Disturbing the Universe of the Excuela Técnica Militar de Michelena (Michelena Military Tech Academy)
Dear Steemians,
I am in Caracas now, struggling to find a computer and internet conexion to keep doing this. My brother, nephews and sister-in-law just came back yesterday from the state of Barinas where my diseased niece lived.
I will write a separate post with the images of that trip as soon as i can (i did not take my smart phone, my nephews took a few pictures, but we have had all kinds of problems with the phones and connexion).
Last image she posted hours before her death
My niece's burial was on sunday. A premature burial, now that i think about it. There were some many irregularities surrounding her death that if all the efforts we are working on now to force an independent investigation fructify, her body will have to be exhumed.
The first news
for those of you who can read spanish, here some of the news published in different news sites:
https://www.lapatilla.com/?s=sayago+lezama
https://www.tenemosnoticias.com/noticia/suicida-estudiante-gnb-academia-314162/831300
https://www.aporrea.org/regionales/n327778.html
In all these reports, without citing sources, it is affirmed (as if an investigation had been conducted and conclusions had been reached beyond any doubt) that she was "severely depressed" because it had been discovered that she was gay and she asked another young cadet his rifle and shot herself in the chest.
A coverup
My niece's death screams foul play all over. From the delay of the Academy's authorities to notify her parents (7 hours), even though her father, an active sergeant, works in the same city; to the secrecy surrounding her autopsy; to the nervous and contradictory versions from her fellow cadets; to the most important fact: She was not "severely depressed" as the news release affirms and it is extremely odd for anyone to kill herself with a rifle by shooting herself straight to the heart (her father has not yet got a forensic conclusion in that regard).
As of today, no family or relative has been contacted by the Military Academy, journalists, or any other authority. We had to start digging and contacting people, lawyers, judges, military personell and media people to force them to start an investigation.
Thankfully, we have found some voices interested in solving the mystery.
The Risks
This week will be very tense and stressful for us. We are fully aware of the danger we face by confronting the military head on in a corrupt country.
We think that Nakary deserves that much. We are willing to pay whater the price for her name and that of her family to be cleared and for the malice of that institution and some of its members to be exposed, even if legally we cannot achieve the final goal, which would be to put behind bars whoever was responsible for her untimely death.
On the bright side
We feel very thankful because in the middle of this tragedy our family has grown strong. My mother, an old and sick lady who loved that granddaughter inmensely, has been able to hold up. We have found priceless friends who love our niece and her family and have done amazing things for us during this critical days. We have witnessed the unconditional generosity of men, women and children, her neighbors, who we can now call her family too.
Even though my sister and her daughters live more than 1000 km away, we are confident now that they are not alone in this. That there are loving people around them who will provide words, hugs, hands, time and energy to help them and us find piece in this trying moment. We cannot thank them enough.
We have started a campaign to spread our side of the story to counter the Academy's. We have instructed all of Naky's friends to get their stories out, to let people know their testimony. We are also contacting national and international journalists hoping that they can start a media campaing to make this crime visible for as many people as possible. You can also help resteeming this post. You do not have to upvote it.
Justice shall be done!
Source