Venezuela prosecutor cites excessive force against protesters

CARACAS, (Reuters) - Deepening her split with unpopular President Nicolas Maduro’s government, Venezuela’s chief prosecutor yesterday accused security officers of excessive force and condemned the use of military tribunals to judge protesters.

After nearly two months of massive anti-government rallies demanding early presidential elections, fissures have appeared in the hitherto publicly homogenous socialist administration.

In a speech on Wednesday, prosecutor Luisa Ortega said 55 people had been killed in unrest, around 1,000 others injured, and 346 properties burned or looted as chaos flares across the oil-rich country reeling from economic crisis.

In one particularly controversial case, Ortega said investigations showed 20 year-old student Juan Pernalete was killed by a tear gas canister fired from close range by a National Guard, not by a pistol as officials had suggested.

“Firing tear gas directly on people is banned,” she said, holding up a canister at a press conference she was forced to give at an alternative venue after a power outage in her office.

More than half of the injuries have been caused by security forces, she added, condemning violence on both sides.

Ortega said her office was also investigating seven cases of military courts trying people who should be in normal civil courts. “We’re worried about the situation of those detained in military courts,” Ortega said, demanding access to detainees.

Rights group Penal Forum says 338 people have faced proceedings in military tribunals in recent days, with 175 still detained.

Falcon state in northwestern Venezuela today said people caught stealing “strategic materials,” like cables, from government companies would also be tried in military courts, as per Maduro’s new security plan.

Angry Venezuelans barricaded streets in parts of Caracas and the opposition held another protest today as the announcement of two election dates failed to appease anger.

The pro-government electoral council on Tuesday said voting for a controversial “constituent assembly” would be held in July and delayed state elections in December.

Maduro foes countered that was a sham designed to confuse Venezuelans, prompt infighting among the opposition over strategy, and allow the unpopular leftist government to dodge free and fair elections they would likely lose.