Opposition Students Protest Constitutional Reform in Caracas

Caracas, October 24, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com)- Thousands of opposition students marched through the streets of Caracas on Tuesday in protest of President Chavez's proposed constitutional reform. Some violence occurred as police barricades prevented the students from reaching the parliament buildings, but a delegation of students was allowed to pass to deliver a document to the National Assembly.

In what was the first major protest against the proposed constitutional reform, thousands of students from Caracas as well as the interior of the country marched from the Central University (UCV) towards the National Assembly building in downtown Caracas.

Singing the national anthem and shouting "No to the reform! This is a dictatorship!" the students approached the National Assembly around noon, where pro-Chavez students and police barricades awaited them. When the students saw that they would not be allowed to reach the National Assembly building they began to throw bottles and rocks at the police who responded by firing tear gas at the students.

The police and the national guard worked to prevent a direct confrontation between pro-Chavez and anti-Chavez student groups by keeping the two groups separated, but opposition student groups insisted on reaching the National Assembly.

Opposition student leaders demanded permission to deliver a statement to assembly members in protest of the constitutional reforms that are still being debated.

"You can't reform our rights, and the National Assembly is violating the constitution of 1999. They are making a new constitution which takes away the rights of the people to elect their authorities and to have due process in states of emergency," said Stalin González, president of the UCV student federation. "That is why we are back out in the streets and we will remain here."

After the confrontations with the police, in which two police officers and several students received minor injuries, a small delegation of students from the opposition march was allowed to enter the National Assembly and meet with legislators. They presented the Assembly with a document that listed their reasons for opposing the proposed reform.

Pro-Chavez students also turned out for the protest, congregating near the National Assembly, but on the other side of the police barricade. Students affirmed that they support the constitutional reform proposal and came out to defend it.

"We are here to support this revolutionary process of change and, among other things, to show the world that there are students that debate and that support the constitutional reform," said one student outside the assembly.

Upon the arrival of the opposition students, the pro-Chavez students began to shout slogans in support of the reform and objects were thrown back and forth between the two groups. One student from the Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UBV) said they came out to reject the "fascist violence" from "these children and grandchildren of the oligarchy."

Pro-Chavez students criticized the opposition students for not taking part in a debate about the reform. On previous occasions the opposition students have refused to debate in the National Assembly, causing pro-Chavez students to doubt their intentions.

Inside the National Assembly opposition students, led by student leader Yon Goicochea, presented their complaints before the assembly, but then left without listening to the response from the pro-Chavez students who were also present.

Upon leaving the National Assembly, opposition students announced plans for another protest this week in which they will march to the National Electoral Council (CNE). There they will ask that the popular referendum to approve the reform be postponed.

"On Thursday we will go to the National Electoral Council since that is the body that controls the electoral system and can change the date of the referendum for the approval or rejection of the constitutional reform," said Stalin Gonzalez, one of the opposition student leaders.

Although the exact date of the popular referendum has not yet been decided, there has been talk of having it on December 2nd. Opposition students are asking that the date be pushed back to February 3rd, 2008.