And yet this morning I should have got the warning. The regime not only monitored and blocked access to Caracas as much as it could, but the subway stations that could carry opposition marchers to the meeting point were closed "to protect the integrity of the stations and its workers" as if Caracas subway had ever been a battle field. What the regime was afraid is that the opposition would show the world it was back in the streets like in September when the regime felt on the edge of the cliff. Anything was good enough to lower attendance.
Also the objective of the protest march was not at all what the regime wanted: it was to accompany opposition representatives to the National Assembly to start proceedings to remove some of the judges of the high court TSJ. If the excuse was the rulings of last week it remains that the opposition had ground to remove these judges as early as when the NA was sworn in last year. Dithering within the opposition is costing quite a lot. But I digress.
Whatever the case, the regime was in full repression mode. Apparently several representatives were attacked and hurt. There has been many injuries, lots of tear gas, and of course a few new political prisoners. But what was the novelty here is that the opposition confronted the repressive apparatus with new brio, with a decisiveness not seen last year. In short, the situation of the country is becoming so bad that many are losing their inhibitions. And that may be real bad, or real good, depending on your own values. Thus I need just to close this post with some videos that will illustrate my point, and also underlying the fact that the regime is in full repression mode the day after the OAS voted against the regime, giving the OAS ample reason to self congratulate. After today there is little doubt in my mind that a large chunk of chavismo wants out of the OAS and Mercosur.
First one on a protester stealing the grenade launcher from some Nazional Guards, and some "colectivo" member, a.k.a. chavismo storm troopers trying to recover it for the Guards. Reckless bu , oh, so telling.
Note how reckless protesters are when lifting the rifle. How a colectivo tried to get it back. Dangerous angerhttps://t.co/BGg90PS1co— daniel duquenal (@danielduquenal) April 4, 2017
In case you do not get it, there is also a Tien An Men moment.
Those TienAnMen moments, in Caracas today. https://t.co/2uAqENpToI— daniel duquenal (@danielduquenal) April 4, 2017
And two more. There are more videos but I suspect that these are enough for you to get the feel for the day. The first one is how the marchers managed to by pass barriers and take over Caracas main central highway. The second is the Libertador Avenue battle, I guess a couple of hours before I drove by among the debris, and still plenty of people streaming away.
It goes without saying that the NA was unable to read Congress to hold its session.
So what I don't understand is why don't we see people taking real action? I see the police shooting guns! It's time for the people to start thinking about how to fight against that. It's time for the use of weapons and cars and everything else they can get their hands on. The criminals running this country will not go until they are forced to.
ReplyDeleteBrave unknown
DeletePerhaps you'd care to come over and teaches us hands on how to do this?
They need to continue with protests, and organize massive ones, with more people, and in other cities. Otherwise yesterday's efforts would have been in vain, and Chavismo would stay in power at least until the end of next year, anyway.
ReplyDeleteHope you and your SO remain safe Daniel!
ReplyDeleteProtests still going on here in Ecuador again the CNE and for a recount of the votes in the Second Round of Presidential Elections of last Sunday!
how do you fight with people (colectivos chavistas) who are not only armed but they are protected by Maduro. how is brave enough to estay in the front and sacrifice his/her life. that is what this fight is going to take, lots of dead people because that is what the colectivos were trained to do and that is what they will do, kill as many protesters as they can. they do not care. ellos juraron con sus vidas denfender este fallido gobierno y eseo es lo que van a hacer hasta el fin. Como dijo mi amigo Cubano, -a Venezuela no la salva nadie-
ReplyDeleteC.
This could end up as a civil war eventually between the collectivos and the armed forces when their interests clash and they will at some point. Perhaps (but just perhaps) the opposition should relax, sit down and prepare the popcorn if you can find any in town.
DeleteHow do you fight the colectivos? You let them shoot you. I don't have the stomach to start killing people (even though I know how), so I simply leave. However, if anybody really wants to sacrifice, then the obvious answer is let them sacrifice you. The real Tunisian revolution started when a fruit peddler committed suicide in public. The communist coup in the USSR failed when a small group of citizens led by Boris Yeltzin faced a tank column coming down the street. Sometimes life hinges on sacrifices by very small groups of people. But simple protests and running away at the first shot won't do.
DeleteHonestly, if I were in Venezuela tomorrow, I'd be all over the streets. It still ain't Syria. Chances of getting hurt are small. And the more people come out.. strength in numbers.
DeleteYou guys are paranoid, and exaggerating things. There were about 8 wounded people yesterday, mostly small wounds. No one was shot. This ain't the Egyptian or French revolutions. This ain't April back when.. Don't be woossies. Many reports say the GN and other "bolivariano" cops are ashamed to even be there "cumpliendo ordenes". The most they do is spray some nasty gas, and hit very, very few people, among thousands in the protest. Just because a few pictures of that poor old man, and the diputado, and maybe 1 more were somewhat injured, you make it sound like it's Iraq sort or repression. It is not.
DeleteHit the streets, en masse. The more, the merrier, and the safer. Maduro and the guards will shyt their pants, when they see HUGE crowds. Go out tomorrow. Want to kick the regime out before December 2018? That's the only way. Yes, there is a small risk if you join the march tomorrow, but not much at ALL. Get a par of old jeans, a good par of shoes, a handkerchief to protect your face in case they throw gas ( not Syran-type gas, mind you) and fight for your country, peacefully, until they call for elections NOW, not in December 2018. If the people are intimidated now, and stop protesting, all the admirable efforts of yesterday's march would have been in vain, and they will have to "calarsela" until 2019.
the police or the army are woosies, they are not the ones to fear, it is the malandros who Chavez and Maduro have armed. You are right, most police and fuerzas armadas are probably ashamed to even wear their uniform and probably they are scared to face the "colectivos". if anything, they (police and army) are the ones to make the sacrifice! que eso es lo que ellos juraron cuando escogieron servir a la patria!
DeleteHow many of those willing to waste the skin of others are currently living in Venezuela?
Deletehttps://twitter.com/ookkty1/status/849685491813421056
ReplyDeletehalo i like your blog
ReplyDelete