2020 Barquisimeto shooting

2020 attack in Venezuela

Barquisimeto

2020 Barquisimeto shooting (Venezuela)

LocationJuan de Villegas parish, Barquisimeto, Lara state, VenezuelaDate29 February 2020; 4 years ago (2020-02-29)WeaponsFirearmsDeaths0Injured10PerpetratorsColectivos

The 2020 Barquisimeto shooting occurred on 29 February 2020, when pro-government colectivos shot at the Speaker of the National Assembly of Venezuela Juan Guaidó and his supporters in Barquisimeto, Lara state during a demonstration, leaving ten injured.^[1]^[2]

Background

A power struggle concerning who is the legitimate President of Venezuela began on 10 January 2019, when the opposition-majority National Assembly declared that incumbent Nicolás Maduro's 2018 re-election was invalid; that the office of the President of Venezuela was therefore vacant; and declared its president, Juan Guaidó, to be acting president of the nation. As of February 2020, Guaidó had been recognized as the interim president of Venezuela by 54 countries,^[3] including the United States and most nations of Latin America and Europe.^[4]

Shooting

On 29 February Juan Guaidó mobilized a march against the government of Nicolás Maduro in the Juan de Villegas parish, Barquisimeto, Lara state. Guaidó was in a van at the time of the shooting, which was fired upon by pro-government colectivos. Bolivarian National Intelligence Service agents were also reported of having participated in the attack.^[1] The shooting left a total of ten wounded, including a 16-year-old boy.^[5]^{[non-primary source needed]} Guaidó's vehicle received nine gunshots.^[1]

According to opposition deputy Alfonso Marquina [es], in addition to the wounded, one person was kidnapped.^[6]

Reactions

Domestic

Venezuelan government: Diosdado Cabello, president of the Constituent Assembly, said that the shooting was a false flag attack.^[7]

Venezuelan opposition: Juan Guaidó, after the shooting, said that "the dictatorship tried to assassinate me today. They aimed at me. Our only limit is the physical limit".^[8] Guaidó accused Diosdado Cabello of being the intellectual author of the shooting.^[9]

International

The European Union, Spain, and the Organization of American States condemned the attack against the demonstration.^[1]

European Union: The EU issued a statement saying: "Acts of this nature against the opposition and the democratically elected National Assembly and its members are unacceptable and further hinder efforts towards a political solution to the crisis. The right of all political forces and civil society to demonstrate peacefully must be respected."^[1]
Spain: The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the shooting and rejected the harassment against Juan Guaidó.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Singer, Florantonia (2020-03-01). "El ataque a una concentración de Juan Guaidó deja al menos cinco heridos". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
^ "Colectivos chavistas atacaron una concentración convocada por Juan Guaidó en Barquisimeto". infobae (in Spanish). 29 February 2020. Retrieved 2021-05-19.
^ DeYoung, Karen (4 April 2019). "Diseases surge in Venezuela under health system in 'utter collapse', report says". The Independent. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^ Meredith, Sam (12 February 2019). "How a nationwide protest against Maduro could shape Venezuela's future". CNBC. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
^ "Lara - 10 heridos dejaría hechos violentos en contra de Guaidó", VPItv, YouTube, 1 March 2020, retrieved 2022-06-09
^ Juan Guaidó, tras el atentado por parte de colectivos chavistas: “La dictadura cobarde intentó asesinarme”. Publicado el 29 de febrero de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.
^ Cabello: lo ocurrido en Barquisimeto fue un falso positivo. Publicado el 2 de marzo de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.
^ Juan Guaidó, tras el atentado por parte de colectivos chavistas: “La dictadura cobarde intentó asesinarme”. Publicado el 29 de febrero de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.
^ Colectivos chavistas atacaron una concentración convocada por Juan Guaidó en Barquisimeto. Infobae. Publicado el 29 de febrero de 2020. Consultado el 9 de julio de 2020.

