Yon Goicoechea

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Yon Goicoechea is the 2008 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty winner. As a 23-year-old Venezuelan law student at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Goicoechea was one of the main organizers of the pro-democracy Movimiento Estudiantil Venezolano (Venezuelan Student Movement) that successfully prevented Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez from seizing additional constitutional powers in the December 2007 Venezuelan constitutional referendum.^[1]

After receiving the Milton Friedman Prize, Goicoechea has experienced harassment in Venezuela including suffering a broken nose in a scuffle with supporters of Hugo Chávez. State-run television has depicted him in a cartoon stamped with the words "Made in USA" clutching wads of cash.^[2]

[edit] External links

• (Spanish)"Yon Goicoechea 'Si he sido amenazado,pero no por el vicepresidente'" at TransformVen.com, retrieved April 25, 2008.
• (English) "Venezuelan Student Movement Leader Awarded $500,000 Milton Friedman Liberty Prize " at Cato.org, retrieved April 25, 2008.

[edit] References

1. ^ Associated Press. "Student wins $500,000 for challenging Chavez", MSNBC, April 23, 2008. 
2. ^ James, Ian. "Venezuela targets student", Associated Press, May 27, 2008.