Sunday, May 24, 2015

Leopoldo Lopez shows us what a selfie should be all about

Leopoldo Lopez from his jail in Ramo Verde has managed to sneak out a video where he calls for a massive protest next Saturday 30th. While himself and Ceballos start a hunger strike.  Let's watch the video first:




Scenery and composition: with the distortion of the camera the cell looks more like the austere one of a convent than an actual jail hole. The atmosphere is from the start devotional and if the regime bitches at that they have only themselves to blame.

The hero: Simple but yet crisp white t-shirt, his wedding band and beard. he truly looks like a saint, an angel from above. And the calm tone of resolve through the message reinforces that.  He knows that when this "illegal" video comes out he will pay a price for it.

The message: very simple and direct. I resume
     "For over a year more than 70 Venezuelans are in jail for having denounced the regime as incapable, corrupt and repressive. The response has been implacable repression with many deaths caused by regime and regime supporters that go unpunished to these days, due to the complicity of the judicial power associated with the regime. After one year and 3 months things are worse than then. More lines, more scarcities, more corruption and even now accusations of drug trafficking at the highest levels of the government.  
   Considering all of the above and that millions of Venezuelans are tired of this we have decided, Ceballos and myself, to start a hunger strike. Our demands are very simple: 1) freedom for political prisoners; 2) stop to repression, persecution and censorship; 3) that once and for all the date for parliamentary elections is set; and 4) that these elections can count on the complete observation of the OAS and the European Union.
      Equally we are demanding to our people to start a massive act of protest next Saturday 30th, in peace, without any type of violence. Let's go all out holding hands without any ideological distinctions."
The whole thing ends in a blessing.

Interpretation: there are many challenges here.

An obvious one is to Diosdado Cabello who is referred to in all but by direct name. But if Lopez does not say the name it is because he wants you to understand also that Cabello is not the only one even if he is the capo. That removing the capo alone is not enough. A big overhaul is needed.

Another obvious one to the MUD. It is simply unacceptable that the opposition political umbrella MUD is unable to have a concrete and solid statement on the implications of Diosdado Caebllo being pointed out as a major cartel overlord while he is silencing the press.  Cabello cannot put everyone in jail. Or can he? It is even less acceptable that one of the best voted primary candidates of the MUD, Ceballos, is not only unjustly in jail even though legally he should already be out, but that he has been moved from a political prison to one where murderers and rapists and thieves make a living. Where is the MUD outrage? How is the MUD going to pretend that the coming elections are fair and meaningful? How can they pretend to encourage people to vote for them?

A subsidiary challenge comes from that last one, to UNASUR and the regime, a warning that an election "monitored" only by UNASUR will not be acceptable in current conditions, that UNASUR head Samper is a chavismo agent.

But there is a bigger challenge. This one is to the citizens. Be you chavista or non chavista if you are tired of lines, crime, corruption and lack of future it is time for you, el pueblo, to express it, in unison.

And this last one, I think, is the biggest challenge. This is where we'll see how much of a hero Lopez has become.




15 comments:

  1. Island Canuck1:49 PM

    Now we need the support of the MUD, students and pueblo in general to get behind this march,

    I hope it will be massive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 3000 protesters I would say is a complete flop and the dickheads in gov't have to be laughing. Is all the evidence they need to say the opposition has no support and steal the election.

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  2. Seems like Leopoldo chose the right time for this "Coup de Force".

    Now that people are most angry about the colas/escasez/inflacion, electricity failures, crime. Now that the $ is on free fall, and will probably hit $600 real soon, which will immediately bring more escasez and inflation (eso es lo que le duele al pueblo, olvidate de la patria y toda la paja, el Bolsillo.)

    And now that Spain, Chile and many ex-presidents plus the international microscope in on, supporting human rights and the prisoners.. And now that the WSJ droed another huge Media Bomb on Cabello.

    Perfect timing. On a Saturday, before the December elections.. That's why Leopoldo is the one in prison: he's the real threat to the Dictatorship, dude is smart and educated, y tiene las bolas bien puestas. He knows they won't kill him. They'll rough him up as they did Ceballos, but they can't kill them now. They would become true "martyrs", with Int'l support, the country would explode.

    EXCELLENT move by Leopoldo, at the right time.

    We should All do all we can to support him, Ceballos, Ledezma, MCM, Lilian and all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How does this message get to the pueblo? Is there any TV channel available to the masses that will show this or is there enough print media left to get this message out?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's where MUDcrap should help, as Daniel points out they are crap. Hopefully this message will carry on with whatever media is left and through word-of-mouth. El pueblo esta dormido, they are afraid, but they will be talking when they do their lovely Lines for food.

      Delete
    2. The video is on YouTube!

      Delete
    3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ6TmAWoc3k

      Delete
    4. Charles Lemos4:16 AM

      Tal Cual has it. None of the government paper has a word about it. It's as if he doesn't exist.

      Question for Daniel, what is Dólar Today? A PSUV governor wants to shut it down.

      Delete
    5. They cannot. It is based outside the country. The only thing they can do is censor it on Internet inside the country but everybody has an app in their smartphone that cannot be censored. I am outside the country these days and I open it without trouble.

      Delete
  4. great
    www.blogger-power.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Venezuela is a time bomb that may go off any minute before the eyes of a defenseless and dazed population that still finds hard to believe this kind of mess is taking place.- Latin American Herald

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The sooner, the better. We should all do all we can to support the forces of change.

      Delete
  6. This march he has asked for will decide his political future. If the poor do not get behind this march in my mind Lopez is finished. I still think his wife would be a better option, I think if the poor seen her as a possible future president they would back her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charly8:53 AM

      The MUD fifth column has decided the march will not take place, they really have chosen the right acronym, one synonym is morass (a muddy ground). The only solution for the true democrats is to send a strong message in the next election and vote for Voluntad Popular.

      Delete
    2. There is no question that MUD's only strategy is to wait and hope these upcoming elections change something (complete joke) and that they want to distance themselves from Lopez.

      Delete

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