mardi 9 mai 2017

Tear Gas Grenades Didn't Stop This Venezuelan Protestor From Playing the National Anthem

Protests against the left-wing, teetering-on-a-dictatorship government have continued to rock Venezuela. The crisis, which began roughly three years ago, has descended into chaos. In recent weeks, antigovernment activists have encountered a violent response from the military; since demonstrations reignited in the last month, 37 people have been killed. Yet amid the upheaval, an ardent love of country persists among the protesters, and a haunting video of a young man playing the national anthem - while tear gas grenades detonate around him - exemplifies their passion.

The powerful moment was captured by local journalist Iván Ernesto Reyes and shared on Twitter. The young man's face is unidentifiable and covered, but his youth is apparent. The video is especially poignant given the death of another violinist protesting at the end of April.

Reyes spoke to CNN about the video and explained how it came about. "There he was, standing, playing the Venezuelan anthem, and with a couple of kids that were around him, sort of protecting him," Reyes told CNN. "There were bombs, tear gas, and repression, but he kept playing his violin. He did not stop."

In the Twitter post describing the violinist's song, Reyes termed the event as magical realism. "Today I witnessed a true example of magical realism. A protester played his violin while the (national guards) threw tear gas and pellets," Reyes said.



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