The account Instagram of willymckey gave the following picture:
With Guaido, from left to right, Mejia, Pizarro and Gonzalez
You got to love this picture!
In 2007 there was a wave of protests against Chavez due to the closing of RCTV broadcast. It was strong enough that it got Chavez his first major political defeat with the referendum loss of 2007.
The title of a post on May 31 2007 was "The week the Bolivarian Revolution died". It died when Chavez lost the students of Venezuela, and thus the future. Of course, I was writing about the symbolism of that week, full aware in that text that revolutions may see their ideals die but that does not necessarily stop them from dragging on for years. I just did not expect that it would last another 11 years.
What is so intensely satisfying in that picture is that the 4 men started their career in the protest years of 2007 or whereabouts.
Today you can see them holding the main chairs of the National Assembly. They are the power rising, edging the old opposition class, and perhaps bringing down Maduro.
The history books will one day write on the "2007 generation", of these 4 but of several others jailed, exiled and more. They are our future and it is thrilling.
I will be brief because today I could not follow events and only learned about the mess driving around El Recreo/Av. Libertador mid afternoon. The show was over but I crossed many an attempt at barricade, burning trash bags, rocks strewn over the streets... It clearly had been rough and back at a computer at 5 PM I could watch some of the videos that were a hit, so to speak, today.
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.
I thought that with all the troubles these days in Venezuela I should return to blogging by repeating the post of February 15, 2014. One year later and were are we at?
For many personal reasons I have simply not been able to go to any of the marches in the two weeks that I was in Caracas. But today was the day, the more so that one of the marches passed close to my living quarters in Caracas. I joined it for another reason. Marches that start from Plaza Las Americas directed towards Chacao are the ones form the hard core opposition. Usually they are not representative of the nation but the one today had potential to be a very telling march. See, after a month and a half of protests there is no better tester than a march through El Cafetal to see what the mood of the opposition is. I was not disappointed, these people are in for the long run.
Follows an unusually long entry with two dozen pictures including a close encounter with Nazional Guard (without any harm done because El Cafetal is a peaceful crowd).
The junction point at Santa Paula. People waiting for the march, and street newspaper sales
I did come back to Caracas last Saturday but had to deal with private issues that stopped me to join any of the large scale protests of these past days. Which did not stop from taking a few notes that may interest you guys.
I suppose that I should start with the "guarimba", our tropicalized, venezuelanized, version of your old barricade. I have mixed feelings about the use of guarimbas. I mean, if you are going to go for overthrowing the regime and decided to block, say, the Miranda, or Fajardo, or Libertador and push your way up to the Baralt or Bolivar avenues, I see their use. But what I saw in El Cafetal area is way more of a cathartic nature than any harm it may do against the regime.
Some want picture? Here a couple fresh from Twitter plus a surprise bonus.
The one at El Marques in Caracas is one for the history books. One "close up" and one long range view. You need to imagine the 5th Avenue or the Champs Elysées filled up to have a comparison..... Sometime between noon and 1 PM. Never, ever was a Chavez rally be able to come close to half of it.
I live in San Felipe, Yaracuy state, probably the most apathetic state of Venezuela outside Delta Amacuro. that is, there are protests everywhere in Venezuela but in San Felipe outside of a few dozens Wednesday, there is peace and quiet, the lone colleges working as if nothing. This has always been the case, no matter what party held the state house, no matter what fire burned in Caracas. In fact, the only time I saw a true stirring was the "cacerolazos" that followed the April 2013 election. For such a thing to happen in Yaracuy you needed truly a fed up spirit of high proportion. Which goes to tell you what a wasted chance Capriles had then, when he refused to do what it took to claim his prize. But I digress.
The point here is that I cannot participate, I can only watch, and as such this blog is of limited value unless you appreciate that someone filters for you the news, trying to separate the hysteria from the relevant.
Later in past week there has been a series of student protests in Tachira and Merida mainly. I have not written on them because 1) I had no time and 2) more importantly I lack accurate information now that Globovision is gone and does not report much on such things. Or down reports on them. Outside of the pages of El Universal and El Nacional there is little you can now find, except by following the twitters of some politicians (though there is plenty of pictures going around without one being able to verify anything).
