, who said the deal provided the cash-strapped government hundreds of millions of dollars in badly-needed hard currency. They said the deal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, made Goldman Sachs complicit in alleged human rights abuses under the government. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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