Bolivarian and communist supporters are marching on Friday across the streets of the capital in order to celebrate the 208th anniversary of Venezuela's Independence Day, while, at the same time, the Venezuelan opposition holds a separate protest.
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Diosdado Cabello, head of the National Constituent Assembly and the governing United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), convoked the march starting at 9 A.M.., local time, in the Avenue Nueva Granada.
#FOTOS Así iniciaron los actos conmemorativos al cumplirse 208 años de la Declaración de nuestra Independencia. #208AñosDeIndependencia pic.twitter.com/AKF9jrkt76
— PSUV (@PartidoPSUV) 5 de julio de 2019
A special session was also scheduled in the assembly with the Armed Forces Chief Remigio Ceballos in order to celebrate the anniversary.
#EnVideo || Así se realizó ceremonia de apertura del arca que contiene el libro de actas del Supremo Congreso de 1811. #208AñosDeIndependencia pic.twitter.com/hBynLI1LyW
— Vicepresidencia Vzla (@ViceVenezuela) 5 de julio de 2019
As for the opposition march, it will start from the Avenue Francisco de Miranda, in front of the United Nations Agency for Development (PUND), up to the facility for counter-intelligence military services (Dgcim) in order to protest against alleged human rights abuse, torture and extra-judicial assessinations.
On Thursday, the Venezuelan government issued a statement rejecting the findings of a report released by the United Nations Human Rights Commission, questioning the methodology used to collect the data.
For instance, the statement pointed to the fact that 82% percent of the interviews by the OHCHR were carried out with people who reside outside of Venezuelan.
The statement added officials from the U.N agency “made two visits to the country during the year 2019, the first of it in the month of March with a duration of 12 days and the second between June 19 and 22, by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.”
Also, the report failed to reflect the negative impact of the economic blockade that the U.S. has implemented against Venezuela while excluding the fact the government of President Nicolas Maduro tried to maintain people’s purchasing power and implemented emergency measures to help the population deal with the economic situation.