The Devil's Excrement

From my brother the Tyromaniac:

They still are trying to portrait this fight as White vs. Black, Rich vs. Poor, that is also bullshit. Most venezuelans are mixed race and, as normally happens in mixed raced countries, families have a variety of colors. So, some of my sisters, who are rabidly anti-Chávez, have darker skin than most of Chávez supporters, much darker than Chávez himself, while the pro-chávez parlament officials, accused yesterday of having millions of dollars in accounts in the US, are as light skinned as any opposition supporter. The lack of serious journalism in a newspaper like The New York Times is really depressing.

To which I add: If Chavez were perceived as right-wing (part of his thinking is) the world would be outraged at his statements and actions.

Abother huge march today which had a path of over 8 Kilometers from the Esat of the city to Simon Bolivar’s burial place (today was the anniversary of his death). However, we were not allowed to reach that location as 200-400 Government supporters were there to try to stop us. Thus, even though we had the permits required, we were not able to exercise oour rights as citizens.

The pictures show: Above: A look to the back and front of the march at its beginning. Bottom: Left: The crowd in the middle of the march. Right: The place where we were stopped. You can see one of the cops on the right blocking us. Another example of why there is no democracy in Venezuela.

There were other marches during the day, the ones in Barquisimieto and Valencia looked huge on TV. Tomorrow, things will continue, there will be no Christmas in Venezuela this year.

In what is another defeat for the Chavez Government, the OAS resolution approved last night urges an electoral solution to the crisis. From  a resolution to back the Chavez Government, as originally proposed by Venezuela’s Amabassador to the OAS, to this, is a long way. Another victory for the good guys.

Pictures: Top-left: I was ready, Top-right: For anything

Bottom left: So were they, Next: We moved in, Next: Moved in even closer, Even more, Next: Until we were everywhere

Today the Democratic Coordinator planned a demonstration in front of the motorized unit of the Metropolitan Police, taken over by the military three weeks ago. A Court ruled on Friday that it should be given back to the Mayor of the city. Well, as you can see in the picture, we showed up, the military was there and then they started stepping back, and back until at the end, we took over the whole area, the military pulled back and the Mayor took over the unit. Nobody sure what happened or why it happened, but this is another defeat for the Government, another victory for the opposition. Is the end near?

Today, anti-Chavez protesters initiated a new form of civil disobedience setting up barricades at 6 AM in all major highways, avenues and neigborhoods of Caracas. The action had no permits and in at least three locations the police used tear gas. Curiously, Chavez’ supporters have been blocking a major avenue since the strike began, but the police has done nothing about it. Unfortunately as the protests were ending, there was some violence. This afternoon there will be a major demonstration at the Motorized Headquarters of the Metropolitan Police which was taken over by a Government decree a month ago and militarized. A Court ruled on Friday that the militarty had to return all facilities and equipment to the anti-Chavez Major of Caracas, but it has not been done and Chavez said yesterday that the military should not obey orders from Courts that go against his decrees.

The tanker “Pilin Leon” has become the beacon of the general strike of Venezuelan ships. Since its crew went on strike ten days ago, the Government has been trying to take it over. Essentially, the crew would accept another certified crew, but most are on strike anyway. Last night, the Government tried to take it over, but it was clear that the new crew did not qualify and they disembarked. Today, the National Guard brought another crew on board in an effort by the  Government to obtain a victory. This time the crew was made of Indians found through a headhunter. Unfortunately, the crew also did not meet the requirements because of their training, languages as well as regulations as to certifications in Venezuela.  They have disembarked by now.  Reportedly, the Venezuelan Navy refused to follow the orders of the President and thus the National Guard was used. The objection is not only political, but it is also a matter of sefaety as the Navy refused to do the type of commando operation that was performed twice in the last twenty four hours on the “Pilin Leon”

Hugo Chavez, in today’s address to the Nation, called on the Armed  Force NOT to recognize any decisions by civil Courts which contradict his decrees. As I said last night, these two decisions could become the “acid” test for those in the military that claim to be institutionalists. These two articles (1,2) have statements by lawyers blasting the Presdent for what he said. Note that Deputy Jose Luis Faria is a former Chavez supporter who split from Chavez almost a year ago. Clearly, Chavez believes he is above the laws and the Constitution, which we have known all along.

As Hugo Chavez continues to say that in Venezuela there is no strike but a conspiracy to oust him, approximately 1.5 million conspirators gathered in Caracas at a secret meeting held in the Autopista del Este, the Highway that crosses Caracas. The march was the largest so far, surpassing easily the one that ousted Chavez on April 11th. Keep in mind that the Metropolitan area of Caracas is estimated to have 3.5 million people at this time.

The atmosphere was absolutely festive as six separate marches from the East, West, North and South of the city converged at the Altamira Distributor of the eight lane highway that crosses the city from East to West. There were speeches, flags, songs, chants and the main theme was :”Hugo Chavez leave now”

Meanwhile, the Government continued to suffer setbacks on both the legal and the oil front. On the oil front, gasoline shortages became the norm in most of the country, Caracas seemed to be suffering the least, but no unleaded gas was to be found anywhere in the city. Meanwhile the President of PDVSA recognized that the company was at a standstill while roughly at the same time the Vice-President said things were going back to normal. Two gasoline trucks confiscated by the military overturned, one full of gas, the other one empty. The legal front was becoming interesting as two judgements by administartive Courts were not being followed by the Generals ordered to return private property in one case, and return all property of the Metropolitan Police to the Mayor in the other. Many high ranking Generals have been saying all along that they were “institutional”, a word that loses meaning when Generals disobey the rulings from civilian Courts. Watch this aspect of the crisis as it may become the clashing point between the Generals that still “support” the Chavez Presidency.

Below some pictures. Top row from the media, bottom rows, my own and Reuters.

In today’s El Nacional (page A-7), columnist Fausto Maso writes an article on media objectivity which I am sure is in response to yesterday’s press conference between the local media and foreign correspondents in which the objectivity of local media was repeatedly questioned. I took the liberty of translating it freely:

(Picture of yesterday’s march, an everyday affair)

The cowardice of false objectivity by Fausto Maso

Good reporting presents both sides of a story, it opens pages or microphones to diverse opinions, but it is not silenced when faced by a crime: it doesn’t confuse objectivity with complicity. Our Schools of Journalism, specially that of Universidad Central de Venezuela, always rejected the false objectivity which conceals that cowardice. The New York Times did not cross its arms on September 11 2001, nor do the American or British reporters go around the world looking for inteviews with Bin Laden and his followers, nor do they publish in front page their statements. In Spain they call ETA a terrorist organization. Great reporters never informed about Vietnam aseptically, neither are they neutral in Colombia with the guerrilla. They take sides. Some foreign correspondents belive innocently that in Venezuela two sides are facing each other in a civil war, they suppose that they are witnessing a fight between rich and poor. They are more lost than Lindbergh’s son! The threat against Venezuelans is genocide, the killing of unarmed civilians in the hands of those backed by the Government. What Cicil War? Pots against machine guns! You have got to be kidding me….Can we be neutral? Noooooooooo…