Well, Maria Corina Machado was not content with her good performance on Friday and comes back to stick her finger in Hugo Chavez’ eyes with this wonderful, clear and succinct statement of why it is a “grave political error, a show of the lack of respect for Venezuela’s Armed Forces and a provocation” on Chavez’ part to name General Rangel Silva Minister of Defense.
Maria Corina then lists her very clear objections:
-General Rangel Silva’s administrative performance in previous positions has been put into question.
-There have been accusations and indications internationally about presumed links between irregular groups, this has to be cleared up.
-As a Venezuelan it is unacceptable, it is a mockery to the people of Venezuela for a General to say that he does not plan to recognize the will of the majority by their votes in the most important elections of the country’s history.
What will Hugo say this time: You have called me a provocateur!
To which she could answer, No Mr. President in this case, I am the provocateur!
The Devil's Excrement 
January 22, 2012 at 2:55 am
Según la precandidata, Rangel Silva no representa a la institucionalidad militar y su nombramiento irrespeta a la oficialidad digna, que es la inmensa mayoría. Ella quiere que Chávez le responda a la Nación qué pretende dejando a Rangel Silva en ese cargo. Aseguró que este gobierno ha perdido el sentido de la decencia, porque el Presidente nombra a un funcionario con graves acusaciones en su contra y ninguno de los poderes públicos se pone en alerta.
“Pareciera que Chávez tiene simpatía por los perfiles criminales. ¿Cómo puede entonces este gobierno garantizar la integridad de la Nación? ¿Cómo puede garantizar a los venezolanos la seguridad? Rangel Silva está completamente incapacitado para comandar a la Fuerza Armada Nacional”, afirmó Machado.
“Este gobierno no solo se ha robado nuestras propiedades, sino que también se ha robado nuestra tranquilidad y la confianza en nuestras instituciones”, agregó.
Again, Maria Corina Machado got it right. This is what all Venezuelans should be asking Chavez- Why?
January 21, 2012 at 5:01 pm
Not only she but all of the others running for president and those around them have been brave in their own way and at various times in the campaign.
Think of this as a Bullfight. First come the Picadores then the Banderilleros taking turns to poke, and tease the bull into confusion.
Soon the Matador (in this case) will be chosen to lead the attack. From what we have seen so far, most of the others will watch his back and continue to provide distractions. The most important question is whether a significant number of Venezuelans will stand behind them. For this is a very nasty bull with a lot of bull buddies who have no intention of loosing in the Plaza.
January 21, 2012 at 7:00 am
She is one brave woman. If she was a he, she would be arrested or dead already.
January 20, 2012 at 4:02 pm
OT, message to Canuck:
Aren’t these the Brazilians who had problems from the border until Margarita?
http://www.eluniversal.com/sucesos/120120/ministerio-publico-investiga-robo-a-40-turistas-brasileros-en-margarit
January 21, 2012 at 8:28 am
Could well be – it was at a car wash very close to the event.
We own a posada & have had many great Brazilian guests over the years including this year.
Our experience is that Brazilians as a group are VERY careful to an extreme with their money when it comes to accommodations. Many decisions are made based on this one dominant factor.
The case you linked to is a prime example. The location has virtually no security – you can easily jump over the wall or through the open gate. The owners were not present & refuse to reimburse the tourists with the balace of their stay when they all decided to return to Brasil according to news reports.
While no amount of security can prevent determined thieves this was a predictable event given the current conditions in Venezuela.
What’s really annoying is that Morel Rodriguez, the governor, needs to be replaced. There should have been a primary in Nueva Esparta to give a younger candidate a chance to revitalize our Island. The MUD decided to hand it back to him. He’ll still win because Chavismo has no chance here however it’s left a bad taste.
January 21, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Thanks, IC. Yeah, my sense is that adeco has to go. He has been there for ages and for what I hear, he doesn’t seem to be very clever. It’s so sad we don’t have primaries in every state. We would need that in Carabobo. If we had, our state would be absolutely secure. Now it is not.
January 19, 2012 at 11:20 pm
Pablo Perez is taking a different tack.
Promising “amnesty” -no persecucion of anyone in Chavez government.
