Venezuela: Erratic news
By Daniel Duquenal | Venezuela News and Views
03.07.05 | There are some days where you sort of wonder what grip on reality people do have. Reading the news of thee day as reported in Venezuela, one wonders how rare common sense and responsibility have become. In no particular order of priority.
The murdered students story in Venezuela
No major development. Since there were too many eye witnesses, the interior ministry had to fess up and arrest the brutal cops/military involved in what was plainly an execution "grupos de extermino" like ("extermination groups" as we call them delicately, existing in at least 8 Venezuelan states). This time it was a couple of dozens of hooded guys, trapping students at the wrong place at the wrong time who were trying to hide in a corner, pulled out from hiding into the middle of an empty space in a housing development and simply executed. This was too much for the neighborhood, probably expected to be terrorized and remain silent: they talked, after all.
The scandal yesterday was to see that the "suspected" cops/military were transported to the tribunal without handcuffs. I would like to remind people that in November 2004, a couple of elderly people whose son had been killed supposedly on the Danilo Anderson case (more later) were handcuffed as dangerous criminals. Then I reported, with pictures, that even if you were accused of murder, if you were associated with the governments you did get much better treatment. Nothing has changed in 6 months as Jesse "James" Chacon keeps protecting his hired guns.
A march in Caracas
In outrage, the civil society realized what has been perhaps its best march so far this year, showing that if there is a reason people can be talked into stepping out to the streets again (picture gallery, with student with a target mark on her forehead). The reason was to ask, once again, for the resignation of the general prosecutor Isaias Rodriguez, who has become perhaps the vilest and most pitiful representative of the regime. There is no doubt that the basic barrier to improve the delivery of justice in Venezuela come from his offices, only busy with protecting the regime from any action that might be taken against it.
To measure how low Rodriguez as fallen, one only needs to read his declarations where he states that Danilo Anderson assassination was only a trial run for a Chavez assassination (and his own by the way, least people forget the high concept of his persona Isaias has). This surrealist declaration would have us to believe that if Danilo Anderson assassination was a success then it would be possible to kill Chavez. One does not know whether to cry or to laugh at such nonsense. How desperate must be the government with the Anderson case investigations results, after 8 months, that it resorts to such ludicrous distracting maneuvers.
The chavista propaganda goes on, anyway
One interesting observation is that the English pro Chavez sites are rather discrete, when not completely absent, on this latest human rights violation. Except, as usual, Aporrea which demonstrates again why it is the only interesting pro Chavez site worth reading.
The government keeps his offensive inside the country or outside. For example the just installed Sao Paulo Forum demands the extradition of Posada Carriles. As if this had really some significant importance for the world today! One must admire how in spite of the sloppiness of the Venezuelan government with the Posada Carriles issue, just recently finally submitting the official extradition papers, chavismo is managing to have a large amount of people believe that the US has been stalling. An example of such silliness can even be read in the Huffington Post in one of the most misinformed posts that I have been given to read in quite a while. Just goes you to show.
This did not stop Chavez from declaring that Venezuela is willing to talk to Bush as soon as this one is willing to change the US policies. Yeah, right... he must have forgotten the campaign words of Kerry, perhaps even harsher to Chavez than anything coming from the GOP camp...
This also did not stop Chavez to declare elsewhere that the Venezuelan armed forces were reborn to fight against the empires. Darn! And a the same time we read that a new Popular Mega Mercal is held downtown Caracas and run again by the army. I supposed that when they do not sell chicken and cabbage, they plan landing in Florida....
And elsewhere
But to show that unreality exists elsewhere, for once I will comment on world news.
The live 8 concert might have been really nice, and the 8 might be about to forget 10% of Africa's debt, but as Alek remarks, no word about the responsibility of the people that created that debt. Again, as usual, bandaids will be distributed while a few on the side lines will be trying to grab whatever they can.
Meanwhile as misery seems to grow endlessly in the world the Catholic Church is devastated by the new Gay marriage in Spain, of all countries. With Canada soon joining Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, plus favored union status in many European countries and more coming soon, it is nice to see this civil rights issue falling. In Venezuela that issue is so far discretely side stepped, while suddenly abortion has come back to the forefront. Why now? The need to create a new conflict to distract from the nagging PDVSA, Anderson et al.? Or a real desire to deal with an issue that cannot be avoided anymore?
After you have read all of these, you only want to veg out in front of Cartoon Netwrok..
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