It is as if December 2nd. and the defeat of the
Constitutional reform was somehow an accident, which as the days go by
becomes more and more irrelevant to the autocrat and his cronies.
Almost every act and every statement by Government officials seems to
ignore the serious damage to the process by that defeat, even if it was
not necessarily a glorious victory for the opposition. What’s
interesting is that this may actually be working in the opposition’s
favor for once, as the people want the Government to solve their
problems and a large fraction was actually punishing Chavez by
rejecting the reform, which to many of them represents a vaporous
concept for their daily lives.
Constitutional reform was somehow an accident, which as the days go by
becomes more and more irrelevant to the autocrat and his cronies.
Almost every act and every statement by Government officials seems to
ignore the serious damage to the process by that defeat, even if it was
not necessarily a glorious victory for the opposition. What’s
interesting is that this may actually be working in the opposition’s
favor for once, as the people want the Government to solve their
problems and a large fraction was actually punishing Chavez by
rejecting the reform, which to many of them represents a vaporous
concept for their daily lives.
While I have
found extreme Chavistas to be obviously disappointed by their defeat,
there is a sense of relief among those that never supported Chávez and
those who were at some point sympathetic to his project in the past. It is as if a new future had opened up in which the Government
would be forced to talk to the other side, to Govern for all. But no
such luck, the divisiveness continues, as witnessed by the extreme
statement by the Minister of the Interior and Justice who said today that “There can be no national reconciliation without the reform”.
found extreme Chavistas to be obviously disappointed by their defeat,
there is a sense of relief among those that never supported Chávez and
those who were at some point sympathetic to his project in the past. It is as if a new future had opened up in which the Government
would be forced to talk to the other side, to Govern for all. But no
such luck, the divisiveness continues, as witnessed by the extreme
statement by the Minister of the Interior and Justice who said today that “There can be no national reconciliation without the reform”.
That’s
it. There are two Venezuela’s and it is Chavismo’s will never to accept
the other, whether via democratic means or not. Even worse, he sees no
possibility of a dialogue. No possibility of even talking to each
other. Thus, the inescapable conclusion seems to be that if democracy
will not determine how the Government will govern, if dialogue is
impossible, if policies will only be implemented for “one side”, what
are we suppose to do then? Collective Hara Kiri? Divide the country in two? Civil War?
it. There are two Venezuela’s and it is Chavismo’s will never to accept
the other, whether via democratic means or not. Even worse, he sees no
possibility of a dialogue. No possibility of even talking to each
other. Thus, the inescapable conclusion seems to be that if democracy
will not determine how the Government will govern, if dialogue is
impossible, if policies will only be implemented for “one side”, what
are we suppose to do then? Collective Hara Kiri? Divide the country in two? Civil War?
But the people seem to be calling for something different. And not giving it to them may be the worst path for Chavismo.
And
despite the fact that the main spark for the rejection to the reform
was the proposal to have Chavez be reelected indefinitely, Government
spokesmen have had no qualms or shame in saying and admitting that it was
only that part of the reform that mattered. The Mayor of Liberator
District said it clearly today:
“ Within the Government we are looking for the legal and constitutional
mechanisms to allow the reelection of President Chavez in 2012”. So much for accepting the democratic will of the people!!!
despite the fact that the main spark for the rejection to the reform
was the proposal to have Chavez be reelected indefinitely, Government
spokesmen have had no qualms or shame in saying and admitting that it was
only that part of the reform that mattered. The Mayor of Liberator
District said it clearly today:
“ Within the Government we are looking for the legal and constitutional
mechanisms to allow the reelection of President Chavez in 2012”. So much for accepting the democratic will of the people!!!
That’s
it. That is all that mattered. The rest as we all knew was simply
fluff. The No did not win; the Si suffered a minor setback. For now…
it. That is all that mattered. The rest as we all knew was simply
fluff. The No did not win; the Si suffered a minor setback. For now…
And if the Government does not want to recognize the democratic victory of the No on Dec. 2nd. it is actually continuing to implement a full court press against democracy and the people. By controlling the flow of foreign currency, it has managed to shutdown newspaper Correo del Caroni in Guayana, one of the oldest in the country. What a simple way to censure, no?
