Monday, June 11, 2012

Capriles smashing launch: le ladró en la cueva


The official propaganda on state media (and even its eunuchs like Venevision) will try to minimize what happened today in Caracas.  Don't believe a word: it was a smashing success!  Even AFP says so, using the term "hundreds of thousands".

This blogger, even living in Yaracuy, has gone to all the main opposition rallies and marches in Caracas.  Pics are scattered all through the blog since 2003.  I did miss the main one, the one of April 11 2002. Thus I cannot compare it with today.  Some say that April 11 was the biggest one ever.  Maybe, but I can assure you that this one was the biggest, brightest, of the ones I ever went.
In the far distance Libertador avenue, both decks full

I did try the live tweet thing, but wireless signal was generally bad.  I suppose that too many in the crowds were tweeting, calling, trying to find lost parties (I lost my group early and did most of it on my own until returning to our agreed meeting point, first time ever I lost my group).  There were plenty of fun pictures to do, for a change, and you can check out my recent tweets for them @danielduquenal, as I do not like redundancy though the two pictures of this post were tweeted earlier (the one above came from a reader, look at how far the flow of people go!).

At any rate, it was a spectacular event.  Never had I so much trouble walking, never was such enthusiasm shown, and for at long last I sensed that yes, we may be able to finally get rid of Chavez, without necessarily spilling bloodshed.  After all, if 4 moths before the vote Capriles is able to gather with him that many people.....

If the march was rich in sights, it was also rich in symbolism.  For once the regime did not try to sabotage it.  Also Capriles went to make his speech in Plaza Caracas, one of the favorite pulpits of Chavez, a place which even 6 months ago no one in the opposition would have dared to organize a rally.  As we say in Venezuela, "Capriles le ladró en la cueva", Capriles went to bark inside his cave.  Capriles also went inside the CNE for his formal registration freshened up, Venezuelan flag shirt (he did walk 10K under a blazing sun and by chance I saw him run by me, barely a foot away!  He was already red and sweaty and still 3/4 of the way to go...).  He was received by all the witches of the CNE that simply could not help it, sensing that maybe, just maybe for once they should looks a tad less chavista.

All in all an excellent day for our cause and a terrible one for chavismo which is not even trying to reply tomorrow.  The lone stuff we know is that Chavez will come in a closed caravan from Miraflores Palace and that the CNE witches will go outside to receive him, as far from cameras as possible....  The comparison will be terrible, no matter how the state TV tries to hide that Chavez is sick and that his own people are getting sick of him....  Capriles has conquered the street and Chavez is left with cadenas where he sits down all the time and money for vote buying.  By October it might not be enough.


27 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:04 AM

    I have been admiring this most beautiful day from afar all day today and am overjoyed with the international press coverage also.
    I feel the same as you. You said it!-
    "and for at long last I sensed that yes, we may be able to finally get rid of Chavez, without necessarily spilling bloodshed"-That is the one miracle I am hoping for.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous5:18 AM

    Que Dios oiga nuestra súplica. De verdad hoy fué un gran día, supongo que si Chavez vió esto, es para inquietarlo. Si esta enfermo de verdad, debe retirarse todos lo agradeceremos, sea como sea, los chavistas y el gobierno chavistas ahora deben pensar que el mango no esta maduro para ellos. La Maga Lee

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:22 AM

    The hole in the dike.

    I wish.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous8:40 AM

    I'm not surprised. It just has been very hard to see through our own fears. They feed the G2 Gestapo-style psychoterror campaign that has used the media and every conceivable trick to try to numb us into inaction. But it didn't work. Venezuela showed them, again, yesterday.

    The millions of democrats in this country have decided that it has been enough, that it will end peacefully and that it will end now. There is nothing the castrochavistas, the G2 or the few thugs that benefit from this mess can do to stop us.

    Game over.

    María

    ReplyDelete
  5. after the darkest hour, come the dawn

    " Abajo Cadenas" Ya es una realidad.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous3:30 PM

    "For once the regime did not try to sabotage it"

    Oh, I'm sure they were supposed to have tried. But chavistas aren't known for their bravery when outnumbered and unable to use their guns. The fact that they couldn't get their people to disrupt the march says a lot more about how over this nefarious regime is that the size of the march itself.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was overwhelmed watching on TV. This is the first time in a long time i've seen an opposition rally this big, thats what shocked me,the people!. Capriles looked tired though,sweating like a maracucho in el centro and a his voice was faint but hell,he kept going. Twas a good day indeed

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dr. Faustus6:27 PM

    What a wonderful day it must have been. People coming out of their homes by the hundreds of thousands to show their support for a brighter Venezuelan future. They were not alone. They were among friends. They were no longer in fear of showing support to the opposition party. The insanity which has gripped Venezuela for more than a decade is slowly dissipating. The days of an out-of-control megalomaniac governing the people are already numbered. The end is near....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous7:08 PM

    Hundreds of thousand of supports is great, but Hugo Chavez has 2 million
    Phantom Voters on his Flash-Drive ready for October 7

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sorry to rain on your parade Daniel, but recent history shows that thousands attending in rallies does not translate into electoral wins. Check out the pics in the link, taken by yours truly, not that long ago:

    https://picasaweb.google.com/alek.boyd

    Better ensure that each and every polling station is covered. Bailoterapias are great for catharsis, but that's about it. Chavez's hand has to be forced. Marchas do not cut it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You always rain on parades......

