I have been absent for too long but the fact is that it has been difficult for me to write anything. The brutal escalade in terror, the many cross current events, my exhaustion at trying to keep providing health care to my SO in between marches and barricades are taking their toll. At least, if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you know I try to keep up.
It is difficult to imagine overseas what we are going though in Venezuela these days. Sure enough it is not Syria, but sure enough the regime would not mind it becoming Syria, with the Russians helping them and Cuba keep a hold on the situation. More than ever the problem is the same: how can you expect a group of corrupt narco-terrorists to surrender power peacefully through elections? It cannot be done and luckily I am starting to see in the press and media what this blog has been explaining for too long already. Unfortunately it is reaching a point were stern international action is required before this become a major scale refugee crisis.
But since I have been away for so long, I will settle here with highlighting a few of the crucial points in the last couple fo weeks. Later, I am going to try to write about what life has become here.
A constitutional change that nobody wants
As I wrote earlier, the constituent assembly that Maduro and his gang are trying to force feed us is a mere excuse to do away with democracy. The surprise comes that no one but the Miraflores inner court is buying it. Even small "opposition" out of MUD parties are rejecting it. And there is certainly no great love shown from inside chavismo. But the regime keeps digging its heels and has a massive propaganda operation which so far is not yielding profits.
The general prosecutor gives an interview to the Wall Street Journal
Luisa Ortega used to be a pillar of the regime. No more. She has not broken outright with the regime but for practical reasons: as long as she is in office and pretends not to have broken with it, the regime can do little to her. On May 3 the Wall Street Journal published and interview of Ms. Ortega. More than what actually she says in the interview criticizing some of the regime actions what is notable is that 1) she gave an interview, a rare thing for her and 2) that she gave it to the Wall Street Journal. I mean, in general this type of job holder give such type of interviews to newspapers more concerned by legal questions and human rights like, say, the NYT or the WaPo. So why go to a newspaper that prefers business news or political news that may impact business lately?
I think that she chose the Wall Street Journal to send a clear message to the regime. After all the WSJ is embroiled in a legal tangle with Diosdado Cabello who the WSJ exposed as a drug dealer. What the message is I am sure that the gentle reader is equally capable as I am to speculate on.
Military courts
Whatever Luisa Ortega is up to one thing is certain, the regime does not trust her with repression anymore. In the current escalade of terror civilians by the hundred are sent to military courts where they are swiftly processed and punished, in violation of any international norms. A truly terrorist action from the regime.
A new terror game
On April 19 I reported the extensive terror that the regime uses. Well, on May 3 this reached a new level and I was there. In short, we were gathered in front of the Las Mercedes exchange and on the right we were seeing tear gas drifting. But people did not move, waiting to see what would happen. I was up on a wall of sorts trying to get good shots. And suddenly I hear pandemonium on my left side: the nazional guard appeared from the small La Carlota airport where it was hiding and caught us in rear guard without much possibility to escape. That is, the regime created a possible dangerous stampede aggravated by suffocation. Note: there were plenty of people 50+ in the crowd.
I was about to take a video on the events from my right side and the only thing I could get was this Instagram posted stream. It is short and confused but it could not be otherwise: had I stayed where I was I probably would have been pushed off that wall. And I was also starting to get caught by the gases on the other side. The retreat all the way to Chacao was painful as the repression shot at random above the streets further cartridges on the people retreating.
Since that day the repression has been much earlier than it was done. Now they try not to let the gatherings get big. And they shoot at any crowd, even at the elderly in their own march for their rights. Human rights violations are growing by the day.
This is all for now. Many more things to tell but there is also a need for time.
It is difficult to imagine overseas what we are going though in Venezuela these days. Sure enough it is not Syria, but sure enough the regime would not mind it becoming Syria, with the Russians helping them and Cuba keep a hold on the situation. More than ever the problem is the same: how can you expect a group of corrupt narco-terrorists to surrender power peacefully through elections? It cannot be done and luckily I am starting to see in the press and media what this blog has been explaining for too long already. Unfortunately it is reaching a point were stern international action is required before this become a major scale refugee crisis.
But since I have been away for so long, I will settle here with highlighting a few of the crucial points in the last couple fo weeks. Later, I am going to try to write about what life has become here.
A constitutional change that nobody wants
As I wrote earlier, the constituent assembly that Maduro and his gang are trying to force feed us is a mere excuse to do away with democracy. The surprise comes that no one but the Miraflores inner court is buying it. Even small "opposition" out of MUD parties are rejecting it. And there is certainly no great love shown from inside chavismo. But the regime keeps digging its heels and has a massive propaganda operation which so far is not yielding profits.
The general prosecutor gives an interview to the Wall Street Journal
Luisa Ortega used to be a pillar of the regime. No more. She has not broken outright with the regime but for practical reasons: as long as she is in office and pretends not to have broken with it, the regime can do little to her. On May 3 the Wall Street Journal published and interview of Ms. Ortega. More than what actually she says in the interview criticizing some of the regime actions what is notable is that 1) she gave an interview, a rare thing for her and 2) that she gave it to the Wall Street Journal. I mean, in general this type of job holder give such type of interviews to newspapers more concerned by legal questions and human rights like, say, the NYT or the WaPo. So why go to a newspaper that prefers business news or political news that may impact business lately?
I think that she chose the Wall Street Journal to send a clear message to the regime. After all the WSJ is embroiled in a legal tangle with Diosdado Cabello who the WSJ exposed as a drug dealer. What the message is I am sure that the gentle reader is equally capable as I am to speculate on.
Military courts
Whatever Luisa Ortega is up to one thing is certain, the regime does not trust her with repression anymore. In the current escalade of terror civilians by the hundred are sent to military courts where they are swiftly processed and punished, in violation of any international norms. A truly terrorist action from the regime.
A new terror game
On April 19 I reported the extensive terror that the regime uses. Well, on May 3 this reached a new level and I was there. In short, we were gathered in front of the Las Mercedes exchange and on the right we were seeing tear gas drifting. But people did not move, waiting to see what would happen. I was up on a wall of sorts trying to get good shots. And suddenly I hear pandemonium on my left side: the nazional guard appeared from the small La Carlota airport where it was hiding and caught us in rear guard without much possibility to escape. That is, the regime created a possible dangerous stampede aggravated by suffocation. Note: there were plenty of people 50+ in the crowd.
I was about to take a video on the events from my right side and the only thing I could get was this Instagram posted stream. It is short and confused but it could not be otherwise: had I stayed where I was I probably would have been pushed off that wall. And I was also starting to get caught by the gases on the other side. The retreat all the way to Chacao was painful as the repression shot at random above the streets further cartridges on the people retreating.
Since that day the repression has been much earlier than it was done. Now they try not to let the gatherings get big. And they shoot at any crowd, even at the elderly in their own march for their rights. Human rights violations are growing by the day.
This is all for now. Many more things to tell but there is also a need for time.
