Thursday, February 20, 2014

Is any one surprised?

There is no telling the funk I am this morning. Never in my life I thought that I would have to live in a declared dictatorship. But after last night, this is what it is, a bona fide fascist dictatorship.

Now, the only thing that surprises me is that there are people that are surprised, people that try to minimize, people that have no clue yet.  Truly, de Nile springs eternal.

Where to start?  Well, with me, since charité bien ordonnée commence par soi même. Which means that to survive and help others you need first to ensure that yourself will survive and be in conditions to help. Since there is little that I can physically do here in San Felipe, I can only suggest that to survive the onslaught of dictatorship you need to have your mind clear about what this means.

This time around I am going to write "I told you". I told you because as far as I am concerned Venezuela has been an official dictatorship since the last trimester of 2010 when the outgoing Nazional Assembly neutered in a decisive and permanent way the freshly elected assembly so that this one could not fulfill anymore its functions. That the opposition never made this a war cry has always befuddled me. Today we are paying the consequences.

But the opposition for some obscure reason has always wanted to hide from itself the true nature of the regime, a corrupt and increasingly narco directed mafia. This could have been seen way back, in 1999 when so many supported what was an illegal referendum on a new constitution that I am proud to say I was in the lone 10% that voted NO.  A second warning was made in December 1999 when between Christmas and New Year the judicial system was taken over by chavismo. This is when the dictatorship we start suffering in full this month started its slow but steady development.

And then we went from mistake to mistake in the naive hope that at some point so many people were going to be for us even electoral fraud could not be enough to save the regime. Well, in April 2013 victory was stolen outright from us, and the opposition denounced adequately the electoral fraud. And that was that, we started preparing the municipal elections of December to validate our claim of April. Of course lost in December 2013 as the opposition electorate was profoundly demobilized and its leadership criticized.  And now we are in this mess because people got fed up enough to go to the street and prove that we are a majority. We are the majority because I do not see anyone defending the regime besides its hired goons and professional tweeterers that are actually becoming quite silent if you ask me.

I do not want here to blame Capriles or Lopez. For better or for worse they did what they did and now they have to pick up the pieces of their mistakes, mistakes that have been duly written about and not only in the pages of this blog. I do not think they are clueless, that they did not know: they just did not make the right political choices and there is a price to pay for that. Unfortunately Lopez is in jail and the regime is trying to put right now as I type the whole country in jail. We are left with Capriles who has now to prove once and for all of which timber he is made, just as the regime is preparing to put in jail all the mayors of Voluntad Popular, Maria Corina Machado and who knows how many other politicians, journalists and, why not, bloggers.

But cluelessness does not reside only in politicians.  It is also in the media, from major media to bloggers that prove once and again that they are only consistent in their inconsistency.  A worst offender this time around is the envoy of BBC in Caracas who writes articles using the exactly same cliches used over 15 years. For example rich versus poor, without stopping for a second to wonder that the millions that are protesting cannot be all rich otherwise chavismo should be getting an Economy Nobel prize!  Does BBC shops and see the empty shelves or do they come with their care package of Stilton and scones?  Fortunately BBCMundo is more on top of things. Maybe they should talk.

I do not want to defend the foreign press but they are tired of us, always the same story for 15 years. They need now a good dose of necrophilia to come back to us, and they are getting it. Maybe not as Ukraine does, but just you wait.  At least we can count with the Washington Post who has been clear of years, with yet another spectacular editorial. The Wall Street Journal also does good stuff but they are on pay and hint too much of economy whereas the WP is sharply focused on Human Rights. And the New York Times? Well, it is not quite the same since Romero left.  European press goes from the ambiguous Guardian to blissful ignorance, or courtesy footnote. But at least they have a provisional excuse, Ukraine and Putin are at their door. Spain is something else, as chavismo lost almost any support there long ago, very long ago.

