Universities suffer in attacks by opposition militants

A wave of small opposition protests and violent actions took place in five Venezuelan states last week, resulting in damages to universities and public property, writes Ewan Robertson for http://venezuelananalysis.com. The toll left by the day included damages to two universities and the burning of several vehicles, among them a state oil company truck, a National Guard van and a publicly owned bus.

The actions, apparently led by pro-opposition youth groups, appear designed to prevent universities from returning to class, and to maintain a climate of protest against the government of President Nicolas Maduro. The protests, riots and street barricades were unleashed in early February after hard-line opposition leaders called for resistance to the Maduro government in a strategy called ‘The Exit’.

In the city of San Cristobal in Táchira state, where unrest began, groups of masked activists grabbed desks and chairs from classrooms of the Catholic University of Tachira, and destroyed them on the street. They reportedly opposed the university rector who had called for a return to classes. Meanwhile, Fermín Toro University in Lara state came under attack. Vehicles were set alight, with the fire spreading to burn the library and some university offices.
Full report on the http://venezuelananalysis.com site