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9:34 PM

      Citando a Alonso Moleiro, "la marcha de ayer (fue la de) un pais movilizado contra la violencia, el abuso de poder, el sectarismo y la corrupciòn". No fue por un candidato incómodo, impuesto a juro por un sector de la oposición, como las marchas que aparecen en sus fotos. Aprendimos de los errores, hemos dejado atrás el pasado, los miedos y rencores.

      Ayer no hubo bailoterapia Sr. Boyd. Ayer se palpó una voluntad férrea e irreversible de triunfo. En todas partes. Sin lugar a dudas.

      María.

      Delete
    3. Ayer se palpó una voluntad férrea e irreversible de triunfo...

      Voluntades ferreas e irreversibles de triunfo no tumban dictaduras Maria, de la misma forma que deseos no preñan. Y desde luego que los cientos de miles de venezolanos que asistieron a las marchas de Rosales en el 2006 no parecian en lo absoluto incomodados por la imposicion del candidato por un sector de la oposicion, el mismo, dicho sea de paso, que acompaño a Capriles al CNE.

      Asi que dejen de creer en pajaritos preñados de una bendita vez, agarren esa dizque voluntad ferrea e irreversible y asegurense de que todas y cada una de las mesas en todos y cada uno de los centros de votacion cuenten con testigos.

      Delete
    4. I've been getting the distinct sense that AB doesn't vote. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

      Delete
    5. I think AB is right. Even Capriles said tonight in Globovisión, when he was asked about the CNE, that he only believes in having witnesses in every voting center. A buen entendedor...

      Delete
    6. Anonymous11:18 AM

      ¿Y de dónde cree Ud. que van a salir los voluntarios para los centros si la voluntad de triunfo no es férrea? No entendió nada Sr. Boyd.

      Delete
    7. No te escondas, Alek. Sé que estás flotando por ahí. Contesta, vale. Tu votas?

      Just trying to get a sense of your civic investment, for all the rain you bring to discussions.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous3:16 PM

      Si mal no recuerdo, el Sr, Boyd escribió en su blog no hace mucho que, si ganaba Capriles en las primarias, votaría por chavez para que nos lo tuviéramos que calar 6 años más, y así darnos a todos una lección. A todos los que creemos en pajaritos preñados, digo.

      María

      Delete
    9. Espero que nos estés tomando el pelo, María.

      Delete
    10. Anonymous9:13 PM

      "Sin justicia no hay paz, y sin paz no hay reconciliación posible. Eso lo deberian saber los intelectuales de pacotilla, como Petkoff y sus admiradores. Irónicamente, Petkoff también es lo que puede calificarse como un "dinosaurio de la cuarta república", esa que tanto detestan los 'progres'. Desde luego que yo no voy a darle mi voto a Capriles Radonsky si éste gana las primarias. Prefiero votar por Chavez, a ver si en los próximos seis años les llega la madurez a algunos de los pusilánimes adolescentes que están compitiendo en las primarias."

      María

      Delete
    11. "a ver si en los próximos seis años les llega la madurez a algunos de los pusilánimes adolescentes que están compitiendo en las primarias."

      guau, María. Dicho por quien ha mostrado *tanta* maduréz (Ken Livingston), preparación intelectual sin precedente (M.A. merits sin BA), y cubierta psicológica para canalizar las rabietas.

      Por lo dicho, parece que sí va a votar. Yo le deseo mucho éxito a este cascarrabias con su candidato predilecto -- Chávez -- para así fuñirnos a todos, porque la sabiduría de Alek es única. No caben otras opiniones ...

      Delete
  11. Anonymous10:02 PM

    Great turnout!!!! My thoughts and prayers are with all of you that you may see a change. It seems like the chances are the greatest they have ever been. I had many friends that walked yesterday and told me that the you drown in the sense of emotion and hope everyone in the crowd was feeling!!!!!

    Daniel....Alex brings up a good point. "For once the regime did not try to sabotage it"....maybe they used yesterday as a great recon mission to see what the opposition could truly mobilize. Now they can use this info/numbers to see how bad the voter fraud has to be or what other actions they can take to ensure they steal the election or even have one. Their back is against the wall and they will used WHATEVER it takes to hold on. Its obvious that the oppo is doing a amazing job and I'm sure they will continue....but they have to have a rock solid plan to defend the votes. Without it they will steal the election like they have stolen all the countries resources for the last 13 years. EXPECT THE BEST...PLAN FOR THE WORST!!!!!

    I leave you all with a quote from Ronald Reagan:

    "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."

    God Bless All of you in your fight!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Damn it Alek you are always right.
    Away with you, Rain man

    ReplyDelete
  13. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-18403483

    Per usual, the BBC puts a subtle, yet positive spin on Chavez's situation.

    They seem to forget that the truth is not necessarily just a personal, and biased selection of facts.Battle not yet won.I think it extends way beyond Chavez.

    firepigette

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous3:00 AM

    Show me a country that knows how to party and I will show you a free country. Chavez,for example doesnot know how to party, who to party with, and where to party. For example- who wants to party with bloody dictators?Quadaffi-want to party with him. NO! Mugabe-want to boogie with him. NO!Raul-NO!
    Hint:Nice people have nice parties. Happy people have nice party. It is time for happy people to come out and have a party with Caprilles. (No rowdies invited)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO4bKDKJLhc&feature=related

    from Anonimo #5

    ReplyDelete

Comments policy:

1) Comments are moderated after the sixth day of publication. It may take up to a day or two for your note to appear then.

2) Your post will appear if you follow the basic polite rules of discourse. I will be ruthless in erasing, as well as those who replied to any off rule comment.


Followers