The only one that has come through, and that because they have to, is CNN en Español, the Spanish language version which is much better than the English one if you ask me with insufferable people like Anderson Cooper, gay or not. CNNE has been excellent at letting regime personel dig their own grave. anyone with a modicum of intelligence and education can only but be shcoked at the interviews made to Chaderton, Jaua or one of their underlings.  Even Maduro was caught trashing CNN while they passed live his attacks, confounding the rascal.  This morning after the night of terror that we suffered CNNE transmitted live the speech of Capriles that is blocked in any TV or radio of Venezuela.  Let's see how long it takes for CNNE to be booted of the cable grid as it happened for Colombia's NTN24, who also came through for us, for as long as it could.

So here we are. Now even people like Teodoro Petkoff are going to have to use the D word.  This is a dictatorship and there is no excuse for anyone anymore. It does not please me to have "been right" for so long because I am trapped in the same shithole as the ones in denial are.  Heck, I am not even expecting an apology!  What I expect is that we all do our duty, call spades "spades" and act accordingly.  For better or for worse Capriles is our leader right now and spoke accordingly reminding people that tomorrow, after we pick up the bodies assuming that the regime succeeds in its repression and sends us back home in fear, the economic debacle is just starting and the regime so far has done NOTHING to stop it, preferring to seek political confrontation to run away from it, classical fuite en avant.



The country is about to suffer economic collapse.

This is the way I followed the highlights of Capriles speech, since he is not on TV and my Internet is too feeble for watching it on line.

Now you all stop crying, all stop complaining, all stop telling the student what they should or should not do: it is time that we all assume our responsibilities and act according to them to the best of our limitations.  The time of surprise is gone, the time of reality is in. We are past de Nile.





72 comments:

  1. First of all, am I correct to assume that Maduro's job now is to bring the opposition to its knees? Second of all, has anybody calculated the prospects of a post-debt-default Venezuelan economy? Third, what I'm hearing is that the students are not retreating, they are mobilizing further! Is this correct? Fourth, the international media are begging for video, while the thugs are attacking anyone with a camera. Fifth, I heard that petroleum production has been suspended. Sixth, I read that investors in Venezuelan bonds are in a panic.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:02 PM

      1- Yes and has been the whole time but its obvious the education level between both parties is lob sided.
      2- I'm sure but really who knows that answer and really how long this will go on, Syria is now two years into their peo and no end in sight.
      3-The students are still pressing in the same fashion as they started with some extras tricks being added but non violent!!!
      4- Any democratic media source is always looking for sources to provide any light on the story they are covering...
      5-The oil and gas & sector is better protected than the civil population.
      6- What's not in a panic there right now, seriously.

      Nfg

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    2. Surely No 6 of Gordo's beliefs should be getting media coverage, if it's true. Wouldn't this register a little on Wall Street?

      Delete
  2. 1979 BP8:35 PM

    Venezuelans either fight to the end for your freedom or run to a new place to find your new freedom.
    Staying in Venezuela without fighting is a NO NO. See the Cubans under the F***ING Castro bothers regime.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:25 PM

      The middle class exodus, which has been picking up in recent years, will explode after last nights events. It's not as easy to leave as you think though. Coming to North America is extremely difficult, unless you want to be illegal

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    2. The possibility exists of Venezuela creating a refugee crisis for Colombia.

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    3. Colombia is the easiest destination. What is the FARC up to in all of this mess?
      They are skilled murderers like the Tupamaro and avowedly Marxist.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous9:11 PM

    Maduro is trapped by the very policies that embodies his regime. The only course left open to him, and his cronies, is to become more repressive and authoritarian. To make the policy changes necessary to stave off the coming economic collapse would alienate the very base from which his support springs. Similar to a dog chasing his tail, he can't catch it, but he can't stop chasing it. I fear that, for the Venezuelan people, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

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  4. In the first Superman movie with Christopher Reeve there was a scene where Superman catches Lois Lane falling from a building, and says "Don't worry, Miss. I've got you." To which she asks, "Who's got you?" Well, Chavez pulled the same stunt with Cuba, economically speaking, except now, the kryptonite of socialism has finally robbed Maduro of his economic powers. And, no one is going to swoop in to save him. The fall of Venezuela will be the fall of the Castros as well. Don't expect any of them to "go peacefully into that good night."