Whatever the case may be I suspect that these protest may end up being counter productive as the regime has been cracking down severely on them with the sole objective to stare down any possible protest of those tiered to stand in line for corn flour. Not that I believe they will riot, they stand for hours but they get it for nearly free so I doubt there is any political awakening coming that way just yet. But February has always been a good month for political trouble in Venezuela and Lopez and others are calling for a first test of strength on February 12. We shall see.
Even though this blog likes historical coincidences readers will have noticed that I have stayed clear from the latest Egyptian revolution cum coup. For one thing, my allergy to anything military, reinforced by the utter corruption and amorality of the military in charge of the Venezuelan regime. Nothing good comes from military and for a single de Gaulle or Eisenhower you have scores of creeps like Chavez or Velasco Alvarado. But apparently some are not so coy and reach the pages of the NYT OpEd.
One thing quite remarkable, in a perverse way, is that since we are told that Maduro has assumed power last December, no major decision has been taken by the regime, outside of a devaluation that came without any de rigueur measures to try to make the best of it. If it is clear that the regime is practicing some form of macroeconomic adjustment while trying to hide it, and thus we know little of its details, less of its scope while on any regards it is not working. The reason behind that secrecy is that the power struggle to replace Chavez is far from resolved so no one among his heirs wants to be seen as responsible from the bad news even though by not taking charge or attempting some form of coherence they are making things worse.
And thus violence seems the last option for the regime.
So today about 300 hundred students tried to go to the CNE, Venezuelan electoral board, a.k.a Electoral Ministry, to present complaints and requests on the electoral abuse of the regime. Not that anyone was expecting Chavez election minister Tibisay Lucena to comply, but it would have been nice for a change that she dispatched a secretary to receive the letter. Or at least earlier than what she eventually did.
Self starvation is becoming increasingly popular these days in Venezuela, and I do not mean to be facetious. I did write a few weeks ago that I was perturbed about that audacious game of starving oneself to death as a protest form in front of a regime that has so little value for human life (in English and in Spanish). There is a mix of lots of individual courage, some recklessness and a tad of showmanship involved; but these students are dealing with the biggest showman that Venezuela politics ever have had, someone that does not take easily to be outperformed, and someone with the violence behind him to exact revenge when time comes.
And yet it worked: the first hunger strike by students in front of the OAS forced the government to recognize that there were bona fide political prisoners in Venezuela and that the judicial system was there to serve the interests of Chavez. There was not even a pretense to consult the High Court before releasing some of the prisoners. Even if the freedom of political prisoners is not complete, even if the judicial system remains genuflected in front of Chavez from now on there is no need to accuse the regime of such evils: they have been proven, they are an established fact.
Early this week while in Caracas I visited the students on hunger strike, in front of the offices of the OAS. I did not want to write anything about that because, to tell you the truth I do not know how to broach the subject. I have too much respect for these kids to write lightly about them. In fact, my visit was made further embarrassing as I went after a diner date with a friend. We decided to visit the place around 10 PM. It was quiet and strangely peaceful. No apparent security, just an ambulance from the city of Baruta. The kids were laying on portable beds, not talking much (they need to preserve their energy). What seemed to be small groups of friends and relatives were hanging around, speaking softly, not wanting to disturb. Needless to say that I felt impressed and embarrassed, not able to find a word to try to even express my admiration for them even though I am not sure about the timing of their action.
What do they want? Nothing much really, that the government allows the Inter American Court to make a visit to Venezuela to gather data about violations of Human Rights. The Chavez administration is adamant in refusing such a visit which simply confirms that they have things to hide. The problem here is that there seems to be no solution in sight. The government mocks the attempt although they finally caved in on another hunger striker, near death, because he demanded justice for his property illegally seized by the state. Eventually OAS secretary Insulza sent a lame letter where he talked to the students as kids without understanding of adults things. As a consequence it seems that the hunger strike will go further and faster. What Insulza should have done is to write a letter directly to Chavez asking him to solve the issue and not allow to lay the blame on the OAS.
It is truly fascinating that after ten years of cheap materialism promoted by Chavez the result is similar as those observed in other countries suffering similar fates: the idealist and courageous youth is the one opposing the regime. For memory I will point out that I have yet to see revolutionary chavista students go on an hunger strike in front of the US embassy to demand the end of the Iraq war or the Cuban embargo. As a matter of fact, the few students that chavismo was able to produce in 2007 to counter the rising dissident movement are now benefiting from comfortable political jobs in the government, without any replacement worth noticing. On the other side every year the opposition student movement shows an incredible power of renewal, in ideas as well as in leadership.
