The highlight was the attack on the offices of Voluntad Popular that regular readers of this blog know rather well for a visit I did a few months ago. Apparently it was an army platoon of sorts led by General Antonio Benavides, without search or arrest order to show that had no trouble in having some soldiers block access to elected representatives of the nation. There goes the theory that this is a democracy and not a military regime. The videos on the taking over and on what was going outside with civilians trying to defend the Voluntad Popular folks against the abuse of the military are horrifying. I put three of my own tweets to document that barbaric event.
Around @VoluntadPopular offices. Tear gas at rush hour, civilians running! Fascism! @RConfidencial @RCTVenlinea pic.twitter.com/5ZxYwKHL7Q
— daniel duquenal (@danielduquenal) February 17, 2014
@voluntadpopular under attack!!! urgent!!! gas bombs released in a shopping center!!! http://t.co/sgbSbW8GUO via @youtube
— daniel duquenal (@danielduquenal) February 17, 2014
You need to watch this, how the SEBIN goons entered @voluntadpopular in full abuse, caught on camera http://t.co/aCZWm79wxx
— daniel duquenal (@danielduquenal) February 17, 2014
On other things, protests kept going on around the country. A little bit less, as expected, since it is Monday. But for example we have started seeing unusual protests in places where "el pueblo" is supposedly happily chavista. Well, some are majority oppo but they may have up to 50% chavismo and in the past that was enough to neutralize a sector.
The government keeps showing its anguish. If the Benavides scandal above described was the most spectacular, there is also desperate and silly attempts to avoid the Lopez surrender march tomorrow. It is clear that the video of Lopez yesterday shook the regime. Amazing!
International opinion is starting to pay attention and today we got some grudging recognition from PiƱera and even Mujica of Uruguay.
Capriles got a good spot in CNNE. He spoke appropriately but for me it reeked too much of trying to save his leadership more than offering concrete support. At least now he is outraged enough by the regime abuses that he has decided to move too. That is good, Lopez and Machado are watering down, Capriles heating up, they may meet at the right temperature!
That is all. Have a good night and get ready for a hard day tomorrow.
Stay safe & keep up the good work, Daniel. I used to live in Venezuela until things got so bad under Chavez that I had to leave. Get rid of those commies soon!
ReplyDeleteThat video of the goons entering Voluntad Popular should go viral. With pistols drawn and loony Nazi-like helmets they looked absurd, but still menacing. If you watch the video through to the end you'll note the comical indecisiveness of the participants in the raid. They had no idea what-the-hell they were doing.
ReplyDeleteIt made the headline news in the US this morning.
DeleteAnthony
I'm glad that traitorous cockroaches like you are getting treated as they deserve.
ReplyDeleteMaduro or Death!
Oh Good! A fascist making my point! Thank you very, very much!
DeleteCockroaches? The fact that the anonymous coward uses the language of the Rwanda genocide says it all.
DeleteAmazes me that people like this exist.
DeleteIs Capitalism the ONLY way? Be it a dictatorship or democracy....is Capitalism the ONLY way? *SunGod*
DeleteEvil is being punished as it deserves, Daniel. Do you expect me to feel sorry for crybaby whiners like yourself?
DeleteIt's my firm hope, Daniel, that some government agents are reading this right now and putting your name on a list to be re-educated when the time comes. Maybe some time cutting sugarcane would teach you a bit about obedience.
DeleteOr maybe just being slapped around a bit would do the trick even better.
Anonymous you really are a coward to spew the garbage that you write
DeleteDarren Wolfe,
DeleteWhat's the matter? Can't deal with a bit of strong language? Tough, you're going to have to deal with being called cockroaches, and worse.
Daniel, I don't know if this is good news or not (because it's going to cause the govt to become more brutal towards the people), however, the issues facing the Venezuelan people finally made national headline news here in the US this morning. It looks like CNN is going to try to carry the protest finally. Hope everyone stays safe today, however, I fear that won't be the case. Hopefully, more and more people will join the protest and push for this evil government out. We've been talking to family member who live in Caracas trying to share info back and forth.
ReplyDeleteAnthony- An American who married a Venezuelan lady.
for what it's worth NBC announce they were sending a correspondent yesterday.
DeleteReminds me of the final days of the Cubans in Grenada.
ReplyDeleteI was there in April (Easter), 1983 - it was quite an experience.
Things were going along fine for them - jailing disdents, signs of revolution everywhere, unhappy people.
Then they shot & killed an opposistion leader leading a peaceful protest march.
That was the final straw.
Hopefully LL will be OK today but these people are like trapped rats in a corner.
My fear is that they will do something stupid today.
After all they are all really incapable of rational thought.
Island, I am very impressed by his courage, and the courage of so many students.When anger replaces fear, things get moving.For the first time I sense enough authentic emotion to move. Authenticity catches attention and grabs at the heart that start the wheels moving...Rational thought, while very useful for many things, does not have that power.
DeleteBut I would have to disagree with you on the lack of rational thought.Everybody is quite capable of it.
What I am sick of are the technocrats who know nothing of human nature pretending to decide events for people.
All my respect and honor for the students and other brave souls who live in reality and confront what needs to be confronted.
firepigette
I read some disturbing tweets this morning about Jose Mendez of Carupano. What happened ?
ReplyDeleteIn this video, Mayor of Caracas Antonio Ledezma and three oppo Congresspersons confront a squad of National Guards yesterday, when they were trying to reach Voluntad Popular's headquarters in Centro Plaza. The footage shows the infamous General Benavides:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Wj67XDgIs
What I always loved most about Venezuela was its chidlike nature( in the good sense)....its capacity to feel wonder, its capacity to play and love, and its profound innocence which sometimes showed itself as naivety, but on the good side and amazing acceptance of humanity..All of this is being destroyed by the most horrific values imaginable promoted by a totally criminal government....I can't get this song out of my head.I want the real Venezuela back!!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/0OAYJ2J-MzQ
firepigette
Los videos estƔn bloqueados en You Tube, imposible verlos...
ReplyDelete