So we wake up this morning with another political arrest in the middle of the night.
This time it is particularly infuriating and it is driving political reactions from all sides of the opposition. See, the victim, Enrique Aristeguieta Gramcko, is the last survivor of a main group that fought actively to overthrow Perez Jimenez in 1958. Also he was a decent politicians in the years that followed, occupying different roles and as far as I know, no corruption in his dossier. In short, the kind of politician that had we had more of them we would not be in this deep shit.
As if that was not enough, at 85 years old he is taken out of his bed at 3 AM, no arrest warrant, political police action. But the goons were gentlemanly: they allowed him to pack some stuff, including his various medications. I suppose that having 85 years had some privileges, the more so that the goons knew that above 70 the Venezuelan law only previews home arrest in case of committed crimes.
His crime? to have been a staunch opponent to Chavez, from twitter to helping organize new resistance organizations. And of being a living symbol.
Totalitarianism.
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His last video on January 23, anniversary of the 1958 overthrow, where he says among other things that the Maduro dictatorship has been the worse in our history.
Worse than Perez Jimenez, says Aristeguieta Gramcko.
ReplyDeleteAnd he lived through both...
Much, much, much worse (see below).
DeleteArresting people over 70 years old is against Venezuelan law.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/presos-politicos/codigo-procesal-penal-prohibe-detencion-personas-mayores-anos_221484
Worse than Perez Jimenez, says Aristeguieta Gramcko.And he lived through both...
ReplyDeleteReading that reminds me that Hugo Chavez invited Perez Jimenez to his inauguration in 1999. One milico to another. 2001:Marcos Perez Jimenez Dies at 87.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has criticized the democratic but corrupt governments that followed Gen. Perez Jimenez's regime, invited the former dictator to attend his 1999 inauguration. The move provoked an outcry among older Venezuelans who remembered the brutal side of his dictatorship.
Recall that corruption wasn't something that AD/COPEI invented. The obituary reminds us that Marcos Perez Jimenez was also corrupt.
In 1963, the United States extradited him to Venezuela, where he was tried and sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling $250 million.
That would be about $2 billion in current dollars. Truly a model for the Chavista insiders!
The obituary does not note that El Finado criticized the corruption of President General Marcos Perez Jimenez, though he did criticize Adeco/Copei corruption.
"Enrique Aristeguieta Gramcko, is the last survivor of a main group that fought actively to overthrow Perez Jimenez in 1958."
ReplyDeleteI'd love to ask Mr. Aristeguieta if, looking back, 17 years of MPJ wouldn't have been GREAT for Klepto-Cubazuela, instead of Chavismo. Undoubtedly, Venezuela would be even better than Chile today, with educated people, plus twice the riches and the infrastructure.
High time for babalaos to make potion with freshly cleaned-up Maduro's bones
ReplyDelete