Five days ago, student organizations supporting the opposition organized a hunger strike at the entrance of the Organization of American States (OAS) building in Caracas at the same time as the African Union-Union of South American nations summit was being held on Margarita Island.

The movement protesting Rivas' imprisonment has gathered force within the opposition with high-profile police officers awaiting trial for alleged assassination during the 11A coup joining the hunger strike, along with other prisoners such as Metropolitan Mayoralty official, Richard Blanco arrested for similar offenses to those of Rivas.

• Rivas himself has announced that he will be joining 32 fellow students on strike at the OAS building in protest, he declared, against the policy to remand in custody protesters accused of disturbances and violence and against the education law.

Last Saturday, university students were responsible for leading an opposition march against the new law in several Venezuelan cities. On his release, Rivas commented that his freedom would always be under threat because "like 2,200 Venezuelans" he has a case file with the police that has not been closed or erased.

Government reaction to the release has been twofold: one news source argued that the release ratifies the autonomy of State powers, while VTV channel splashed out with the title, "Member of Java sect released." According to government sources, Java is a group of would be neo-nazis.

• It has been learned that student leaders from the Federation of University Students are currently in Spain on a PR exercise to highlight opposition to the government's education law and other reforms and to make a case for government persecution against dissidents.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com