Caracas, November 28, 2007

(venezuelanalysis.com) - Neighbors, friends and family members of young worker

and supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, José Anibal Oliveros Yépez,

who was murdered by a radical opposition group in the regional city of Valencia

on Monday, have express profound rage and indignation at what occurred

explaining that his body was spat on and kicked by his killers, "as if he were

and animal."

Oliveres, 19 years old, was

on his way to work driving a truck of state owned "socialist" housing company

Petrocasa when he encountered opposition groups blocking the road in protest

against proposed constitutional reforms. When he tried to convince them to let

him pass he was shot several times and died before he could be rescued.

Radio YVKE Mundial reported

that the opposition protesters came from Cuidad Alianza, a middle class suburb

in Valencia

and blocked a highway to impede workers from Petrocasa from passing to the

poorer neighborhood of Araguita, where they were

working to construct housing for the poor. However, the report noted many of

the neighbors from Cuidad Alianza also rejected the violent behavior of some of

the opposition groups.

A resident from

Cuidad Alianza who did not want to be named told Radio YVKE Mundial that the opposition groups had blocked the road to

Araguita from three o'clock in the morning and were patrolling the neighborhood

"with guns in hand."

Alexander Borges, friend and

workmate of Oliveros explained to VTV that they tried to rescue Oliveros, but

were prevented by the protestors who threatened to kill them.

"There were four of us,

trying to carry our friend to the community, but they surrounded us throwing

bottles. I took the opportunity to move him [Oliveros] because they were going

to hit him with a bottle in the face and I moved him so it did not hit him in

the face. He had one bullet in the leg, a man from the local community was

going to carry him, but in this moment they shot him twice in the back and this

is when he fell to the ground."

"We pleaded with them for the

life of our friend that was lying bloody on the ground, to please allow us the

opportunity to pick him up and they responded that now they were coming for us,

that they were coming for me," Borges added.

Borges explained that two

other people came to help rescue Oliveros, but that the opposition supporters

threw rocks and bottles at them screaming, "Come and pick up your dead, now we

are coming for you."

Dixon Viloria, also a friend

of Oliveros and a witness said that after they killed him, "they mal-treated

him, kicked him, stripped off his clothes, hit him and screamed ‘pick up your

dead chicken!' as if he was an animal."

Beltran Chavez, from Araguita

said that neighbors from Cuidad Alianza had shot at workers from Petrocasa

earlier when they tried to pass through to construction sites in Araguita. He

said the same group of protesters had previously set alight to a truck from

Petrocasa and physically and verbally attacked a group of women from Araguita.

"How can a group of people be

better armed than the state and municipal police," he asked. He added that

thanks to the municipal and state police the four people that participated in

the act were captured."

National Assembly Deputy

Francisco Ameliach and the Mayor of Guacara, José Manuel Flores, who visited

the neighborhood to pay their respects to the Oliveros' family, reported that

opposition groups in Ciudad Alianza that claim to represent "civil society"

have marked the houses of Chavez supporters, or those they believe to be Chavez

supporters, with red paint and "have said they are going to kill them."

Vice president Jorge

Rodriguez confirmed that the Oliveros' killer had been identified and arrested

and has confessed to the crime, reportedly saying that all "Chavistas" should

be killed, as well as three other people also linked to his death. Rodrgiuez

said that simultaneously coordinated opposition protests of small groups had

blocked other highways with burning objects in Valencia

and Maracay. In

total 80 people were arrested.

Rodriguez has also asked the

Venezuelan Episcopal Conference to explain what they know about a meeting held

by the opposition in the Diocesan Insitute in Maracay where the violent protests are

alleged to have been planned.

Rodriguez said he has witness

testimony of people who were invited to the meeting in the Diocesan Institute

to "pray for peace" however; when they arrived they found the meeting was

planning the protest in Ciudad Alianza that resulted in the death of Oliveros.

Rodriguez said the Catholic

hierarchy should remember the commandments not to lie and not to kill and said

the Church should explain to the Venezuelan people why their buildings are

being used to plan these types of protests.

Friends and family of Oliveros

also condemned Venezuelan and international media reporting of his death,

particularly opposition private TV channel Globovision, which they say tried to

portray Oliveros as insane, and some international media that have tried to

obscure the events leading to Oliveros death, some even claiming that Oliveros

was an opposition supporter attacked by a "pro-Chavez mob."

Gladys Yépez, mother of

Oliveros demanded justice for her only son and President Hugo Chavez has

responded saying the murderer of Oliveros should face the "full weight of the

law."