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for this touch of humor!

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  5. i feel a certain kind of relief among all the thoughts and feelings.

    We are now officially a dictatorship.Last night proved it. This one is forever, like Cuba,Belarus or Russia. We are not the arabs.This democracy facade is going to last forever, we will have elections, we will have oppo mayors,governors and a presence in the Assembly, yet we won't have a voice,media,human rights and we will barely have food.

    I am very sorry about this, very very sad. I too saw this coming since i've been politically concious.I would ask you Daniel, to pack your things and move to France or wherever you wish, but please go. This is not a pretty story of evil vs good, where evil prevails for a while but good wins in the end. Nobody will face justice, Ameliach,Diosdado,Cabello, all of them will die rich and of old age, in the comfort of their house, or in Milan.

    While people like me, with hopes and dreams get crushed under this terrible depresion and hopelesness. Knowing well that if i had the money,i'd leave, but never able to get that dirty piece of shit we call money, because i'm too honest and ethical and proud to do the only thing that guarantees a bunch of money: corruption,marañas and matar tigres.

    I might as well blow my brains out.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:23 PM

      Hey Boy take a deep breath. El mundo da muchas vueltas...Todo pasa ...

      Delete
    2. man, i hope things change soon in venezuela, people like you are what is needed in Venezuela... it would seem you are hard to come by in venezuela... godspeed. hope you are there to pick up the pieces...

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    3. Juan, there is hope. The Peruvians are on the way. Okay, not with guns, but with honest political desire. The prominent newspapers in Peru report diligently on the atrocities committed by Chavismo. The opposition in Peru (I feel safe to say that it represents well over 50%) is hammering the Humala Presidency daily because of his assumed relationship with Chavismo. They are forcing President Humala to state whether he is a Chavista or not, by demanding that he not be ambiguous on Lopez's arrest. (He is either for it or against it.)

      Connect with the Peruvians. They care about human rights. But maybe more importantly, they fear the spread of this cancerous Chavismo. So use their support and help them to enlarge it.

      Delete
  6. Ricardo Portillo (Galena Park, Houston)10:48 PM

    "Anderson Cooper gay or not" most telling phrase in the entire article.
    Why did you have to add that? Who gives a shit? It was completely unnecessary.
    Is it forbidden for a gay man to criticize another gay man so you have to be apologetic about it?
    Are you breaking some secret "gay bro code"?
    Or you feel a need to constantly push your gayness down our throats (no pun intended)

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:09 AM

      This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    2. My my.... What a fuss for you when I only wanted to say that I do not like him, period.

      Delete
    3. I don't like him, either. He likes Obama too much.

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    4. Well, David would you like another Bush (Jeb) in office to send the USA to more wars for WMDs that are not there? Or another white GOP who wants to send young men (not their own) to war in countries for nothing. Or do you just hate that the US President has brown skin. At least Obama has tried to give the american people free health care and has the least amount of presidential decrees's since GW Bush and Wilson. How can you not like him? In his years as POTUS he has not tried to send the US into another stupid war and has got us out of the most of the ones that Bush started.

      http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardsalsman/2013/01/28/when-it-comes-to-abuse-of-presidential-power-obama-is-a-mere-piker/

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    5. Anonymous5:13 AM

      Yes! david there is probably many who notice but let it go. It is blind spot in what otherwise is a fine and useful blog.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous5:23 AM

      Anthony Davis:Bush was worse. Check. You don't like Obama so you are racist. Check. Free Health Care. Check. Posting by the numbers.
      By the way, is health care is the US free? I didn't know that, maybe for illegals (whoops that makes me a racist)

      Delete
    7. Stop it, stop this shit. This is the wrong place for it. Show a little decency and leave Bushitler, Killerary, Champ and every other damn Buzzname out of this. It's wrong. It's ugly Americanism at it's worse.

      tl;dr Blog not about the USA.

