Venezuela beauty queen killed during protest (Video)

A local beauty queen died of a gunshot wound on Wednesday, the fifth fatality from Venezuela’s political unrest, as imprisoned protest leader Leopoldo Lopez urged supporters to keep fighting for the departure of the socialist government.

Tensions have risen in Venezuela since Lopez, a 42-year-old Harvard-educated economist, turned himself in to troops on Tuesday after spearheading three weeks of often rowdy protests against President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

Carmona, according to The Washington Post, was Miss Tourism Carabobo 2013. It isn’t known who fired the shot that said to have killed her.

As the Post has also reported, in Venezuela “beauty queens are as revered … as top athletes and movie stars.”

Bloomberg BusinessWeek has noted that:

“Sporadic protests have plagued Maduro’s government [since he was elected last April], but the murder, in January, of a beloved television star and beauty queen, Monica Spear (along with her British husband), proved a turning point, highlighting Venezuela’s status as one of the most homicide-afflicted countries on earth and sparking demands that the government protect its citizens.”

Authorities believe Spear and her husband were shot to death by robbers who forced their car off a road. A half dozen suspects have been arrested and charged.

Now, Carmona’s name, along with the photo, is ricocheting around Twitter. “So sad. This is another tragic loss as a result of the turmoil in #Venezuela,” reads a typical comment.

Meanwhile, it appears that Leopoldo Lopez, the opposition leader who turned himself into authorities on Tuesday, will remain behind bars for the time being. According to the BBC, “a Venezuelan court has ordered that … Lopez remain in custody pending further hearings, Mr Lopez’s lawyer said.” As the BBC adds:

“Maduro accused Mr Lopez of fomenting a coup against his government. ‘Someone is responsible for every violent act that happens in this country. One of them is in jail,’ he said in an address on national television.”

Agencies/Canadajournal