[hermantheshocker]

Andean city, Venezuela - July 2019. A 16-year-old teenager has been blinded in both eyes after police shot 52 rubber pellets into his face during a cooking-gas shortage protest. Rufo Chacon, 16, was injured when the authorities shot into a crowd of protesters in Andean city, Venezuela, on July 2. Two officers have been charged with attempted murder, improper use of a weapon and cruel treatment, following the chaos.













Surgeons removed what remained of the youngster's eyes and had to leave some pellet fragments inside his head because they were too deep to reach. Rufo went to the demonstration with his brother and mum to protest about the lack of cooking gas in their region. The family has been without gas since April, Rufo said. Benefactors in Mexico, Spain and the US have vowed to pay for his medical treatment and a clinic in Colombia has even offered to replace his eyelids for free.











89% of the Venezuelan population uses propane gas for cooking. Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. government imposed crippling sanctions seeking to isolate president Maduro.

The US banned Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, and affiliated companies to import the fuel, known as LPG as part of former-President Donald Trump’s administration’s sanctions on the Venezuelan government. In July 2021 the US government finally granted a waiver permitting the gas import. The decision is seen as a humanitarian gesture.

However, the license prohibits PDVSA from payment-in-kind with crude or oil products, and the company has little spare cash to pay for LPG on international markets.

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This post is for educational purposes only and is nonprofit. Under Section 107 of the US Copyright Act of 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. OP is not a medical expert. No copyright infringement intended. This post does not encourage or glorify violence/harassment. Images might have been upscaled and enhanced. Text might have been shortened and simplified/reorganized for online view.

[Pyramid_Head]

That's seriously fucked up, poor kid.

[SimoneFlen']

I remember posting images of this case here, a while back. Though the stupid cunt that I contributed the photos + videos to, decided to delete them all + so all my research was a waste of time! Eurgh!

Anyway, good to see this back here + updated photos of how the boy is now. Great thread, mate.

[MinervaXXIV]

Oh this is sad. At least the police are being charged with attempted murder. 16, so much ahead of him and now with no eyes.

[ride]

An ideal candidate for some of those stick-on crazy eyeballs. That would be some hilarious shit.

Good find, Herm.

[icehole]

I wonder what the pellets look like
and 52 shot?? damn burst mode

[kellyhound]

nazi regime there

The police officers Javier Blanco and Hanry Ramírez were detained for the attack, and also for hitting another youth of 14 years at the protest.

Though the charges are for inflicting head injuries to three young people, Chacón is the one highlighted in media surrounding the trial.

Chacón's mother, Parada denounced that on 12 July, when attending at court for the first hearing to begin the investigation, she learned that the detained officers had not been under the custody of the Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas (CICPC), nor were they under charge of Politáchira, the body they belonged to, but were enjoying protection and illegal free movement without court order.

The cop who shot the pellets at Chacón's face held the position of head of the Brigade for Public Order in the police force, and had an open file for having committed a similar act in the 2017 protests.

The officer seriously injured another youth, Ornelly Chacón, also with shots to the face and head, in a peaceful protest in the city of San Juan de Colón, Ayacucho Municipality, Táchira, who spent several days in critical condition in intensive care.

Along with the help of several other Venezuelans, the Chacón family managed to establish a food kiosk in their home. However, the mayorship executed reportedly a resolution that ordered the closure of informal establishments and security officials forced them to close the business, leaving them without income.

On 30 May 2021, CICPC officials entered Chacón's home without a search warrant, climbing over a fence to reach Rufo's room and arresting him along with his brother, besides seizing two motorcycles from the family; both were moved to the police headquarters.

Rufo was accused of stealing a motorcycle and they were interrogated without the presence of lawyers or relatives. When his mother went to the facilities to look for her children, they told her that the arrest had been "a mistake", and that they could leave if she signed an act.

She protested the implausibility of Rufo's accusations of stealing a motorcycle when he is blind.

[Faust]

Horrible, especially because they were really protesting a just cause

[Rose25]

Jesus this is sad. Absolutely barbaric and now he’s blind for life poor boy

[Shadolife]

He's lucky they didn't unleash the 75 pellet shot!