So, you may wonder, why do I write about these brave kids today? Because Chavez provided me the inspiration with a cadena a few minutes ago. The cadena was about a military promotion ceremony, at worthless event since promotions are now decided by Chavez office with the main parameter being the perceived loyalty to the regime. I watched the first minute and taped it fast on my TiVo.
The ceremony stated with a fat general marching towards Chavez. Then, once he took position in front he spoke the following words:
Patria Socialsimo o muerte [Without a mic we can see Chavez uttering the word "veneceremos"] Mi comandante en jefe buensa noches. Presente en formacion 1800 combatientes revolucionarios, socialistas, anti imperialistas para el acto con motivo delos ascensos.....
Fatherland, socialism or death. [We shall win], My commander in chief good evening. Here in military formation 1,800 revolutionary, socialist and anti imperialist fighters, for the ceremony of promotion....
I was going to put the name of the fat military speaking those words, sporting the most ridiculous yellow ribbon with a je ne sais quoi of Easter Egg look. After all, too many of them have acquired the same mind pattern, the result of a decade of military corruption, financial and moral. The TV picture I show here is an indictment of how ridiculous the Venezuelan army has become, the only truly fit officer as far as I can tell being from the navy disappearing behind the Easter Egg. Fitter perhaps but equally willing to present this obscene masquerade of tacky adulation.
Thus you can see the two extremes that ten years of chavismo have produced. On one side you have the revolutionary nouveau riche, be they fat sycophantic military or the now on the run bankers who made 100 of million of dollars through government contracts in half a decade. Usually equally fat.
And on the other side the worth of the country, the new political conscious and idealistic class emerging from the embers of the middle class that Chavez has been diligently trying to destroy for the last decade. A group noble enough that some are willing to offer themselves for their goals and ideals.
The Milton Friedman award is given every two years since 2002 to the person who has represented the best the fight for individual rights and freedom. This year in what can only be considered a stunning move, the winner is Yon Goicochea, the most prominent leader of the student movement through 2007 (shown on the right after being gassed at some rally). That movement was possibly the biggest factor in stopping the approval of the December 2 referendum in Venezuela, a vote on a proposal that would have been a step back to an obscurantist past where individual rights are sacrificed by the state in benefit of diffuse collective interests. Such diffuse interests, history teaches us, always end up being hijacked by a minority "elite" which controls the state in the name of the collective. OR as I mentioned in my post on Ayn Rand for Venezuela:
The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.
Surely Yon Goicochea is a deserving winner.
PS: And what better way to celebrate the award for yon than to sign a petition for Zimbabwe as Mugabe is showing the way to Chavez on to steal elections outright in front of compliant neighbors!
PS2: Of course this shows how pathetically Chavez has lost the P.R. wars outside. I will not speculate at this point on how the government is going to react to this, how they are going to slander Yon and probably prosecute him on any silly reason (probably asking him for taxes or accusing him of illegal financial transactions for starters). But Yon is a big boy and from the picture of him I chose I am sure he has the mettle to resist. Meanwhile what does the Qaddafi award winner do? He summoned his paid client state "leaders", Evo, Ortega and Lage (curiously Raul did not come) for a surprise ALBA summit to defend Bolivia against its "secessionist" provinces. Ah! The irony! Chavez attacking Santa Cruz while he defends the very same objectives coming from the FARC!
Technology has reached blogging. Miguel of the Devil's is taking pics at the march explained in the preceding post, sending them to me and I am posting the ones that the cell phone did not damage too much. Tonight I suppose he will publish in his blog more exciting ones, but right now, that is it folks, almost live coverage!
The march most fashionable T-shirt, courtesy of the King of Spain inspiring words! "¿Por que no te callas?"
A view toward the Bolivar
2:20 PM, the Bolivar avenue is starting to fill up. From the same traffic camera from Movilnet, as reported in the previous post. You can monitor yourself here, at least as long as the government does not manage to shut it up. By the way, it seems that the government has denied access to foreign press to the Hilton, now ALBA Caracas, where the press used to gather to cover such events in the past.
Amazing! 12 minutes later!
Miguel sent me an SMS: lines are crowded, he cannot send me pictures but keeps trying.
2:51PM, I cannot access anymore to the Movistar traffic camera. Sabotage? Saturation of the networks?
