Well, folks, I never thought in my already long life that I would live in a country that has been officially declared a dictatorship.And those are not my words, there those of many newspapers, countries and foreign dignitaries. As far as the civilized world is concerned Venezuela is now a dictatorship. Only creeps like Bolivia pretend it to be otherwise. But then again Bolivia is about to annul the referendum that Morales lost, so what would one expect...
What to do? This is a personal blog and I am too old and tired to be as active as I used to be and I have too many family problems. This was reflected in the lack of steady activity in the last two years. But I made the effort to keep it alive even as readership dropped as expected. Blogs require a regular stream of texts to retain readership. Let's note in addition that what was the speech of a few voices in the world when this blog started in 2003 is now vox populi. There is no point to come back to drive of these years.
However one of the things that helped me find some energy to keep posting at least a couple of times a month since 2013 was the knowledge that one day we would be in an officially declared dictatorship. This blog needed to be kept alive for that day. The day has come. Time to write again until I am jailed or forced to leave the country or killed or something. But now I am certain of one thing: as there are much less native media voices from Venezuela, and almost nothing in English, I am bound to become a target. That day also will come now.
Watch over me.
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PS: nothing much to report today. The regime has been rather silent, probably in shock at the intensity of coverage and reactions overseas. I suspect that truly they thought it would not be that bad, only the usual suspects. But now even ambassadors are beginning to be withdrawn and the OAS is calling for a new assembly of unpredictable consequences....
And I did put up a new page on the marquee, in bold. It is a work in progress so suggestions are more than welcome to create as precise a possible a description of what a XXI century dictatorship looks like.
Good luck Daniel. So sad.
ReplyDeleteDaniel we don't agree on all but do so on Cuba operated Venezuela. Please never stop writing your blog.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, I've followed your postings for many years now. Although your distaste for the Chavismo is evident, your views are interesting and educated. You are right, I thought the Chavismo, given its radical policies, would not last that long. But, undeniably, it continues to be a popular force, accepted by many (unfortunately) Venezuelans. A confrontation of the masses could be a real disaster for generations to come (a similar phenomenon occurred in Colombia, after La Violencia, 1949-1957). Perhaps a military intervention would be less tragic, however, equally less damaging for a reconstruction. There are not that many postings of this nature and I love to read them. Good luck, Daniel
ReplyDeleteDaniel, you just made me cry. I´ve followed you like forever, and forever we have been expecting these state of affairs. What makes you fear and what makes me cry is that I don't see a light in the tunnel. The tunnel is a dark, fearsome place. Take care my friend. Un fuerte abrazo! And I am truly ashamed of my country and really proud of Peru. Everybody should imitate them.
ReplyDeleteDaniel I have been following for awhile but have felt demoralized as I watch the totalitarians increasingly get away with their stranglehold on power. Why does humanity follow the saviours to the precipice? (just retorical, no need to answer) Please take care...if they follow the Cuban model, mass incarcerations may come next. If you choose to discontinue post, I will miss you.
ReplyDeleteThe Second Amendment in the USA gives all citizens the right to own guns. This is why.
ReplyDeleteDaniel - I have read you for years. Thank you for the insights and the analyses. Hope things work out well for you and your partner. Hope also that the situation in Venezuela improves and that venezuelans do not suffer more. Thank you again - strength!!
ReplyDeleteThe president of the TSJ twice an assassin? In my first few days in Venezuela in 2000, a friend told me that Venezuelan politics like in the rest of LatAm was surreal. Obviously an understatement.
ReplyDeleteDaniel
ReplyDeleteNo dejes de escribir. Este es uno de los pocos blogs que continuan vivo. Yo, al igual que muchos que siguen tu blog, espero leer algun dia la noticia que anuncie el fin de este desastre que se ha convertido Venezuela. ese dia se ve cada vez mas cercano.
Un abrazo
Good luck to you and your SO!
ReplyDeleteI live in the US. People here don't appreciate how fortunate we are, and how easy it is for a people to lose its freedom. I worked in Nicaragua for several years before and after the first Ortega "presidency". I saw that county almost make it back to being a free society under Dona Violeta and Don Enrique Bolanos, and then lose it by electing the corrupt Arnoldo Aleman. He became the typical caudillo, and then refused to allow Bolanos to govern after him. That led to Ortega's return and the loss, again of their freedom. My point is that freedom is indeed not free. I hope that I would have your courage if I were faced with the same threat in the US. The main reason for my fascination with Venezuela over the years was that it seemed to be on a path to where it is now, and I wanted to observe and call attention to it, so that my fellow Estadounidenses would see what we must fight against. It could happen to us. I truly wish the best for you and your nation.
ReplyDeleteI have followed you off and on since 2004.I hope you are able to remain safe. And, I hope that Venezuela can find some path out of this madness.
ReplyDelete