The Devil's Excrement

This is my translation of the Editorial two days ago by one of Lima’s leading newspapers:

The large demonstrations against President Hugo Chavez express the high level of popular discontent caused by his authoritarian ways and his poor economic performance.

It is a fact, that the so-called “Takeover of Caracas”, last Thursady the 10th. exceeded the expectations of the organizers: It is calculated that more than one million people went to protest agaisnt the Government, without resorting to violent excesses.

Now a work stoppage is announced if Chavez does not resign or hold anticipated elections at the same time that Chavez’ supporters participated in a demonstration to back the Government which was presided by the Head of State himself.

Perhaps the requests may be polemic and even extreme from the point of view of the principles of a democratic system. However, there is no doubt as to the legitimacy of the demonstrations organized by the Democratic Coordinator which groups almost all political parties, civil associations, unions and the private sector. Thus, they should serve as a wake up call to the Chavez Government to rectify and to reopen democratic spaces in Venezuela.

Venezuela faces a profound economic crisis,  together with high unemployment and high inflation indices which contribute to radicalize the social climate. To this inefficient management of the economy with a bias towards the state, one should add corruption charges against the highest levels of the Government, which only makes matters worse.

That is why it is urgent to promote dialogue mechanisms between the Government and the opposition before the situation gets out of hand. This requires that before anything else the President should set aside his defiant and anti-Democratic speech, who never doubts in threatening freedom of speech and the press and who polarizes the country and increases the instability in dangerous ways.

(Amen!!)