The brave new opposition leadership

On Sunday night it was mandatory for all who could watch it, the interview of Maria Corina Machado on Globovision, with Nitu Perez. Globovision knows when it has a hit, as it has already the 4 segments posted.

But what Maria Corina made me think of, beyond her obvious physical pain, her courage, and confirming the admiration I have for her since the 2012 primaries, is that she is just one more. Sure, right now after surgery and a swollen face she is number 1.  But she is not the lone hero (1)


Since Chavez left the front scene it seems that our guys have found a new energy.

Capriles became a transformed candidate and when asked a few days ago if he was afraid of the regime he simply retorted with a smile "I am not afraid of those ones". He meant it, we could sense it.

Borges was on TV tonight. He did not get any facial fractures as MCM received but he got badly bruised and watching him hurt me. Far from scared he went one further.  He called Maduro a liar and said that if the regime would release all the UNEDITED VIDEOS of April 30 at the Assembly and prove that Borges was the aggressor then he would resign. And he expected the reciprocal attitude form the regime if they could not prove it, to resign in turn. Yes, you read it clear and loud: he accused Maduro and Cabello and the others to be liars and to sue him if they dared, which is what they should do if we were in a democracy.

Or we can discuss r-General Rivero who immediately upon his illegal arrest went on hunger strike and has now 8 days.

And more, from Leopoldo Lopez and Henri Falcon threatened alongside their families, or Ismael Garcia defending all of them and exposing himself to sanctions, or Ledezma going to Miami to seek support knowing full well he risks arrest at the airport on his return.

It would be too easy to dismiss their renewed courage on Chavez exit: they all opposed him before and some paid for it then.  Chavez may have surrendered Venezuela to Cuba but at least it was understood by all that he hoped to be leader of both countries. And he knew where to stop, and would have never allowed things to get out of hand like they did April 30. Never mind that Chavez knew how to insult, even if was at the barrack level: Chavez would have never been as ridiculous as Maduro was today, for example, attacking Uribe because this one s going to the Inter American Court to counter Maduro threats.

No, it is not because Chavez is gone. The admirable courage that the opposition leadership is showing today is coming from them seeing the beast in front. We always knew that the Chavez underlings were bad news. Some, like yours truly, are on record that it did not matter who Chavez chose, they were all equally bad. The thing is that they not only are amazingly worse than what we already feared, but they so clearly follow Havana's rule book that it is pathetic. They cannot even be original fascists!

And that my friends is what gives them courage and should give us courage to support our leaders.

-------------------------------------

1) Ismael Garcia said on TV tonight that Maria Corina aggressor, a female chavista representative who made a big show to accuse MCM of being the aggressor while wearing a night collar brace (you know, the soft variety so you can sleep), was caught spending time at a mall today without even her feet hurting. Ismael also added that the doctors at the police expertise told her in confidence that the woman had nothing. Thus are fascists, always the victims even if the other guys are the dead ones.