CARACAS – Dissident Venezuelan police officer Oscar Perez died Monday when authorities cornered his hideout and he shared his last attempts to negotiate with authorities on Instagram, a high-ranking official told CNN Español.
Two former police officers were killed in Caracas' El Junquito neighborhood and five other rebels were injured during the raid, according to Venezuelan officials.
"They don't want us to surrender," Perez said during his post on Instagram. "They want us dead."
The officials didn't say whether or not Perez was among the dead or injured. As Perez narrated the siege on Instagram in 15 videos, he shouted there were civilians, women and children in their hideout and begged them to stop shooting.
"You already saw them. Why are you shooting? You are going to kill innocent people," Perez said.
The highly trained officer and action movie actor commandeered the stolen helicopter used to execute brazen attacks on the Supreme Court and the Interior Ministry buildings in June 27 and stealing weapons from military barracks in December.
"These terrorists, who were heavily armed with high-caliber weapons, opened fire on the officials responsible for their capture and attempted to detonate a vehicle loaded with explosives," authorities said in a statement.
His attack didn't weaken Maduro's administration. Authorities put a stop to the street protests. The socialist party consolidated power and top military officials remain loyal to Maduro.
"We are not criminals," Perez said. "We are patriots who are fighting for our convictions."
Perez recorded a message for his children and asked Venezuelans to fight for their freedom. He asked authorities to allow them to surrender before attacking the home, because there were innocent civilians inside. He said they did not want to fight.
In a post that was published on Twitter, Perez's mother pleaded with Maduro's administration to let her son live. Some of his last posts showed him bleeding and tired.
"They are throwing grenade after grenade," Perez said. "They are shooting at us. Venezuelans, freedom forever!"