 |
| Vastness, and depth |
Saturday 20 it was the 50th day protests started. And far from people getting tired, or scared because of increased repression, the opposition did a massive show of force that overwhelms any attempt the regime could do to counter. The street now belongs to the opposition, the world saw that yesterday, unless you report for Telesur or some paid for propaganda channel.
3) Caracas this afternoon. Maybe the longest rally ever photographed pic.twitter.com/JlpnmHsBMD— daniel duquenal (@danielduquenal) May 20, 2017
Someone managed to fly briefly a drone, something forbidden by the regime on opposition marching days so that no documentation can be done on the extent of the rally, or the repression. But I suppose that if you limit your drone to go up, take a shot, and go down fast you can escape any tracing of your device. Whatever they did, this is the biggest on record pic of any march/rally ever held in Venezuela. If there is a bigger one from the regime surely the pic would have been released long ago.
But before I comment on what the political situation has become, let me tell you what my experience of the day was.
I did not take any chances, tired of many things and a burning sun. I walked for about three hours and only went around what could be qualified as the speaker's corner, all around the Los Ruices exchange. It was enough to document it in awe. You can already see the panorama from the bridge above, with the end lost in the far horizon.
I was there. A true mega concentration. #May20 pic.twitter.com/ZB3NlK1XcQ— daniel duquenal (@danielduquenal) May 21, 2017
The first video from my small Samsung on arrival. The rest are on my J7. Sorry, cannot afford iphones. All pics videos mine except for the drone thing, of course.
But if the expanse and depth of the rally were impressive, the density also was impressive.
There were other sights. One was a stand selling the old pre Chavez flag, 7 stars, horse going on the right, and the Chavez flag of 8 stars and commie horse. You draw your conclusion as to the intent of the sales persons....
Then there is a panoramic video of the speakers corner. And a still, might as well. Note that further down there are sound relays so that you can hear the speeches several hundred yards deep.
Which called for all sorts of crowd gestures like this show of hands.
Behind, on the other side of the bridge there were people but lesss. However there were barricades so that the nazional guard could not take us by surprise, giving us time to escape.
There you have it, warriors and all, leaving you with the question on how did they find and carry that old rusty tank.
Clearly, the protest movement is far from over...........
Superb report. Short videos, most explicit pics I've seen. I bet this was the largest protest yet, and one interesting factor - correct if I'm wrong - much less repression.
ReplyDeleteThey now need to organize, and define - for the average pueblo people - that it's not just about removing the Maduro clown. It's about extirpating the entire Chavistoide hordes of thieves,, narcos, Thousands of them.
It's about Separation of powers, Democracy. Most Venezuelans do not even now what that means or entails. Look at Brazil: Yes they are heavily corrupt, but, per-capita I'm sure Kleptozuela is even more corrupt. But they have an independent TSJ, they are investigating, sending the big thieves to jail. (Watch last night's 60 minutes TV report, if you can.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brazil-operation-car-wash-involves-billions-in-bribes-scores-of-politicians/
People - under-educated Venezuelan folks, need to be educated about these things, it's not just Maduro, Cabello, a a few more, it's an entire system that needs a heavy duty, profound overhaul. That will take decades, or more, if they don't start EDUCATING the clueless masses that are now n the streets. Bless them, but many have no clue as to what the deeper reasons of their misery are.
Marcos Perez Jimenez, where are you, bastard?!? We need a piece of crap like you now, or the "MUD" and the Venezuelan people will continue to get fucked for DECADES.
Jesus Christ, still wishing Marcos Perez Jimenez came back? I don't know where you were in the late 80's and early 90's Sledge, but many in Venezuela kept wishing for the same thing and then fell for Chavez Hook, Line and Sinker.
DeleteNeed I remind you Perez Jimenez and his cronies stole left, right and center?
Need I remind you they took power by force, cheated through elections rigged in their favor, persecuted innocent people and tortured them.
This is what you want for Venezuela? We have that already and no, you moron, we don't need more of that.
Anonymous Moron:
DeleteYes unfortunately a MPJ would be the best thing for Kleptozuela these days. Way better than Chavismo,, of course, better than AD/Copey and the MUD to come.
You have a destroyed country with the highest crime rates, destroyed economy, inflation, corruption. The MUD won't fix that, not in 50 years. They are corrupt too, as they all are and have been for decades. What did AD/Copey BUILD n 40 years? And Chavismo in 18 years? NOTHING.
You say MPJ was corrupt, sure, but what did he BUILD is less than 6 years, without the big oil revenues? Look it up. You would be amazed. He built more than half of the infrastructure you see today in Venezuela. Google it up.
So f he stole he didn't steal nearly as much as they steal today. Not 5% as much. And he BUILT a lot LOOK IT UP. Venezuela would be Chile today with more MPJ years. There was no crime, no murders, a bolivar almost worth a $.
Granted, it was a nasty dictatorship, but how many political prisoners do we have now? What has been built? NOTHING. How about crime and the economy? READ, educate yourself.
Good luck with the MUD: Corruption,, Crime, Economic crisis will continue - not as bad as with Chavismo - yet horrible, for decades. Just watch. MPJ, where art thou?
Marcos Perez Jimenez, where are you, bastard?!? We need a piece of crap like you now, or the "MUD" and the Venezuelan people will continue to get fucked for DECADES.
ReplyDeleteChavez invited MPJ to his 1999 inauguration: one milico to another. That also indicates that Chavez esteemed MPJ, who was at least the Un-Fourth-Republican.
The overall record of military rule in Latin America has been abysmal. Recall that Chavez was a milico. I doubt that anyone reading this blog would consider Chavez an example of a competent administrator. For each somewhat competent General-President, such as MPJ or Pinochet, there are a hundred like General President Fernando Romeo Lucas García of Guatemala, who incidentally died in exile in Puerto La Cruz.
Moreover, the upper ranks of the military are indundated by corrupt, Chavista sorts. Chavismo has had 15 years since the 2002 coup to weed out anti-Chavistas in the military and promote Chavistas.
I see no reason to place hope on the military as saviors of Venezuela.
(My General Lucas story from his time as General-President was that the proprietor of a house of prostitution introduced me to relatives of General-President Lucas, in his hometown of Las Casas. How many people have had the proprietor of a house of prostitution introduce them to relatives of a sitting President? Not many, I wager.)
I have read reports that the regime is not using as much tear gas as before. Conclusion: the 50 days (whatever) of demonstrations have resulted in depletion of tear gas stocks. Given the choice between importing tear gas and importing food, which will the regime choose?
Saber.....