Venezuela: 2600 troops deployed to Táchira state May 17

Event

The Venezuelan government announced on Wednesday, May 17, it was deploying 2600 military personnel to western Táchira state after escalating violence and looting led to three deaths in the previous week. Soldiers guarded most shops and other businesses in San Cristóbal, capital of Táchira, on Wednesday while looting continued in some areas of the city, particularly poorer neighborhoods.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced the deployment as the second phase of Plan Zamora, an operation aimed at pacifying violence in country. Civil rights groups have criticized the operation based on allegations that the government has carried out large-scale arrests of anti-government protesters who have later been charged with crimes through the military court system.

The deployment is significant as until now the military, an indispensable ally of the Maduro administration, had largely been spared policing duties (that could alter their sympathies) amid the ongoing violent unrest. The government has mostly relied on police and national guard forces, along with pro-government gangs.

Context

For nearly two months, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators across the country have been denouncing a wide range of grievances as well as demanding elections be held in mass protests and marches, some of which have resulted in violent clashes with police and military forces. Venezuela has been devastated by a long series of progressively worsening crises affecting the restive country in recent months and years, including a breakdown of the democratic system, major shortages of gasoline, medications, food, and other basic necessities, an alarming spike in rates of violent crime, massive inflation and economic recession, and a resurgence of disease.

Advice

Individuals in Táchira state are advised to limit movements, to strictly avoid all protests and roadblocks due to the likelihood of violence, and to closely monitor the situation.