Extraordinarily newsworthy day in the battle for democracy

I thought already when I was writing the communism decree that the regime wants to pass would be quite something already for a single day. I even started publishing it before I finished or corrected such was my state of discombobulation.  But tonight there is yet two more news, maybe more important because that decree can still be rejected by the Assembly. But apparently there are bigger fishes to fry.

President Maduro finally came tonight for his state of the Union. The speech was long, vapid, misleading when not blurting outrageous lies when vaunting the "successes" of 2015. The excitement came through the fact that he showed up when a few days ago it seemed that the rebelliousness of Diosdado Cabello with the support of some judges could carry the day and send the Assembly into nothingness. This can still happen but I have big doubts tonight about it ever happening.

Tales of a military temper tantrum

What has inflamed the 2.0 tonight is the late afternoon address of Padrino Lopez, in cadena nonetheless. A quick video analysis follows.

Dialogue, monologue or guarimbalogue? Venezuelan political discourse peculiarities

UPDATED.

I am not only a little preoccupied about personal matters but to tell you the truth from the start I lost any possible interest in the "dialogue" attempt last night at Miraflores. See, the regime is so predictable, such a permanent rehash of old grievances that one could have easily guessed the discourse.

The monologue

CNN unwillingly reveals how decayed chavismo is

I do not know whether CNNE was the hero, or anti-hero of this week, but one thing is certain, it revealed how fucked up is the chavista mindset. Sorry for the vulgarity but no other word describes it.

Two events.

Leopoldo Lopez date with destiny

Leopoldo Lopez has released a video filmed from his hiding place where even a painting in the wall was blurred.




What Lopez is saying is that next Tuesday (the 18) he will be leading a march to the interior ministry to submit a claim. Then, a few dozen yards before the door he will stop the march and walk alone, letting the regime assume its responsibility in arresting him, in front of gazillions cameras posted in front. To make the moment more dramatic he has asked to all that are willing to accompany him to dress in white, and takes as peaceful an attitude as they can come up with.

Troubled dictatorships are predictable, Maduro's goes that way

I am on CNNE (en Español) because there is no news on Venezuelan TV worth watching, or a cadena by Maduro even less worthy. Besides, these days CNNE transmits a lot of the Maduro stuff, least they get cut off from the cable grid like it happened to NTN24 from Colombia last Wednesday. At least, if they cut the protests report from CNNE they will also shut down the only outlet for Maduro ramblings outside Venezuela (does anyone outside of the chavismo international lumpen watch Telesur?). Thus CNNE just transmitted about 10 minutes of Maduro expose of his new plan for peace. And the only thing I can come up with is that dictatorships in trouble are ever so predictable.

Last day electoral considerations for Venezuela Sunday vote

It is kind of a little bit petty to write on a tacky election in Venezuela the day the world mourns Nelson Mandela, a man who for all his possible faults is universally admired, and deservedly so.

Maduro: you stole my coke? I get a free Airbus from you!

Always in the shop.....

After writing my post this afternoon on chavismo divisions events precipitated a little and I am back at the key board. The question to resolve tonight is why did Maduro not attend the UN general assembly? This is not an idle question because a few days ago the man made a temper tantrum as to the US allegedly not allowing him to fly over Puerto Rico, or denying visas to his entourage, things proven wrong since.

The official version came in tonight in a cadena where Maduro surprised us with two things. First, he did not go to the UN because "they" were preparing offenses against him (that he will reveal when convenient). They being Otto Reich, Roger Noriega and Luis Posada Carriles, two passé out of jobs US operators and a near dead anti Castro warrior, none of them, if you ask me, able to do much against Maduro while in New York. The best way to establish that is that the new Iranian president had no problem going around town to make his speech today and he is a way bigger threat to the Western World than Maduro is. Then again that he is not taken as a threat may be what truly obfuscated Maduro.....

The ghost of Chavez over the Venezuelan fleet

Today is the birthday of Bolivar, and as a happy coincidence for some parties, the victory of Maracaibo lake which was the last "battle" fought against Spain for independence. Thus it is also the navy's day. We got a never ending cadena for idiot political speech and an even more idiotic naval parade. Among other things we could verify that indeed we have more admirals, vice admirals and counter admirals than serviceable battle ships. The naval parade had to include peñeros to bulk up some...

Normally I would not watch it but I was lazy in my hammock enjoying the fee afternoon and waited to turn off TV. When suddenly I saw Chavez ghost...  Thus I grabbed my camera and made this 30sec clip for you....

Who minds the Realm?