      Delete
  7. Anonymous10:52 PM

    http://www.ihs.com/products/global-insight/industry-economic-report.aspx?ID=1065985251 - thought this was interesting

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  8. Anonymous10:58 PM

    What do you think happens here?

    Basically 3 options.

    1. Arm yourself and rebel
    2. Accept what the regime has to offer
    3. Leave the country

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  9. The WaPo article is true except the proposed solution to bring dialog with the opposition to save the economy. Even if this was possible, dialog will save nothing with this government. The economy is beyond repair.

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  10. I also thought it was a dictatorship 'beaucoup' years ago....I still see many people confused...they think they can work with and strike deals with the worst, most psychopathic criminals.These people in my opinion suffer from some form of Stockholm syndrome, and unwittingly give more power to the government with their attitudes.

    If we are lucky enough to get rid of this plague, I hope a soul searching will be done, to see how we create authoritarianism everyday when we are sycophants, when we respect authority too much, when we don't stand up for ourselves and others when they are bullied by the powerful and when we hide our real feelings just to fit into a group and follow a leader.If there is no lesson learned, things will never change for too long....I just hope we have the chance.
    firepigette

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  11. Anonymous12:21 AM

    Daniel,

    The link below has a video posted by Caracas Gringo. This is very powerful stuff. It needs its own post and it needs to go viral.

    https://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/hvideo-ak-ash3/v/t42/1548811_458010664325920_1468627199_n.mp4?oh=337e9331a6afee02bb92356a901955ba&oe=53080EB5&__gda__=1393033858_ae0fadf0eb0dcb927f66033d81339185

    Sorry for doing this with "Anonymous" but I felt it necessary.

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  12. I am reposting this comment here from CC because I would like to know if you think it is fake.

    Interesting interview with ex-SEBIN escaping to Panama:

    http://vocaroo.com/i/s1AbguHpl21W

    http://vocaroo.com/i/s1OjxPwVQXYF

    http://vocaroo.com/i/s1tFAihB8Lst

    All electoral results have been manipulated by the regime starting with the recall referendum. In every election SEBIN knew all electoral pre-determined results by 4PM.

    Cubans are everywhere including the SEBIN.

    Diosdado Cabello is the master of Venezuela, not Maduro.

    Chavez died between 26-8 of December 2012 not in March 2013. The body was transferred to Venezuela to the Hospital Militar shortly after. The body in the Museo de la Revolucion is not Chavez. Kirchner and Chavez’s daughters knew the body in the wake was fake. They were not happy about it. Diosdado arranged everything.

    There is no middle class in Venezuela, the middle class is finished–presumably, it exists only in exile. Capriles cannot convince the Chavista base that remains. He has no way to succeed.

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    Replies
    1. Eduardo Belletti12:36 AM

      It is true that there is no middle class in Venezuela. Venezuelan currency is almost worthless and the inflation is likely the highest in the world. In Venezuela, educated professionals who would be part of the middle class in other countries only earn slightly more than people who work for minimum wage. The ex-middle class who live in nicer than average neighborhoods were lucky enough to buy their home in better times.

      Delete
    2. That scenario seems to be the same in Cuba. A qualified doctor working in a health clinic with mostly patients from the poor classes can earn the equivalent of $US29 per month. That's what Venezuelans have to look forward to if that isn't the scenario already.

      Delete
  13. Eduardo Belletti12:27 AM

    I couldn't understand what Capriles was trying to tell people earlier today. He talked about how the protestors should ask for a dialogue, then confusingly said he refused to dialogue with people who behaved like this. I think the time for talking about dialogue is over. I have a cousin in El Paraiso, Caracas who spent part of last night with his wife on the floor of their apartment, with the GNB and God knows who else shooting toward their apartment building. I am sure there are thousands of similar stories. I doubt any of these people will want a dialogue with the very people responsible for it.

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  14. Anonymous1:28 AM

    Why hasn't Capriles or Lopez called for a strike to go along with the protests? To me it would seem perfect time to call one. That's how the iron curtain crumbled.

