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Venezuelan teen blinded by police at protest, fights back through music

In the first of Orato World Media’s Mini Docs Series, Rufo Chacón speaks about the day that changed his life, his difficult journey since then, and the solace and expression he found through music.

Gonzalo Ruiz Arellano
  • 1 year ago
  • June 18, 2022
1 min read
Conflict
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Rufo Antonio Chacón Parada Rufo Antonio Chacón Parada

TÁCHIRA, Venezuela ꟷ Rufo Chacón, who is now 19 years old, lost his eyesight in July 2019. He joined a peaceful protest against the shortage of domestic gas supply in western Venezuela alongside his mother and brother. The protest took place on the Táriba highway in Cárdenas, a municipality within Táchira state.

Agents of the Táchira Police (Politáchira) and the Venezuelan National Police (Policía Nacional Bolivariana) deployed. They broke up the protest by firing rubber pellets at the participants. Dozens of those shots hit Rufo Chacón in the face at short range, leaving him totally blind as a teenager.

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