Venezuela News And ViewsVenezuela News And Views: Back in Venezuela: chock full of surprises
Venezuela News And Views
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Back in Venezuela: chock full of surprises
After almost three weeks out of the country for a well deserved brain purge from Venezuelan hysteria I am back in my little corner of the world. Before I start working in all earnest for this last stretch of an electoral campaign that promises to be hectic at the very least, I suppose that a summary post is in order. In no particular order of importance.
Europe
Europe is so prosperous and civilized that it is depressing for a Venezuelan who after four years without visiting it realizes how much Venezuela is backsliding in barbaric eras. I heard of Chavez UN speech in some small German hotel and I was amused, not surprised, amused. I am not sure why there was such a fuss about it. After all bloggers like me have been decrying Chavez vulgarity and weirdness. Now that Chavez finally is acting outside of Venezuela I have just one thing to say to people that started visiting this blog as a consequence of the UN speech: WE TOLD YOU SO. Now, pay attention to us more because there is more to come from Chavez and we will warn you well in advance.
Sectarism
One thing that I have complained a lot about Chavez is how much division he is bringing to Venezuela. I had at some European airport a clear reminder on how lucky we are (were?) in Venezuela that we are such a melting pot, so ignorant of Muslim/Christian/Jewish divisions.
As I was waiting for my flight I saw a Middle Eastern Arabic family in full grab looking for their own flight. There were 3 women decked in full black with only their eyes barely showing. 4 kids tagged along, 2 boys and two girls. The girls were also in full drag though in some type of purple, their faces still visible. The boys had a weird western jacket style over a robe covering them below the knee (and a pajama of sorts reaching the ankles. And the father, or at least the only adult male of the group, was dressed, how should I put this, as if from a bad Al Qaeda video, beard, weird head wrap, flowing pajamas, etc… Except that he was not frightening at all, he was just some daddy taking care of his kids. While the women headed off to the rest room he was with two boys and one girl buying them some coke and stuff. Pleasantly it seemed like the girl was treated equally as the boys as her curious eyes were struggling to comprehend the mysteries of Western goods. This “normalcy” was so disarming that my only thought was really how uncomfortable would it be to travel for long flights with such clothes and restrictions.
But as if some cosmic karma was at play, about 10 minutes later I saw a tour of Hasidim Jews gathering for their own flight. All men, with black wide brimmed hats, complex vests and shirts, weird hair cuts and all those strings hanging from under heir shirts. Just as for the Muslim family my thought was about how uncomfortable it would be to have to travel with such vestimentary conditions. I even wondered about what would happen if one of these strings were to get caught in a luggage conveyor belt… The younger boys by the way seemed more interested by the surroundings, more curious, just as this young Muslim girl was peeking out to the world as long as she could be allowed to do so.
And I was wondering why does Chavez want so much to drag us into the conflict of these societies, Venezuela being the country that with Brazil uses the most string bikinis and where drinking and eating pork is a national pastime. What possesses Chavez?
Interesting reading
I was reading a special issue of L'Histoire while dodging rainy days in France. The issue was dedicated to Goebbels whose memories have been recently published. In an article by Husson, it is observed that besides Röhm and Strasser, Hittler did not eliminate his dissident followers during internal party struggles. Just rotating them between government positions depending on their level of incompetence. As an opposite to communist regimes where dissident potential opponents are ruthlessly eliminated (Moscow, Peking or Havana). Mark one more for chavismo as neo-fascismo as Chavez cabinet is a gigantic game of musical chairs.
Venezuela
To tell you the truth, during my trip I only made once a round up of Venezuelan blogs. Thus that was one of the first things I did upon my return. I was not disappointed, as I realized briefly how things had changed in Venezuela in two weeks. Not by the words I read necessarily, but by the tone and what was not said.
For some unexplainable reason Quico has decided to oppose Rosales. That might be fine but his reasoning seems so out of touch with Venezuelan reality that I would suggest him to re-source himself some by joining the Venezuelan political fray. In fact, everyday he sounds more like a PSF himself. A PSF against Chavez that is, but a PSF nevertheless.
Chavista blogs on primitive grounds
My confirmation that Rosales campaign was growing fast and that chavismo was in trouble getting novel ideas and proposals came from a single look at Oil Wars. When a post consist of a dozen or so pictures of lousy propaganda shots from the pseudo medical miracles of Venezuela, you know that they have reached rock bottom and that they also need fast re-sourcing in Venezuelan reality. I mean, does Dan Burnett thinks that ten pictures of a Barrio Adentro module will convince anyone at this point? The amusing thing is that he admits that all that is shown was done after 2003, admitting thus that Chavez did nothing for 5 years. Funny!
Discussing the campaign
Apparently “Mi Negra” has become an issue that PSF and Quico love to discuss. Demonstrating by the way how out of touch they all are. In this most emotional and primal of campaigns that we might ever experience as a people, WHO CARES ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF MI NEGRA VERSUS THE MISIONES? Neither Chavez nor Rosales can fulfill the electoral promises they are making (and the lord knows how Chavez has dramatically failed to fulfill his promises of 1998 which has not stopped him to remain in office for 8 years!).
