Two police officers in Venezuela have been injured while on duty at a small police station next to a funeral home, during a wake in Northern Caracas for one of the two fatal victims of the previous day's clashes between government foes and supporters.
Saturday's shooting heightened tensions in Venezuela, where a month-old opposition strike demanding Chavez's resignation has paralyzed oil exports and driven up international oil prices.
Caracas metropolitan police Chief Henry Vivas, for his part, told Globovision television that two of his men were wounded after gunmen opened fire and hurled rocks at a police station near the funeral home where the wake was being held.
However, supporters of embattled President Hugo Chavez claimed the shots were fired at mourners by members of the metropolitan police, often viewed as sympathetic to the opposition.
"There was no provocation at all from the people who were here mourning their dead," said Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, who was among the mourners, ABC News reported.
Rangel attended the wake shortly before the attack and claimed the government had a videotape showing city police were responsible for Friday's shooting deaths. In addition, the state news agency Venpres accused Caracas police of triggering Friday's violence.
"There are several indications that point to members of the metropolitan police in these crimes, these people don't even respect the dead. What Vivas says is irresponsible," Rangel added. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