2:54PM My bad. Must have been saturation. More people, now the East looking side is starting to fill up.
2:57 PM, SMS Miguel, he has reached the Bolivar and says it is full. He must be in that picture.
Miguel still cannot transmit images, his mobile system is in trouble. I am posting one last image from the Movistar traffic camera. The holes from the above picture are now filled up, at 3:22 PM. The avenue is packed and the quality of the image does not allow to show more details than what you can see now. Thus, no more Movistar pics for this post. If Miguel does not manage to send me something that will be all until tonight.
4:30 PM Miguel is alive again. This first one is on the way to the Bolivar.
This one is inside the Bolivar avenue, looking towards the ALBA hotel. that is: FAR from the center stage where usually Chavez holds his perorations. Observe how tightly packed the crowd is.
And to finish this post, the view of the Bolivar at 4:02PM. Observe that the little white rectangle at the top right is the center stage. Last time chavismo barely filled up half of what you see, and certainly not with that density. We will see tomorrow what they are able to do. Meanwhile the students can go to bed tonight with a big smile.
To create a totalitarian state several things are required. Three of them are gratuitous violence, ignorance and an ability to utter and repeat constantly outrageous lies. Lack of humor always accompanies any of these properties. We saw that today in Venezuela.
The basic details are not important as they are becoming routine. I will give only a speedy summary.
There was a forum at the Pedagogico, which is the main teachers school of Venezuela. A forum, for those who do not know the difference, is an event where some people make an informative speech on some theme and then the audience asks questions. It is not a place for debate, though some can take place. If you do not agree with the speakers you can ask your probing questions, or even just take a mic and say that the speakers are B-S-ting the audience.
But if you want to debate you go to a round table, or an actual debate where speakers from both sides are announced long in advance, and a moderator is named, and clear rules are established. As you can gather, it is all a question of format. But in totalitarian mindset format is a foreign word.
So the Pedagogico held a forum against the constitutional reform. There are enough opposition guys there to hold such a forum and no one is stopping the chavista students to hold a forum on their own supporting the constitution. Then, maybe, both sides could agree to hold a debate.
Apparently some chavista students (though it remains to be demonstrated how many of them were actually students) came to stir up the forum, started a bout of violence and left after having insulted all and broken the nose of one of the dissident students who was a guest speaker. That this student is one of the leaders of the movement certainly did not help calm down the hatred of the chavista hordes sent to disrupt the event. In fact the violence of videos is rather horrifying and we can even fear for the life of the student. Something that did not stop the said student to declare leaving the hospital that he was continuing his political combat and denounce increasing repression against the student movement of Venezuela.
That is for the facts. To which one could add that the Pedagogico internal elections were postponed by external pressure (just as the case of the ULA a year ago) because it seemed that chavismo was about to lose them there and of course losing elections in the school that is supposed to form the teachers of the Bolivarian socialist revolutionary school is something that cannot be accepted. And even less a forum one supposes.
So, what was so noteworthy about this awful event?
Ignorance. One of the guests was Pompeyo Marquez. He is one of the most famous ex-Venezuelan guerrilla, always on the left wing of Venezuelan politics, until Chavez came and separated Venezuela into a fascist and anti fascist camp. There might be a few fascists in the groups who oppose Chavez, however the last one that any Venezuelan with a minimum of education would label a fascist is Pompeyo Marquez. Heck, I would label Petkoff a fascist before I would even place Pompeyo in a center right political party. But the chavista student that harassed Pompeyo there called him a fascist, and repeatedly. Thus was illustrated the total ignorance of the folks that chavismo pays to go and disrupt opposition meetings (confirmed by comments from some other chavista "students"). Then again that was the case with the brown or the black shirts.
Ability to repeat outrageous life. That same chavista “student” whose name is yet to be revealed, said that Pompeyo was on the CIA payroll. The journalist that was holding the mic asks the obvious question “why do you say that?”. Do you know what the student replied? “Ask him!”. And that happened several times, it was not a lapsus brutis, it was deliberate (along other niceties he uttered against Pompeyo). Plain smearing. Plain brain washing.