In fact all of those discussing the finer details of the Mi Negra initiative are missing the real message of the proposal: under a Rosales administration social programs will be better managed AND WILL REACH ALL; REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL AFFILIATION. The details are irrelevant for the Venezuelan people who have long stopped paying attention to details as long as help comes their way. And the beauty of the proposal is that by offering poor folks to trade chavismo socialism and cooperativism for the universal symbol of capitalism and economic progress, the small rectangular plastic object, Rosales is appealing directly to the inner wishes of Venezuelans: a job, a house and security to enjoy them. Discussing viability of Mi Negra over its actual message shows, I am afraid to say so, the political distance with Venezuelan hot issues!
Miguel keeps steady
At least one blogger sailed forward as expected. Miguel was particularly active and up on things, even catching my brief interview for a London paper. Then again the series of events and constant flow of revolutionary inner contradictions sort of simplified Miguel’s ever astute observations.
Other blogs are becoming more active
Some blogs are catching the electoral fever. Be it K.A., or Feathers commenting on Chavez killing Chomsky, interesting reading in English is increasing. Not to mention in Spanish (see links on right side column of this page, all your needs to follow the Venezuelan electoral process).
And do not miss the accumulating evidence of electoral abuse in pictures provided by Katy or Bruni. Do not miss them and send them your very own contributions!!!! Each one has a specific interest (Katy for public administration abuses and Bruni on the vulgar pro Chavez press advertisement).
Brief conclusion
Europe is great, food wonderful, and it is awakening to the threats and lies of Castro and Chavez.
Rosales is hitting hard. I bet that real polls (and unpublished so far) must put him already close to 40% to see chavismo in such near hysteria (heck, even Rangel seems to support violence against Rosales!). Rarely in Venezuelan political history has an office holder become so unhinged so fast. Certainly a Rosales victory is far from certain but one can feel it in the air, it is palpable: something has changed in Venezuela during this September.
posted by Daniel Permalink 12:11 AM
Written from the Venezuelan provinces, this blog started as private letters to my friends overseas, letters narrating the difficult days of the 2002/2003 strike in Venezuela. These letters became this mix of news, comments, pictures of the Venezuelan situation. Unknowingly, I have written the diary of Venezuela slow descent into authoritarianism, the slow erosion of our liberties, the takeover of the country by a military caste, the surrendering of our soul to our inner demons.
Click logo above to go directly to the English language blog. Click here to go to the Spanish language mirror.
Estamos en Venezuela, nunca se sabe. In spite of its Spanish title, an irregular blog about a French student observing Venezuela. Interesting pictures.
General info and discontinued blogs but with good archives
Venezuela Crisis has a visual and textual record "hors pair" of the recent electoral campaign in Venezuela, the first blogger to have covered live a Venezuelan campaign. Seems to be on a resting phase for a few weeks.
Digital papers with Venezuela and LatAm in mind (in Spanish)
There are two major digital papers with forums and all, for a permanent clash between factions. Noticiero Digital is the oldest one and Noticias 24 is giving it a run for tis money.
And a new comer:Venezuela es noticia.
Ciudadania Activa has a large selection of articles on Venezuelan politics and civil rights issues.
Relevant info to expose some of the regime's propaganda and human rights violations
The lies of April
The famous "infamous" video "The revolution will not be televised" has been duly analyzed and shown to be in large measure a crass manipulation. Counter-video in Spanish here, and summary of main points here.
There is a documentary that follows the April 2002 events from the perspective on what Chavez did that April 11, "La Cadena". It is about the forced broadcast made by Chavez to hide the massacre of the pacific march on Miraflores.
The infamous apartheid like system of the Tascon and Maisanta lists
The compilation of various documents from Miguel.
The video "La Lista" and my reviews in English and Spanish by invitation at Hispalibertas.
The El Nacional review of Perez Oramas.
The original video itself can be seen here.
Diverse Human Rights pages
Of course, from Amnesty International to the Human Rights Watch page, without forgetting local organizations such as prestigious COFAVIC, the Venezuelan government comes only too often lacking in its Human Rights record.
OTHER FOLKS WITH VENEZUELA MORE OR LESS IN THEIR MIND (Please send links that should be added here)
And of course to be fair there must be links to pro-Chavez sites. I do pride myself of having been the first opposition blog to have listed pro Chavez links; a situation that has now changed. However extremely rare is the pro Chavez page or blog that links to any of the sites listed above. The readers might draw their own conclusion
Aporrea (Beat up, bruise! as in the imperative mode of the verb; the only interesting one if you can read Spanish. Predicts the future)
And of course the full time propaganda agencies, ALL at tax payer expenses, the National Radio coverage, RNV, and the rather deficient official news agency, ABN (both in Spanish).
Without forgetting the "official" newsletter in English.
Some blogs, more or less sycophantic.
Yosmary, campaigning for Mario Silva, quite something.
Less sycophantic, even critical on occasion Terreno baldio.
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Map of Venezuela to help you locate the different locales mentioned through the blog (click here for a more detailed map)
For the memories. The picture below dates from the epic days of the December 2002/January 2003 "El Paro", when the opposition was strong and decided, and when Chavez was low in polls.
Then came the "misiones" and the worst populist episode of our history. Through pacific protests and strikes we tried to preserve democracy.
History proved us right even if we lost that battle.
Marching toward Hotel Melia, 01/31/03, 5 PM.
Small yellow square under the Pepsi ball is the big stage.
A special thanks to JoAnne Schmitz for the suggestions and help in setting this blog up.