Relating to what Maria Corina Machado pointed out about General
Rangel-today US Asst. Secretary of State ”
Nosotros (en Estados Unidos) siempre hemos apuntado a asegurarnos de que ningún país apoye a las FARC, que es una entidad terrorista”, =
Venezuela -by appointing General Rangel to Defense head- implies direct
support for FARC. This has never been done before by any government in this hemispere and is totally unacceptable.
January 19, 2012 at 11:03 pm
If she were to win the primaries, Chavez would no longer put up with her.. I think.
January 19, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Related topic:
This is an example of a very good editorial article today on LaPatilla
http://www.lapatilla.com/site/2012/01/19/guillermo-a-zurga-los-que-elegimos-a-hugo-chavez/
January 19, 2012 at 4:25 pm
MCM is now the caring revolutionary. Chavez is the untrustworthy corrupt lying thief who is out-of-touch with the people.
This is the time to turnaround Chavez’ theme and use it against him. Chavez will have nothing left but the emperor’s invisible clothes.
January 19, 2012 at 1:19 pm
Well, it seems that Maria Corina has more “balls’ than all of the other opposition guys combined.
They should all “unite” a lot more to beat Chavez. And they should call him a “coward” every day, anti-democratic, for avoiding fair debates before the elections.
I would DRILL on that every day, “Chavez tiene Miedo, y porque?!”
He would get murdered on a nationally televised debate, with equal time for all. and he knows it.
January 19, 2012 at 11:38 am
Dale palante mujer! Where are the other MUD candidates? No one, other than perhaps Aria, has the cojones to confront Hugito’s criminal acts. And yet everyone thinks that Maria is not electable. I don’t get it.
January 19, 2012 at 12:36 pm
They just have different styles and that you should understand, that is what democracy is.
If MCM is being very straight forward, that is entirely up to her. I would be very concerned for her safety after the primaries.
the other candidates have chosen a different way which is IGNORE the idiot and keep working. that is what I would have done, mostly because Chavez likes to provoke people to then mock and humiliate them after they react. That is, in my opinion, why the opposition haven’t been able to break in for so many years.
If MCM prefers to confront him, good for her. The results we’ll see in a month.
January 19, 2012 at 1:59 pm
But, as Miguel pointed out, it is Maria who is doing the provoking and not Chavez. She’s taking the lead just like the little boy who shouted “the emperor has no clothes.”
January 19, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Carolina,
Ignoring is the usual option in Venezuela and it never works
When you ignore political opponents lies they tends to work against you.The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
January 19, 2012 at 7:10 pm
I guess we’ll see in a month. It seems to be working for HCR…
I agree he will have to face Chavez at some point if he wins, but I doubt he will attack him personally. he will focus on the government and what has been done (or haven’t..).
We will see.
January 19, 2012 at 7:57 am
Maria Corina is in an interesting position. If Chavez has her jailed, or silenced in some way, she will instantly become a cause célèbre, both nationally and internationally. So, for now, he can’t touch her. However, in order to maintain her immunity, she will have to remain fiercely in the public eye. If she is forgotten about for a second, she is toast. Therefore, she HAS to keep up the attacks.
January 19, 2012 at 11:46 am
O/T but when the Interim President Roberto Micheletti was running the government in Honduras and Zelaya had left the country, Maduro was running everywhere with Patricia Rodas, etc. Chavez sent instructions along with money and weapons to the “communist rebels” in Honduras and instructions
to “attack like bees”…
This is what the opposition and all concerned citizens should do in
Venezuela- “attack like bees” -Chavez’s bare skin and his chavista
automatrons likewise -aim for bare skin!!
January 19, 2012 at 11:53 am
You bet he (HC) can touch her, just the same way Baduel was “touched”: put in jail with no official charges made (someone correct me if I’m wrong on this). Or, MCM could be silenced just the same way La Profesora (Marta Colomina) was, after being threatened in every possible way. Basically, as it’s been said over and over (in this blog and many other places) in Venezuela right now there’s no estado de derecho.
January 19, 2012 at 11:58 am
Yeah, but it would be to her advantage if HC tried something before February 12th.
January 19, 2012 at 12:10 pm
does the government provide her bodyguards? she needs two or more
January 20, 2012 at 4:44 am
What kind of question is that? Are you kidding?
THIS government provide a figure like her with bodyguards?
Where you been, Dave?