    Anthony

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    Replies
    1. Eduardo Belletti1:46 AM

      At the current time, no strike would be effective. Government employees and PDVSA workers would not participate, because they would be fired or possibly even thrown in jail. People in the private sector might participate, but it would be suicidal. Maduro wants to destroy what's left of the private sector in Venezuela. Many private companies are barely able to stay afloat in Venezuela, and a strike would put them over the edge to bankruptcy.

      Delete
  15. Eduardo Belletti1:38 AM

    To anyone currently in Venezuela reading this, take extra precautions tonight. Given that nobody in the regime even pretended to condemn what happened last night, tonight could easily be a repeat!

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  16. Anonymous1:47 AM

    LT:

    I believe everything you stated to be the exact truth. I have always thought chavez died in December during that surgery, and everthing went quiet with the daughters. Christina showing up in cuba dressed in black was the second tell, but she was quickly persuaded to play along, as was evo and correa. The truth needs to come out, and all of these presidential accomplices need to be held accountable.

    The elections have all been rigged since the referendum, with the usual predetermined 56%. Cuba is in charge of the electoral registries...Hello! What do you expect to happen? The Opposition should stop beating themselves up about falling "just short" in each election. They have been the majority for a long time, and should start to act like it.

    Oh yeah, and by the way...maduro is colombian.

    concerned

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  17. Undercutting the claims of regime apologists, The Guardian reports that the protests have spread to at least one poor neighborhood in Caracas.

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  18. Anonymous2:37 AM

    Good stuff Daniel, but there is no reason to attack Anderson Cooper from CNN. He is a people guy, very concern about humanity.

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    Replies
    1. I am with Daniel on that one. Anderson Cooper is insufferable, and he is a poor journalist in that he inserts himself into the story.

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    2. I am not attacking him, I am just saying he is insufferable for me. As a "people guy" he may be excellent for that type of coverage but I am not a people person. So I switch to another channel. It is called freedom of choice :-)

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    3. Anonymous, Cooper is just another media whore, a big player in the corporate propaganda machine. Don't be fooled, the US media is just as controlled as the Venezuelan media & Cooper is happy to be part of it.

      Delete
    4. but I am not a people person.
      LOL, well Jack Russells will do that to ya.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous2:59 AM

    You may not have time to touch on this and if not I understand, but I live in El Salvador, and all my leftist friends are circulating a Spanish media report that John McCain, US Senator, is advocating for an invasion of Venezuela. If you google that in English, there is nothing, only in Spanish, meaning that only Spanish media is printing it. If McCain made such a dumb statement the US press would be all over it. Is this being spread by the Chavismo propaganda machine do you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. El Salvador FLMN is heavily financed by chavismo. This is crock to be used for the elections going on there. And if there is a senator that is not going to invade Venezuela is McCain. On the other hand trust him to advocate for sanctions, but that is fair game. After all, Venezuela is having plenty of economic sanctions agasint the US by blocking repatriation of income for US companies.

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    2. Propaganda designed to create backlash hysteria and encourage further murder of students. McCain mentioned Venezuela in an interview to CNN but said nothing about any military action. This idiotic paranoia about an American invasion of Venezuela over oil has been going on for 50 years. If the US wanted to invade, it would have happened long ago. The US is quite happily buying all the oil it needs every day and increasing its reliance on its own oil, which is a much better quality and more easily refined. Venezuela NEEDS the US dollars badly just to survive since the Castro-style economics have done so much damage.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous10:33 PM

      I posted as Anonymous because none of the other categories seem to fit. But, in the interest of transparency my name is David Lyons.

      Delete
  20. Anonymous3:16 AM

    Daniel, why do you accept "anonymous" comments?

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    Replies
    1. As long as they comment fairly it does not trouble me. But when they become demanding....

      Delete
  21. Anonymous3:49 AM

    Anyone else watching the student round table on CNN? The young gentleman who is the student leader is a sharp guy and telling the truth!

    Anthony

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:52 AM

      The young engineer is doing a great job as well.

