Native Venezuelan Pemon man, Onesimo Fernandez, died on March 10th in Santa Elena de Uairen, becoming in the eighth victim of the massacre that happened on 22 and 23 February 2019 in the Gran Sabana when the Nicolas Maduro regime blocked humanitarian aid coming from Brazil.
Maduro ordered the aid effort, led by National Assembly President Juan Guaido, blocked by force. There was violence at almost every border crossing but the Pemon of Southern Venezuela got the worst part.
Those responsible were uniformed members of the Venezuelan Army, as reported by witnesses before the International Criminal Court.
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That day, Zoraida Rodriguez, a Pemon woman, get shot twice in the chest with an Army rifle, while she was cooking inside her house and die instantly. Her husband, Rolando Garcia, died two days later from the wounds he received. Also Pemon Kliber Perez, a tour guide, killed on that day.
As a result of the February 2019 events, a dozen wounded were transported to Brazil, among them Onesimo, who was paraplegic due to the bullet affected his spine.
He was on surgery and confined to Boa Vista hospital until June 2019, when he returned to Santa Elena, the largest town in Gran Sabana.
This Tuesday, March 10th, he presented complications due to his condition and died. Family members alleged that they had no income to pay for his treatment. They recalled that Onesimo was mortally wounded in a Pemon protest to allow humanitarian aid requested by Juan Guaido to enter Brazil.
The Pemon people together, with Human Rights organizations, denounced Nicolas Maduro for committing crimes against the Pemon people.
