The Murder of Danilo Anderson took place on 18 November 2004, in Caracas, Venezuela. Danilo Baltasar Anderson (born 29 October 1966) was a Venezuelan environmental state prosecutor investigating more than 400 people accused of crimes during the Llaguno Overpass events and the failed 2002 coup d'état attempt. Anderson, 38, was assassinated on his way home from attending postgraduate classes. In 2005 several people were convicted of masterminding the assassination, though the investigation had flaws and was marred with allegations of corruption. Background Anderson was born in Caracas and was raised in the slums. In the 1990s, he was a student agitator participating in clashes with police weekly with fellow demonstrators. He graduated in law from Central University of Venezuela in 1995, specializing later in criminology and environmental law. He worked as a lawyer for several firms, and was a general tax inspector between 1993 and 2000. He was the first official to bring a case for environmental offenses in Caracas. Anderson described himself as being a radical leftist and was a supporter of Hugo Chávez. His murder shocked Venezuelan opinion across the political spectrum. Danilo Anderson was a high-profile prosecutor that participated often in political trials. Following the failure of the coup in April 2002, he prosecuted the responsibles of the Llaguno Overpass events and those who signed the Carmona Decree. Many accused Anderson of extorting money from those he threatened to prosecute in order to have their charges dropped. Leaders of the political movements opposed to President Chávez had also turned to economic means to achieve their political goals following the 2002 coup attempt. For two months from early December 2002 they organized the Venezuelan general strike of 2002-2003, dominated by the near-closure of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA as a key oil transport route was blocked. The strike ultimately failed in its attempt to make President Chávez resign, but caused acute economic problems, with GDP falling by a quarter in early 2003, and deepened the conflictive political situation and polarization resulting from the Llaguno Overpass shootout and the April coup. Following the collapse of the strike, opposition politicians focused on a recall referendum. Widespread international attention focused on the run-up to the 2004 Venezuelan recall referendum in August 2004. President Chávez won the vote with 59% of the total. Death On 18 November 2004 at about 9:45 pm, Anderson was in Urbanización Los Chaguaramos in Caracas, driving home