The Devil's Excrement

CNE just announced an additional day for the other side to propose a solution for the confrontation of those that did sign. CNE Director Jorge Rodriguez says Carter Center has played a role facilitating during the afternoon the dialogue between the various sides in the dispute. He avoided touching on what is being discussed but the said the confirmation process for the signatures can be improved or be perfected.

Everyone is on the ground in Plaza Altamira as the National Guard, according to TV stations is shooting real bullets from all directions.

Luis Manuel Esculpi of the Coordinadora Democratica is saying there are 70 political prisoners taken in Caracas and 30 more in Anzoategui state. The count comes from that of the lawyers assisting the Coordinadora. He said that the Coordinadora will not make any announcement until after the CNE makes the expected announcemnet tonight. Add to this eighteen from Barquisimeto and twelve in Maracaibo.

Right now images of Altamira Square appear to be something like what you see on TV from the Gaza strip. Before, the tanks would advance a little to push people back. Now, tanks from the military police advance all the way up to the square going by residential areas that are now full of smoke and tear gas. The people don’t budge, the crowd is growing, so is the violence and the threat of violence.

In Caricuao, extreme West of Caracas, people protest and the National Guard uses tear gas on them. This is part of the well-behaved citizens explicitly mentioned by the Minister of Defense in his speech today were not koining the protest.  Will add pictures when possible taken from TV.

Concern: There continue to be reports of people being jailed without explanation, taken to military facilities and denied access to lawyers. The two bodyguards of a Mayor jailed on Friday have even been taken to a jail for common criminals, I get lists of people “missing”, taken and not released. I only know myself one person who was taken away last night from Altamira square and had a gun on himself. He was taken to a military fort and turned over to a civilian Court today.

Concern and Parody: The Government continues to report that only in certain areas of the country or city, where the upper classes live, are the protests taking place. However, not only did the Mayor of Caracas (pro-Chavez) contradict the Minister of Defense on this, but I am getting reports of protests and tear gas in Petare, Catia, La Silsa and Horizonte, not exactly upper class enclaves. (Right now in Petare the municipal police and the Disip (political police) are using tear gas on the crowd.

Parody: The Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.S. held a press conference in Washington where he said that what Chavez said yesterday about Bush and cutting off oil supplies to the U.S. was “only” meant to be a message to Venezuelans and not meant to be a real threat.  The Ambassador said that he would send a note to the U.S. State Department explaining this.

This just in: The radio reports that the Valle-Coche highway was closed down and Bolivarian Circles came down to open it and were repelled by protesters.

Ave. Fuerzas Armadas was shutdown, the National Guard came and were “bombed” with glass water bottles from a building without lights.

Concern: There continue to be reports of people being jailed without explanation, taken to military facilities and denied access to lawyers. The two bodyguards of a Mayor jailed on Friday have even been taken to a jail for common criminals, I get lists of people “missing”, taken and not released. I only know myself one person who was taken away last night from Altamira square and had a gun on himself. He was taken to a military fort and turned over to a civilian Court today.

Concern and Parody: The Government continues to report that only in certain areas of the country or city, where the upper classes live, are the protests taking place. However, not only did the Mayor of Caracas (pro-Chavez) contradict the Minister of Defense on this, but I am getting reports of protests and tear gas in Petare, Catia, La Silsa and Horizonte, not exactly upper class enclaves. (Right now in Petare the municipal police and the Disip (political police) are using tear gas on the crowd.

Parody: The Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.S. held a press conference in Washington where he said that what Chavez said yesterday about Bush and cutting off oil supplies to the U.S. was “only” meant to be a message to Venezuelans and not meant to be a real threat.  The Ambassador said that he would send a note to the U.S. State Department explaining this.

This just in: The radio reports that the Valle-Coche highway was closed down and Bolivarian Circles came down to open it and were repelled by protesters.

Ave. Fuerzas Armadas was shutdown, the National Guard came and were “bombed” with glass water bottles from a building without lights.

David Graullera’s mother sent these pictures of what the National guard did to his son, Saturday night. David was not even particpating in the protest, he was driving up the Panamerican highway when he found the way blocked by the protest. A Guardasked him to get out of the car and sht at him with plastic bullets twice. The first shot was on his back (left), the second three inches away from his leg right) He says the whole in his leg is about half an inch.

David Graullera’s mother sent these pictures of what the National guard did to his son, Saturday night. David was not even particpating in the protest, he was driving up the Panamerican highway when he found the way blocked by the protest. A Guardasked him to get out of the car and sht at him with plastic bullets twice. The first shot was on his back (left), the second three inches away from his leg right) He says the whole in his leg is about half an inch.

Simply put, why the opposition objects the CNE’s decision, which is wht Sobella Mejias argued today:

1)      It was not illegal, according to the regulations written by this CNE to fill out the data for the person signing the petition. In fact, it explicitly says the signature is the only part that has to be filled by the person signing.

2)      It changes the law; the procedure proposed by the CNE, puts the burden of proof on the person that already signed to demonstrate that it did. That was the objective of the petition drive. People were asked for their ID cards, there were CNE observers and opposition witnesses. The forms were tightly controlled by the CNE.

3)      The regulations contemplate that people will be able to participate in the correction process only if one of two possibilities occur: 1) If the CNE made a material error. 2) If the person appears signing the petition but did not. The forms with the same calligraphy do not fall in any of these two categories.

Simply put, why the opposition objects the CNE’s decision, which is wht Sobella Mejias argued today:

1)      It was not illegal, according to the regulations written by this CNE to fill out the data for the person signing the petition. In fact, it explicitly says the signature is the only part that has to be filled by the person signing.

2)      It changes the law; the procedure proposed by the CNE, puts the burden of proof on the person that already signed to demonstrate that it did. That was the objective of the petition drive. People were asked for their ID cards, there were CNE observers and opposition witnesses. The forms were tightly controlled by the CNE.

3)      The regulations contemplate that people will be able to participate in the correction process only if one of two possibilities occur: 1) If the CNE made a material error. 2) If the person appears signing the petition but did not. The forms with the same calligraphy do not fall in any of these two categories.