      Anthony

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    2. At work I can see a live 24/7 feed of what is happening in the Ucrain (fuck the spelling) on one of the CNN feeds. For what is going on in Venezuela, now it is what we can get over the net. Both are very important and need to be addressed. But, one is the EU's regions problem and the other is the OAS's regions problem. If they don't want to deal with it now , It may spread!
      These are not isolated but exist in these regions. Set this off in Venezuela and you will start to set it off in other LatAm countries. We know this is true. A man named Bolivar set the whole continent ablaze with the a simple word Liberty !

      Delete
  22. After suffering the wrath of the GNB, or as Daniel aptly calls it Nazional Guard, Venezuela may want to look to Costa Rica's example of abolishing the army.

    Also, classical liberal thinking was that standing armies are dangerous enemies of liberty. The events of the last few weeks prove it:

    The Standing Armies of Yesterday and the Police State Today
    http://www.theinternationallibertarian.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-standing-armies-of-yesterday-and.html

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  23. Daniel, correct me if I'm wrong. But is it truly called the Nazional Gaurd? I had thought it was a play on words Nazional/Nazi Guard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a play of word, ever so better than the real name.

      Delete
  24. Darren,

    We cannot put the cart before the horse...the criminals with guns are killing on the streets (that's is all it takes)....whether or not you officially call it an army ...Costa Rica has a different culture, more middle class and they take out their inner Nazi by hating anyone who steps on an ant....

    firepigette

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    Replies
    1. firepigette, I'm not sure what you're getting at. You seem to be making my point for me. The GNB/Sebin/Ad Nauseum "are killing on the streets". If those institutions didn't exist they wouldn't be killing anyone, would they?

      Delete
  25. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  26. Venezuelan right-wing gangs’ violence potential prelude to coup attempt
    Reactionary forces have full support of U.S. government and imperialist media
    http://www.answercoalition.org/national/news/venezuelan-right-wing-gangs-coup.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=partial&utm_campaign=ANSWER%20Newsletter

    What these people don't seem to be able to grasp is that Venezuela is weak only because of the failure of its socialism. The US is no doubt taking advantage of this. That doesn't mean that Maduro is good or worthy of support. What Venezuela needs is for both Cuba & the US to leave it alone. Interesting that the article doesn't mention Cuban intervention there, isn't it?

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    Replies
    1. Darren,

      If the opposition ever comes to power they will need an army that is on their side, because for years Chavez has been arming all kinds of groups that share his ideology and they would start a guerrilla war against any government that is not theirs and if there is nobody to stop them they will take power again.It's part of their ideology to recur to the armed struggle to advance the 'processo'.


      firepigette # fighting 'comeflorism' in the West

      Delete
    2. Indeed they will because the opposition isn't advocating liberty just anything not Chavismo. If the opposition institutes a free market that allows Venezuela to prosper & truly respects human rights they won't need an army/GNB. Going back to something like Puntofijismo will not solve Venezuela's problems. It will remain unstable & they will want a powerful army/GNB to keep a lid on things.

      Bear in mind that it was the corruption, brutality, & incompetence of the govts that preceded Chavez that gave him something to hook people with. It was the powerful 4th republic govts that paved the way for Chavismo. What's needed is a real change not a return to what failed.

      Delete
    3. Darren,

      In ideal world,maybe - but we do not live in an ideal world, and sometimes half a loaf is better than none.We have to be practical.

      Communist propaganda in my opinion is what did not allow Venezuelans to improve the government we had...so we threw the baby out with the bath water.I know this because I lived in Catia during the 70's and saw this starting with my own eyes.I also knew some of the people who were involved in the creation of
      Chavismo. We are dealing with Cuban Communism here,combined with Drug Trafficking, and Communist propaganda is very powerful, especially in a fragile Democracy.

      The fourth Republic was corrupt ( I witnessed with my own eyes how AD party leaders used public funds, but what government isn't corrupt?), yet you cannot expect that a country that was not used to Democracy...a country that had a long history of dictatorship to change over night. You have to reform the Justice system and create a long struggle for self improvement and understanding.It takes more than a life time.