Moreover, in
order to block one of the most important tools of the student movement
in its mobilizations, the telecom regulator Conatel issued this week new
regulations for SMS messages, making telcos “responsible” for the content
of SMS messages, forbidding “texts that promote crime or contain
messages which contain unsolicited information or advertising”. Just
think, one pro-Chavez student receiving the “wrong” message can stop
the whole student movement on its tracks if these regulations are
implemented. (On Dec. 2nd., the student movement sent a massive sms calling for students to go and vote at 2 PM)
order to block one of the most important tools of the student movement
in its mobilizations, the telecom regulator Conatel issued this week new
regulations for SMS messages, making telcos “responsible” for the content
of SMS messages, forbidding “texts that promote crime or contain
messages which contain unsolicited information or advertising”. Just
think, one pro-Chavez student receiving the “wrong” message can stop
the whole student movement on its tracks if these regulations are
implemented. (On Dec. 2nd., the student movement sent a massive sms calling for students to go and vote at 2 PM)
Add
to this physical attacks on Cardinal Urosa, the order to capture former Governor Enrique Mendoza who
quietly and with little visibility engineered the victory of the No in
Miranda state, Chavez suggesting he will block foreign currency to
Colombian imports if he feels like it, the spat with Guyana, ignoring
the request for an Amnesty Bill this Christmas and even suggesting that the calls for reconciliation are part of a destabilization plan and you get the picture.The No did not really win, or it just does not matter in an autocracy.
to this physical attacks on Cardinal Urosa, the order to capture former Governor Enrique Mendoza who
quietly and with little visibility engineered the victory of the No in
Miranda state, Chavez suggesting he will block foreign currency to
Colombian imports if he feels like it, the spat with Guyana, ignoring
the request for an Amnesty Bill this Christmas and even suggesting that the calls for reconciliation are part of a destabilization plan and you get the picture.The No did not really win, or it just does not matter in an autocracy.
Not much seems to have happened to Chavismo on Dec. 2nd.
But
the truth is it did. It was not a resounding victory by the opposition,
but it was a victory. Part of what was one day the pro-Chavez vote
abstained or voted against Chavismo. Add to that the opposition voters
who did not go and vote because they did not believe their vote will be
counted and the numbers may be even larger next time. Calling the
victory s h i t does not help either and neither does maintaining the
level of confrontation within and outside Venezuela.
the truth is it did. It was not a resounding victory by the opposition,
but it was a victory. Part of what was one day the pro-Chavez vote
abstained or voted against Chavismo. Add to that the opposition voters
who did not go and vote because they did not believe their vote will be
counted and the numbers may be even larger next time. Calling the
victory s h i t does not help either and neither does maintaining the
level of confrontation within and outside Venezuela.
And
the problems are not going away, shortages, inflation and crime are
still there. The change in time has turned out to be a pain in the neck
for workers getting home in the dark at 6 PM and seeing no benefit from
it. And on January 1st, there will be the conversion to the
Bolivar Fuerte, which will create only confusion in the population who
has been sold the idea that this conversion will somehow be a panacea
in which they will have the same amount of money in their pockets, but
everything will be cheaper. Sure, just wait!
the problems are not going away, shortages, inflation and crime are
still there. The change in time has turned out to be a pain in the neck
for workers getting home in the dark at 6 PM and seeing no benefit from
it. And on January 1st, there will be the conversion to the
Bolivar Fuerte, which will create only confusion in the population who
has been sold the idea that this conversion will somehow be a panacea
in which they will have the same amount of money in their pockets, but
everything will be cheaper. Sure, just wait!
But there will be no such luck and unless the autocrat admits that he suffered a significant defeat on Dec. 2nd.
and there is some form of introspection as to its causes, the future of
the Chavista process may be truly in question. If the first quarter of 2008
is spent in submitting a new constitutional reform as the Bolivar Fuerte proves to be
a failure in holding back inflation, the people will turn even more against the Government, making
the 2008 regional elections and a possible constitutional reform
referendum certain victories for the disorganized Venezuelan
opposition.
and there is some form of introspection as to its causes, the future of
the Chavista process may be truly in question. If the first quarter of 2008
is spent in submitting a new constitutional reform as the Bolivar Fuerte proves to be
a failure in holding back inflation, the people will turn even more against the Government, making
the 2008 regional elections and a possible constitutional reform
referendum certain victories for the disorganized Venezuelan
opposition.
The Devil's Excrement 
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