Gratuitous violence. Of that we got plenty today. Even if the video was confusing, it is clear that the guys holding the forum were willing to try to let the chavista say a few words. But that was never their objective: the goals was to disrupt a meeting that chavismo already knows it cannot win if reason presides. So they used any opportunity to raise the ante, revealing along the way that they probably are not students to begin with and that in fact they are on some payroll, some training to do that kind of fascist actions. You just need to compare the attitude, repetitive, methodical, of the chavista hecklers and the more disorganized and genuine response from the students that wanted to attend the forum. Sure enough it all ended up in violence where several people were hurt. Gratuitous violence at that.
That is all I need to say folks. We saw it all clearly today: chavismo is not interested in any debate, it only wants to approve the new constitution ASAP knowing very well that the more people know about it the less likely they are to vote for it. As we say in Venezuela: “a las pruebas me remito”.
(When videos appear on YouTube I will link them here, should not be long)
added later (hat tip to readers from comment section).
The video of Goicochea when he leaves the hospital. Too long for translation. But listen to the tone for the first minute, it will be enough.
In this video you can see the moment when a small bomb exploded and when probably Yon was hit and his nose broken. He is all dizzy suddenly and can hardly stand up. That is when a group decides to evacuate him as some chavistas are trying to get him while he is weak to cowardly finish him off. Fascism, nothing less.
And finally, this long video is what happened at the beginning of the event. 14 minutes, for those who have the stomach to deal with it.
Me gustan los estudiantes porque levantan el pecho cuando le dicen harina sabiéndose que es afrecho, y no hacen el sordomudo cuando se presenta el hecho. Caramba y zamba la cosa ¡el código del derecho!
Yesterday scenes where the government tried to suppress a student march that they totally underestimated is sure to make a few ripples. It might as well all started last night when in total astonishment I watched for a few minutes of the National Assembly debate. Ismael Garcia was refuting the arguments advanced by the government to suppress the autonomy of the Central Bank. Carlos Escarra, the evil mind behind most of the constitutional changes, the lawyer who perhaps has the most crawled in front of Chavez and who has received the least rewards when you consider how much crawling he has done, replied. Well, the first thing he said was that Ismael had now joined the opposition has shown in his betrayal of helping the students to reach the National Assembly (1). So, now Escarra is all out saying that any popular petition that displeases the government is treason.
Escarra might want to read the words of another representative, who has crawled quite a lot too, Calixto Ortega, who said on TV that the students were exerting a right in trying to reach the N.A. That he was forced by events to say that is possible, but he said it. Is he also a traitor? Will Escarra become the grand inquisitor of the Revolution? I am afraid so, as often such inquisitors, as well as the concentration camp wardens, come from those who had a hard time to please the beloved leader and thus decide on their own to go the extra mile in violating all sorts of rights to be forgiven of any fault they might have in the eyes of the beloved Supremo.
Or the ripples might have started when one of the "nice pro Chavez" students had no other arguments but stating that the opposition students were violent folks, crass opposition straight from the hellish days of April 2002. Of course, the sweet thing is used to go from adoring crowd to adoring crowd during the junket trip across Venezuela and has probably started to believe that these students represented only the remaining 1.3% (that much left? think of "carlos" who wished all of us would join the PUS to "debate" from the inside -2) of the Venezuelan folks that still do not support Chavez and the constitutional "reforma".
By the way, isn't it lovely to hear now famous protest songs of the 60ies used so effectively by dissenting students while the pro Chavez students, lonelier everyday, are defending the Chavez status quo? Since when students are supposed to defend the government, any government for that matter? Ah! It is a good thing that ridicule does not kill.
Meanwhile some of the videos are starting to come out.
The moment when the Metropolitana Barrier was broken is seen here. If you bear up with the poor quality, probably a video from someone taping the live Globovision broadcast) you will observe how the break took place, how the police had to regroup further back in a narrower passage, how they obviously had lost control of the opposition, how the chavista hecklers (hordes?) were behind the police and quickly retreated, and more interesting moments such as the first tear gas. If you have time on your hands you can watch this video taken by someone on the ground. Quality is poor but you might feel the tension of the moment.
Another not very good video but telling is the one taken at the highway toll in Maracay when the Nazional Guard refused to let a few dozen students pass to go to Caracas. What you can see is how stupidly the Guard operates, when stopping a handful of students they do block hundreds and hundreds of cars of people needing to go to work, on errands and what not. when you look at the pictures of the Caracas events, you can see that these Maracay students were not missed at all but the ones who paid for this are the locals, victims of chavista military stupidity (apologies for the redundancy).
