The shields lean down \r\non the trunk of a tree surrounded by cement benches at Francia square in \r\nAltamira, Caracas. <\/p>\n\n\r\n\n
It's 12 noon on Sunday, \r\nJune 4th. The members of the different clash groups, known as \"The Resistance\" \r\namong the opponents of the regime of Nicolas Maduro, who have emerged with the \r\nopposition protests that began last April, after the Supreme Court of Justice, \r\nthrough two sentences, conferred dictatorial powers to Maduro, have gathered in \r\nthat place. In one of the seats we find Luis, a fourth semester student of \r\nPsychology at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. For protection, he asks to \r\nbe identified by this name. He wears a light blue jean<\/I> and a short sleeve t-shirt \r\nthat, in spite of its intense blue, does not conceal the rosary with a small \r\nVenezuelan flag hanging from his neck. <\/p>\n\n\r\n\n
\"It was given to me by \r\na woman who came to the square one day. She brought several and distributed it \r\namong the brothers so that we may pray and take care of ourselves\", says the \r\n26-year-old. As he crosses one of his legs, a picture of the Virgin of the \r\nValley falls to the ground, the most important Marian devotion in the East of \r\nthe country. I don't know where it came from, I'm sure one of the many people \r\nwho comes to support us left it in my pocket\", he says.<\/p>\n\n\n \"Although there are no marches or protests today, we still come. It is a way of communicating to the people that we are still here, resisting\"<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n Luis doesn't have a \r\nmask, hood, or flannel that covers his face. The careless beard. \"It's Sunday \r\nand we're relaxed. Although there are no marches or protests today, we still \r\ncome. It is a way of communicating to the people that we are still here, \r\nresisting to transmit that we want a change\", says the psychology student who is \r\none of the members of the Resistance Against Repression (RCR) \r\ngroup.<\/p>\n\n\n They are also called \r\n\"warriors\" and \"shield-bearers\" and masks and t-shirts cover their faces. They \r\nprotect themselves with improvised shields, build barricades with what they get \r\nand, when they go to the marches, they are the ones who confront the police. Not \r\neveryone knows or acts in the same way. Most of them come from the sectors \r\nhardest hit by Venezuela's economic crisis, world champion of inflation in 2016 \r\nand suffering from a persistent shortage. They do not always follow the agenda \r\nof the opposition grouped in the Democratic Unity Table. \"All groups are united by the purpose of getting \r\nout of this government. As the saying goes, the enemies of your enemy are your \r\nfriends\", Luis says.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t