For those who can write two sentences in French

I have decided to try to take back my occasional participation in the lefty AGORAVOX forum (sticker to my posts there on the right side of this page). So if at least a couple of you were kind enough to register at Agoravox and leave a friendly note... I get there the nastiest beatings, but their silliness makes them rather quite amusing although my poor Mother is horrified. English language PSF are not only in general better behaved but they do write better arguments even though most of the time unsustainable. Then again limiting their posting by refusing the usage name calling and insults does help, does it not? :) At my recent Agoravox article name calling and discrediting the article for even a simple orthographical error is the norm.  but that is OK, I have survived enough PSF onslaught to let it slip by unheard.

Torture in Venezuela

How many forms of torture can you count on this picture that is hitting the stands this morning in El Universal?

I count at least three: the fingers in the eyes, the breaking wrist and the humiliation of having to hold tight to your own clothes.  And who knows how many others we can count, starting with the image of this armored cops and whatever they did to this kid.  Amnesty International is taking notice.  The numbers of government expressing their concern keeps growing.

More images right now and for a few days in the photo gallery of the English section of El Universal.  Look on the lower right side, no links, it is java.

There you have it, the lovely bolivarian revolution has reached midnight and the ugly terror and repression filled fascist pumpkin is coming back to life.

Note on further censorship: the bolivarian revolution has absolutely no sense of humor.  Even imagining as a joke what would a post Chavez era be, gets you a stinging communique from Propaganda Ministry.  the Tal Cual humor editorial of Laureano Marquez this Friday, translated at Miguel's blog, will be used to prosecute him and Tal Cual because according to the women in charge of Chavez "communication", Blanca Eekhout, Elena Salcedo, and Vanessa Davies, it is an open appeal at insurrection.

Vanessa, que tan bajo has caido......... Las otras no tienen vida, pero tu, tu no deberias meterte en esto. Das pena ajena!

iPad perfect for reading news about Venezuela!

In the presentation today of their new gadget iPad the Apple folks showed how the New York Time reads.  And believe it or not the news from the immediate source of repression in Venezuela appeared: the closing of RCTV!!!!! You can see it on the right side, about the middle. (hat tip PMB)

I think the Spanish inquisition one was gold plated

I have grown hoarse from the many times that I tried to explain people that Chavez and his movement are a reactionary movement, whose only model is the caudillos that bled the country to death in the XIX century. Well, the picture below will explain it better than the gazillions words I used.

This is the latest tool used by Venezuela's Nazional Guard to repress the student movment this week.
(hat tip Miguel)

Human Rights Organizations of the world, please?

I love me a state of the union.....

It really does not matter whether the president is a Republican or a Democrat, I am always fascinated by the late January ritual in Washington, the State of the Union. Obama first real one fulfills my simplistic expectations of a brief love feast between irreconcilable enemies. All the usual cliches and paraphernalia are present, but this year I was sensitive to two in particular.

Chavismo in disarray?

[Updated] I have been receiving phone calls with all sorts of concerns, people afraid that Chavez is preparing some undercover action, stirring deliberately the current protest for some evil purpose.  Maybe, but it seems that the genie is escaping the bottle.

With the second closing of RCTV Chavez has started a movement of unexpected intensity, and one it does not seem to be able to control, one for which his only answer is repression, something which at this stage is highly counterproductive.  This is not a triumphant chavismo, it is a cornered one, afraid, scared and ready for useless violence.  You know, like the rabid dog of old times.... Though rabies might also be making a come back in Venezuela along other infectious diseases that the Chavez health care system fails to counter.  But I digress...

Update: another student dead and more reactions

I woke this morning with the news of the deliberate assassination (?) of a Merida student by a pro Chavez Tupamaro group.  Now every side is happy, they all have their martyr.  On TV the tension is mounting about today possible events.  Cops everywhere in Plaza Venezuela but the students are too fast for them.