Crisis in Venezuela

Events

Ongoing	Economic crisis Bolivarian missions Bolivarian Revolution Bolivarianism Censorship Chavismo Crimes against humanity Corruption Defections Devaluation of the Venezuelan bolívar Economic policies under Nicolás Maduro Energy crisis Human rights abuses Hyperinflation Illegal drug trade International sanctions Interventions of political parties Negotiations Refugee crisis and diaspora Resource shortages State protectors State-sponsored terrorism States of emergency in Venezuela Catatumbo campaign Pemon conflict Coronavirus pandemic
2010	Colombian diplomatic crisis Death of Franklin Brito PDVAL affair Parliamentary election III National Assembly of Venezuela
2012	Amuay tragedy Presidential election Regional elections
2013	Death of Hugo Chávez Presidential election Dakazo Municipal elections
2014	La Salida 2014 protests timeline Detention of Leopoldo López Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act
2015	Detention of Antonio Ledezma Colombian diplomatic/migration crisis Resolution 8610 2015 protests (timeline) Narcosobrinos affair Parliamentary election IV National Assembly of Venezuela
2016	Tumeremo massacre (first) Recall referendum movement 2016 protests (timeline)
2017	Detention of Gilber Caro Constitutional crisis Mother of All Marches Caracas helicopter incident Referendum National Assembly attack Constituent Assembly election Members Regional elections Municipal elections Attack on Fort Paramacay Death of Carlos Andrés García Law against Hatred 2017 protests timeline
2018	El Junquito raid Presidential campaign of Nicolás Maduro Valencia fire Panama diplomatic crisis Presidential election El Paraíso stampede Caracas drone attack Detention of Juan Requesens Economic reforms and Viernes Rojo Death of Fernando Albán Tumeremo massacre (third) 2018 protests (timeline)
2019	Inauguration of Nicolás Maduro Venezuela TPS Act of 2019 Plan País Humanitarian aid mission Amnesty Law Venezuela Aid Live Statute Governing the Transition to Democracy Murder of Alí Domínguez Widespread blackouts Detention of Roberto Marrero Disappearance of Gilber Caro 30 April uprising attempt Acarigua prison riot Death of Rafael Acosta Arévalo Attack of Rufo Chacón Death of Juan Carlos Márquez Murder of Edmundo Rada Operación Alacrán 2019 protests timeline
2020	National Assembly leadership election Death of Addy Valero Cagua fire Barquisimeto shooting COVID-19 pandemic Guanare prison riot Operation Gideon El Palito oil spill Detention of Alex Saab Parliamentary election V National Assembly of Venezuela
2021	La Vega raid Apure clashes
2022	Arauca clashes Recall referendum project
2023	Anti-Solidarity Law Barbados Agreement Unitary Platform presidential primaries Referendum Guyana–Venezuela crisis El Palito oil spill
2024	Detention of Rocío San Miguel Bulla Loca mine disaster Presidential election

Deaths during protests

2014	Bassil Da Costa Robert Redman Génesis Carmona Geraldin Moreno
2015	Kluivert Roa
2017	Paola Ramírez Juan Pablo Pernalete Armando Cañizales Miguel Castillo Paúl Moreno Orlando Figuera Neomar Lander Fabián Urbina David Vallenilla Xiomara Scott

People

Pro-Maduro	Nicolás Maduro F. Ameliach D. Cabello A. Chávez T. El Aissami H. Escarrá T. W. Saab C. Flores A. Istúriz E. Jaua T. Lucena I. Alfonzo N. Maduro Guerra C. Mata Figueroa C. Meléndez C. Alcalá Cordones until 2013 L. Ortega Díaz until 2017 V. Padrino López R. Ramírez until 2018 L. Parra H. Rangel Silva D. Rodríguez J. Rodríguez I. Rodríguez T. W. Saab I. Varela D. Vivas E. Amoroso B. Lugo M. C. Figuera until 2019 E. Farías F. Bernal I. Alfonzo
Anti-Maduro	Juan Guaidó Óscar Pérez C. Alcalá Cordones since 2013 J. Borges L. Ortega Díaz since 2017 Rafael Ramírez since 2018 María Corina Machado H. Capriles H. Falcón Adrián Arria Aveledo Caro F. Guevara A. Ledezma L. López Mantilla Mendoza Pérez Álvarez Pérez Vivas Ramos Allup J. Requesens R. Requesens F. Rosales M. Rosales H. Salas Feo V. S. Scarano L. Tintori J. Torrealba A. Velásquez J. L. Silva M. C. Figuera since 2019 D. Solórzano O. Barboza J. J. Rendón J. P. Guanipa T. Guanipa

Pro-Maduro

Anti-Maduro

Organizations

Pro-Maduro	Union of South American Nations Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas Political parties Great Patriotic Pole United Socialist Party of Venezuela PODEMOS People's Electoral Movement Media outlets Agencia Venezolana de Noticias Telesur Venezolana de Televisión State organizations Supreme Tribunal of Justice National Electoral Council Constituent National Assembly Bolivarian Intelligence Service Bolivarian National Guard Mission Barrio Adentro Local Committees for Supply and Production Carnet de la Patria Colectivos
Anti-Maduro	Organization of American States Mercosur Political parties Democratic Unity Roundtable Popular Will Justice First Democratic Action Un Nuevo Tiempo Come Venezuela Copei Movimiento al Socialismo Progressive Advance Agreement for Change National Assembly (majority) Capitolio TV

Pro-Maduro