Rogue ex-policeman, star of failed coup, killed in Venezuela shootout

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This was published 6 years ago

Rogue ex-policeman, star of failed coup, killed in Venezuela shootout

Updated

Caracas: Rogue Venezuelan helicopter pilot Oscar Perez was killed in a police operation on Monday along with six other anti-government militants, the interior minister said on Tuesday, spurring opposition complaints of human rights violations.

Perez, a photogenic former police officer who once starred in an action film, last year used a hijacked helicopter to attack government buildings. He also stole weapons from a military base in what he called a rebellion against President Nicolas Maduro.

He appeared with a bloody face in nearly a dozen Instagram videos early on Monday, saying he was surrounded by authorities shooting at him with grenade launchers even though he was promising to surrender.

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said seven "terrorists" including Perez were killed in the operation outside Caracas along with two police officers involved in the raid.

Oscar Perez speaks to the press at a night vigil in July for people killed during anti-government protests.

Oscar Perez speaks to the press at a night vigil in July for people killed during anti-government protests.Credit: Miguel Rodriguez

"In the face of an attack that put the lives of security officials at risk, the attacking group was neutralised using established protocols, with the unfortunate result of seven dead terrorists," Reverol said in a televised broadcast.

Perez rose to fame after allegedly hijacking a police helicopter, flying over Caracas' centre and firing shots at and lobbing grenades on the Interior Ministry and the Supreme Court.

He claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was to fight what he said was a tyrannical government. He went into hiding afterward, but frequently appeared in videos that circulated on social media calling for resistance to Maduro.

The government described him as a "fanatic, extremist terrorist" and had been carrying out a manhunt for him since last June.

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Members of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Intelligence Service during an operation to capture Oscar Perez.

Members of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Intelligence Service during an operation to capture Oscar Perez.Credit: FERNANDO LLANO

Critics initially questioned whether Perez' attacks were staged in cahoots with the government to justify a further crackdown on the opposition.

But his death prompted an outcry over what critics called an extrajudicial killing and turned him into a martyr for hardline foes of Maduro.

Venezuelan special forces exchanged gunfire with the rebellious police officer who has been on the run since leading a high-profile attack in Caracas last year.

Venezuelan special forces exchanged gunfire with the rebellious police officer who has been on the run since leading a high-profile attack in Caracas last year.Credit: FERNANDO LLANO

"Honour and glory to those brave citizens who gave their life for their ideals," tweeted former Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, now in exile in Spain after himself being jailed on charges of leading a coup against Maduro.

Venezuela has been suffering an unprecedented economic crisis since 2012 that has left its once-prosperous citizens suffering from rising incidence of malnutrition and preventable diseases. Foods and medicine are increasingly out of the reach of citizens because they are not available at supermarkets or are too expensive.

Members of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Intelligence Service arrive at a shanty town during an operation to capture Oscar Perez.

Members of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Intelligence Service arrive at a shanty town during an operation to capture Oscar Perez.Credit: FERNANDO LLANO

Maduro says the country is the victim of an "economic war" led by political adversaries and fuelled by economic sanctions levied by the government of US President Donald Trump.

Reuters

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