Senseless repression but the beginning of some common sense, maybe, in Venezuela

The day has been marked by two things: an increase in repression moving into outright fascism, and at the end of the day the beginning of some good sense with the CNE accepting to backpedal its earlier stony stance.

The day has been marked by increasing fascist attacks from the regime, culminating with Maduro accusing Globovision and Televen of been fascist. the way the word is tossed around these days is simply nauseating. At least I try to use it in proper context but the regime has forgotten context whatsoever so anything that bugs them is fascism, conspiracy, hatred, etc...

But Globovison was not going to let it pass, sensing that lost for lost, that Maduro will have to close it down if he persist in his electoral fraud, they might as well go down with the boots on. So tonight leading political show in Venezuela, Alo Ciudadano, started with Leopoldo Castillo, its anchor, explain to the country what fascism is, reading it from Wikipedia page and then offering a certain amount of factual examples on the regime operates along fascist lines. It certainly looks in a way is childish but at this stage of the game people need to speak in elemental and simple terms, not only to reach the dumb chavista hoi polloi but the radical idiot of the opposition that wants to burn it all. Watch the video of Leopoldo Castillo if your Spanish allows it.

And while we are in Globovision there is two items on their page of public officers that are using these days to fire without any contemplation anyone that they suspect may have voted for Capriles  They are simply taking the opportunity to make room to hire their friends but it is doubly illegal because it is not only discrimination but today the country is under a system of banned firing. That is, you cannot fire anyone unless you have a video of them raping a secretary at her desk or her distributing drugs in the locker, or something that sends them to jail, so in fact you do not have to fire them....

The first soundtrack is from the director of the Zulia sports authority where he admits he forced all the employees to do a 1X10 list to drag in the vote under the understanding that even if they were not chavista when Arias Cardenas became governor last December they should now have become chavista out of gratitude from not being fired. Think about the mind set of that 30'ies throwback, Leonet Cabezas. What kind of sporting activity is he going to promote in Zulia? Opposition free range shooting?

The second video is from trade union in Bolivar state. The chavista union, Jose "Acarigua" Rodriguez wants to create a "Tascon like list" so when they are finally in full control of the country they can throw out of the state industries anyone who comes from AD or COPEI.  I do not know what is his grip against AD and COPEI, but speaking of Margaret Thatcher funeral this week, certainly when trade union leaders are of such nature, we need people of her mettle to sack them.

There are more stories from everywhere with chavista officials taking the opportunity to fire whomever they feel like firing, probably also on orders from above to cut down public payroll, by the way. And as it is becoming the norm it is going to backfire for chavismo as Capriles just needed a tweet to expose the regime in this paradise worker that Venezuela supposedly has become.

Ningún trabajador público puede ser despedido!Firmes todos en sus trabajos,el fascismo del Madurismo no avanzará!
— Henrique Capriles R. (@hcapriles) April 18, 2013

Capriles not only reminds workers that the very same regime has forbidden itself from firing workers, but he also takes the opportunity to illustrate what a fascist cacophony this one has become, tying up fascism with Maduro and not Chavez.

But at the end of the day we saw the beginning of some common sense returning. The CNE accepted further audits. I do not want to offer any opinion because it is a complex matter to evaluate how good the news really is. Capriles team seems happy with it so for the time being let's roll. However I will note that the CNE is talking of 30 days of audit and who knows how many more for a final verdict. In short the regime is accepting an audit as long as it gives it time to come up with a better strategy to confront the opposition and smash it down before the result is out. At least that is my worry at this time as a one week audit should already generate enough info to see if it is worth going on.

We'll see. Next in the agenda the UNASUR result and who will attend Caracas swear in tomorrow  if this one is even held.... But I am going to bed now.