      The idea that is was the 4th Republic that caused all of this,conveniently plays into the hands of Castro-Communism, and unfortunately many idealistic young people who don't know the difference will believe it.


      firepigette

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    4. I encounter people at times who think Socialism and Communism are 2 different, disconnected things. Socialism good, communism bad. Socialism is the first stage of communism according to Marx and you can see that in Chavez's gradual push towards communism. He took care not to go too fast. Young people especially, who have been brainwashed by liberal professors, easily fall for this deception.

      Delete
    5. true,David...it was gradual

      Right now I see young people out on the streets in Venezuela protesting, and while it is terrifying and I worry about them I cannot help but be grateful that there is still some spirit in some people.

      You should go to Belarus....where the majority have lost all will to fight.It is sad to witness the reaction of people on the streets of Minsk when Lukashenko is driven down a major thoroughfare:

      They just simply freeze both in posture and in silence, until his car is no longer in sight.Not even a whisper... firepigette

      Delete
  27. Should we not speak of Cuban imperialism and a Cuban empire at this point?

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  28. Anonymous3:57 PM

    Well it looks like the Ukraine is finally going to settle down and the worlds news media is going to have to look else where, so the march tomorrow should draw a lot of international news, because the idiots in the govt are going to crack down on the protesters. Sad to say, but this might be the break that was needed to put what has been going on in Venezuela on the cover page.

    Anthony

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  29. 1979 BP7:19 PM

    The Venezuela army is divided.
    Which faction in the army will win?
    The army makes move on Maduro soon?
    Secrete agents from Cuba/Nicaragua/Ecuador/Bolivia/Argentina?

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous7:30 PM

    Venezuela new is becoming more visible.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2564825/Hugo-Chavezs-daughters-refuse-presidential-palace-hold-deafening-parties-five-die-violent-protests-streets-Venezuela.html

    May be in the US version too.

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  31. 1979 BP7:48 PM

    Hhttp://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-politicians/hugo-chavez-net-worth/

    Hugo Chavez net worth about $1 billion US dollars.

    http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/2006-05-04-castro_x.htm

    Fidel Castro net worth about $900 millions US dollars.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:21 PM

      1979 BP,
      You are low.
      I keep hearing that Hugo Chavez net worth was about $4 billion US dollars.
      This may include the Casona and its furnishings which his daughters expropriated.
      Question-where is all the gold that Chavez brought back to Venezuela? No accounting of it is possible but a good part is likely in Cuba.

      Delete
  32. Anonymous10:56 PM

    What is needed at this time is a break in the ranks of Chavism. Surely, not everyone in the ruling party is blind. There must be those in positions of authority that can see that this government is doomed. Obviously, it won't come from the upper echelons, but more likely from the middle management. Until we see this, i.e., dissention from within, the statas quo will continue. David Lyons

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous11:01 PM

    Small debate on the events today.

    http://huff.lv/1h5Vwju

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous11:05 PM

    The Cubans are Coming, well it would appear a few more have arrived. All dressed in green and walking in lines.
    Under normal circumstances this would be seen as a declaration of war, a formal one that is.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Good post from another site. Describes well the Marxist cycle of insanity.


    1. Print money to “help the people” and give ‘em free stuff (get votes)
    2. Price rise (Duh) (basic economic laws)
    3. Ooh! Prices rise? Impose PRICE CONTROLS! (because we’re dumbass Marxists)
    4. EVERYTHING SELLS OUT (economy ruined-chavistas)
    5. Crackdown on the resulting black market (after all, the PEOPLE are to blame)
    6. Kill millions of people
    7. The people finally have enough and kill all the communists
    8. Back to normal, business returns, people become prosperous and send their kids to university
    9. The Marxist idiot professors in their ivory towers teach the kids to be cool and left wing
    10. Those kids eventually run the gov’t and they want to HELP PEOPLE so they:
    11. Print money to “help the people” and give ‘em free stuff.

    12. Rinse and Repeat

    ReplyDelete

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