January 21, 2012 at 6:48 pm
This government would be tap-dancing if something catastrophic were to happen to MCM.
January 22, 2012 at 1:29 pm
she’s a congresswomen, sorry for not knowing the answer. As a “diputada” does she get protection? I dont live down there Roberto. If the State pays for them, there is the possibility they are double-agents trained to spy and report. If I where MCM’s manager, chief of staff, head of security; she would get armored vehicle and stylish armored clothing from Colombia. She seems exposed. Reminds me of Bhutto.
January 22, 2012 at 1:39 pm
a scenario that has you co-existing with State provided bodyguards creates extra challenges but nothing new.
January 22, 2012 at 1:44 pm
any notion that MCM is untouchable is BS. Venezuela has a rich tradition of assassinations and bombings.
January 19, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Baduel was jailed on some charges of misappropriation of funds or some such. It was a smoke screen, but they did make an effort to create an excuse.
January 22, 2012 at 1:31 pm
and they came close to hitting him and his kid(s) many times. It did help that Baduel and co. where well armed
January 22, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Related: Marta Colomina would be dead if not for her bodyguard
January 19, 2012 at 7:43 am
It will be interesting to see if Chavez reacts to MCM’s comments.
If I was an adviser I would tell him to just ignore it.
Here in Venezuela new news is old news very quickly.
January 19, 2012 at 8:06 am
In politics, you can’t ignore any comments directed to you, especially on a campaign; to do so means you agree or accept at face value the comment.
January 19, 2012 at 12:34 am
Miguel, I wish my Spanish was better, because I’ve seen other parodies using that Hitler clip and they were hilarious.
BTW:
My wife is still a Resident Alien with a recently expired VZ passport. What the hell do we do now? Do we have to go to New Orleans to get it renewed, or is there a possibility that the U.S. and other governments will make certain exceptions for this situation?
After all, in all of the U.S., the South Florida VZ population is the largest.
I’m also thinking that maybe a trip to VZ (for her, not me) is in order, but would they even let her in?
January 19, 2012 at 4:22 am
Can you visit a US immigration office and get a US passport for her?
January 19, 2012 at 6:52 am
It’s time for your wife to get her US citizenship!!!
January 19, 2012 at 7:41 am
With most embassies you can renew your passport by courier.
Can you not do that with the Washington Embassy?
January 19, 2012 at 8:05 am
You need to go to the COnsulate on Houston and get a axtension, it’s basically a stamp on the back of the passport that says the expiration date is extended for a certain ammount of time (usually a year). This is what my sister did. Keep in mind, though, that the personnel at the consulate behave as they do in each and every government-run institution here in Venezuela.
January 18, 2012 at 11:19 pm
If you want to laugh a little:
January 18, 2012 at 10:36 pm
As Mahatma Gandhi said “all dictators come to an end”
All it take is for someone to say the dictator has no clothes, Maria Corina Machado said it to Chavez, in her own way, as did Joseph Welch to Joseph McCarthy: “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”.
So ended McCarthyism, will we look back in years to come and make the same analogy with Chavez?
January 18, 2012 at 10:19 pm
MCM otra Marta Colomina?
January 19, 2012 at 11:46 am
I thought exactly the same.
February 5, 2012 at 6:28 am
I think Marta Colomina did not go soooooooo far with her proposal, this means you can not compare the level of COURAGE, our political moment is the hardest ever.
January 19, 2012 at 10:19 pm
No creo. MCM habla más claro y sin tanto sensacionalismo.
January 18, 2012 at 10:02 pm
This is simply common sense, honesty which the Press writers seem to find impossible to describe these days. You stated these things previously
right here. Chavez is loaded with more baggage than the Queen when she is preparing for a month-long road trip. ANd yet, Chavez takes on even more baggage.
As I mentioned elsewhere- the Venezuelan military is “top-heavy, bloated with useless Generals. Why so many, and a huge cost to Venezuela.
Big thanks again to Maria Corina Machado for bringing to the headlines today something that should have already been there.
Expose Chavez everyday, everwhere he goes, everytime he speaks and every time his minions do as well.
January 19, 2012 at 9:35 am
BRAVO!!
January 19, 2012 at 2:38 pm
ditto…well said Charles
January 18, 2012 at 9:35 pm
Ajá! ¿Cómo te quedó el ojo?