Protesters protecting themselves from rubber bullets.
Escuderos bearing shields at a protest.

Resistencia (lit. 'Resistance') is a Venezuelan decentralized array of organized groups that confront security forces during protests that aim to defend other protesters from the authorities response. Some former Venezuelan security forces have taught Resistencia members riot formations and other government methods.[1]

As the protests evolved, the Resistencia developed a system comprising three groups; escuderos (squires), atacantes (attackers) and defensores (defenders). Squires were tasked with repelling tear gas bombs and other projectiles, attackers would throw back gas canisters and defenders would tend to injured civilians and transport them away from areas of confrontation.[2]

According to the Venezuelan human rights group PROVEA, the protesters are organized through social media and are not related to specific political groups.[3] PROVEA also says that while Resistencia members help regulate the conflict between authorities and protesters, they do occasionally instigate confrontation.[3]

In 2019, Venezuelan journalist and writer Carleth Morales published the book 26 crímenes y una crónica. Quién mató a la resistencia en Venezuela (lit. '26 crimes and a chronicle. Who killed the resistance in Venezuela'). The book features the testimonies of the relatives of 26 young Venezuelans killed during the 2017 protests.[4][5][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Weddle, Cody; Wyss, Jim (11 July 2017). "Slingshots vs. shotguns: Venezuela's 'youth resistance' takes on the government". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "La 'mujer maravilla' y el 'hacker guarimbero' contra Maduro". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2023-12-19.
  3. 1 2 Kobelinsky, Por Fernanda. "Quiénes son los "guarimberos", la vanguardia callejera de las manifestaciones contra el chavismo". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  4. ↑ "Entrevista a Carleth Morales: «La resistencia no está muerta»". El Nacional (in Spanish). ¿Cuál es la resistencia que existía en el país? "La que existía y la que sigue existiendo: jóvenes con valores, personas de todas las edades educadas en valores. Porque si bien es cierto que asesinaron a unos, los que siguen vivos volverán a salir y serán los que den la cara, en cualquier escenario, para salvar a Venezuela".
  5. ↑ "Venezuelan Press » "26 crímenes y una crónica. Quién mató a la resistencia en Venezuela" se presenta en Barcelona". Venezuelan Press (in European Spanish). 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  6. ↑ "26 crímenes y una crónica: Quién mató a la resistencia en Venezuela". Editorial Dahbar (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-27.
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