But of course, all of thsi is probably just more media manipulation, just as the lack of milk. FOR THE RECORD: today is the second week anniversary of that last time I saw fresh, skim, or powdered milk for sale anywhere. Gosh! That is a heck of media manipulation!!!!
1) For the record. He eventually addressed the issues of Ismael Garcia as for the independence of the Central Bank because Venezuela had to free itself form the Washington Consensus. Showing a the same stroke that he is either stupid and ignorant or that he has chosen to become stupid and ignorant. No matter what out of place reply Escarra gave, after he finished his truly embarrassing peroration ("pena ajena" we call the feeling in Venezuela when you see someone make an ass of himself for no good reason) Cilia Flores closed the debate and the amendment was promptly voted. Showing us clearly that the government has absolutely no intention to do a real debate in anywhere and that any criticism that you do against Chavez these days is just betrayal of the revolution. Period. Lat night was yet another abject lesson on the method.
2) "Carlos" is chavista reader of this blog, silent for a while after every one of his mutterings was properly dismissed by other readers. In his brief passage he has revealed to us how intolerant and sectarian and authoritarian is the mindset of chavismo today.
The news today was the first dissident student march against the ill-called constitutional reform of Chavez. For a first effort it was impressive, and if chavismo thought that they had it made, they must be pondering new strategies tonight. The fact of the day is that the blockade put to the march by chavismo, comprised of Metropolitan Police and the usual red-shirted hordes failed: the students broke through and had to be received by the National Assembly.
Before relating the details of the day it is important to delve on this point: the students threw away their fears, and confronted chavismo in the streets. But also it is important to note that the chavista hordes were less numerous than usual and certainly not numerous enough that even as they were protected by the police, they could not block the passage to the student march. I do not know which is the most important fact, that chavismo is losing its touch or that the opposition is waking up bravely. To be continued.
As for the day now.
First, the march was called rather late, rather disorganized but still got its permit from mayor Bernal. This one fixed a terminus point, but the police decided to push it back by three blocks. That is why the students forced their way through, refusing to abide by that totally useless provocation.
But the forecast for this success was not good, even literally. It was a rainy day in Caracas, and yet the march was huge as many went with their umbrellas and thousands more did not care a bit about being soaked to the bone. That by itself was impressive, to see under heavy rains the determination of these people. Chavistas hordes apparently did not have such a wet determination. The video below is quite good to show the rain (and the chavista red shirts), but not as good at showing the street fight or the extent of the march. As soon as the Globovision go on line I will post them, stay tuned.
Of course as it is now usual the Nazional Guard across Venezuela now blocks any bus that goes toward Caracas for an opposition rally of any type. The only result as usual is propaganda points for the opposition and another black mark on a guard whose reputation is so low that even Chavez is trying to get rid of them, no matter how much they try to support Chavez fascism. Meanwhile the whole states of Carabobo and Aragua slided into a gigantic gridlock just because some stupid fat assed Nazional Guard tried to score brownie points with Chavez.
Still, this did not stop the success of the march while a small group of pro Chavez students gathered without any hindrance on Bolivar Square (we know that many of them are on the state payrolls in the unique work-study programs that chavismo offers its hardcore followers). These pro Chavez students, who have been traveling through Venezuela at tax payer expenses to promote the constitutional pseudo-reforma said that they were against the opposition march. Their arguments are embarrassing to read. It is nice to see that they are developing in good little fascisto-communists. A dissident student leader remarked acidly that chavista students had access everywhere while opposition ones had to break police barriers to bring a petition to parliament.
Of course when the march hit the Metropolitana Police barrier (manned by may police women, an interesting detail) violence started as chavista hordes were throwing bottles above the said police without that police doing much to stop the abuse. But the students fought back and the video on how the barrier was broke is simply spectacular. Though the picture next shows that a few were scared by the flying projectiles coming from the chavista side (I know the feeling, I have been myself personally the object of aggression to my person, from the back, as these hordes usually do not have the courage to attack you from the front, just as Chavez who never lets anyone confront him directly).
At any rate, the day is very important for two things:
1) visibly the opposition to the constitutional change is much bigger and determined than what anyone was thinking, including chavismo.
2) the way promises were broken, the way the army and the police acted, illustrate clearly that we are already under a repressive regime and that the objective of the constitutional changes are simply to make legal all that is already taking place.
Remember, you might have read it here first.
Meanwhile my deepest admiration to these truly brave students!