The decomposition of the regime goes apace. These last couple of days we peeled off yet another myth: that Maduro had an inkling on diplomacy. After all, he had been Chavez foreign secretary for more than half a decade before been anointed. Surely he must have learned something. But after having clashed, unnecessarily  with Spain, he clashed with even less reason and potentially more damage with Peru, ending today with a special cadena trying to clash with Obama and linking him to the Devil. (1)

For foreign non-illustrated media and chavista supporters: chavismo media lock up

Since there is right now a cadena that silences a Capriles press conference that I was planning to live tweet, I decided that I might as well write the current situation of the media in Venezuela. Two reasons motivate me to do so.

The first one is that there are still idiotic (sorry, no other word applies) chavismo supporters overseas that repeat the old cliche that private media oppress the people and hide the news in Venezuela. Saddest part is that many journalists who should know better, who would never accept such a thing as a cadena at home, not only fail to report on the power abuse that cadenas are, but actually repeat the idiotic cliches over private control of media in Venezuela.

The other reason is that since so many people are working to denounce the current Venezuelan dictatorship, I thought I offer them a primer they can link too whenever convenient. So here it goes in clear, simple definitions.

Maduro first "power" decision is a show of weakness

I am dumbfounded. Not only because I just barely managed to open the blog dashboard for the first time today and I do not know whether this post will happen, but becasue I caught by mistake Maduro's cadena announcing what a president usually announces first, his new cabinet.

Well, let's start by the obvious: a new cabinet it ain't.

Second week campaign round up: singing the Cuban anthem

And thus we come to the end of the second week of campaign.  I waited until today because Capriles was supposedly coming to San Felipe but if he came, he was drown in the rain today. And yesterday I was in Barquisimeto where Maduro is today. Whew! I escaped!

The week has been good for Capriles over all. Very good maybe, as Maduro committed at least two major mistakes.

Blogging the day after Chavez exit

I have the feeling there will be a lot of stuff to say today....  So a single post, updated regularly  but this time from most recent to least recent, avoiding the mistake I did yesterday, sorry.

11:00 PM (final)

Time to close down this day long post with a summary.

Digital TV in Venezuela: safely pro regime (Globovision to be executed)

How late we are.....

URGENTE UPDATE (including modified title)

So today I read there was a cadena (I am at work, no broadband, no TV). The reason (any reason is good to promote the hair, Maduro) was to inaugurate the first relays of digital TV. According to the official state TV, VTV, we will start with 11 channels.

Since I am accused of being always a critic I will start by the good part. The regime insists that digital TV will be free (on open broadcast, cable remains pay, of course). Also, they claim that they have done enough investment to bring very soon 50% of the population within coverage (they claim installations in 13 cities already). That is it, that is all the positive I can manage to find.

Cadenas under the Madubello

Since Maduro and Cabello have been slugging out the Chavez inheritance cadenas have evolved some. They are shorter, nastier and more idiotic, if possible. The one from last night was a doozie. Fortunately La Patilla put it up on You tube. Short and sweet, do not miss it even if you speak not a word of Spanish. After the jump with briefs comments.

Finally! A cadena that ends well! (for us, not Chavez!)

Last night we witness yet more damning evidence that the days of Chavez regime may be indeed numbered.  It is really not a matter of merely losing the election in October, it is the what happens next.  And after last night I am starting to feel that there is such a desire to change our political pattern that maybe the transition may not be as traumatic as I am afraid it will be.

Mythomania in Chavez bird brain

Chavez was doing yet another cadena. Surfing the waves I stumbled on him as he was "replying" to Capriles who promised that Venezuela would stop giving oil for free anymore. Instead of shutting up Chavez had to open his big mouth and look guilty, whether he did not intend it. If that was not bad enough he went to his old tired argument that when he reached office oil was at 10 a barrel and that he managed to rise it ten times.

Of course it is all baloney. You and I know that oil price increase is BRICS growth, speculation, less strikes, more expensive fields, etc...  Maybe Chavez knows/knew that too. What scared me tonight was that his body language, his voice, indicated to me that Chavez believes now that if it were not for him oil would still be a 10 usd a barrel.

Memo to Hugo: 1) stop replying to Capriles: you have no idea how to reply in an argument, and 2) consider changing your medication.

Return to the campaign abuse and fraud

Well, it is harder than expected to go back on the key board thread mill.  And even harder to try to go back over one month of missing campaigning.  Thus I have decided stop trying, pretend than nothing happened since I left the country for 3 weeks, and write down the little bit I have been able to gather before giving up.  In no particular order.

Polls

Chavez's cadena on Tuesday night.

After more than a week's absence Chavez came back on TV for, what else, a cadena.  And an illustrative one it was.  I will not go into the details on how Chavez held for two hours ALL of TV and radio networks of Venezuela.  For that you could, if you read Spanish, read some of my tweets of May 22 as in a masochistic exercise I followed the whole thing.  But there are two aspects I would like to share.