Caracas Chronicles

Alea jacta est.

Caius Julius Caesar

La suerte está echada. The die is cast.

However you may wish to interpret it, the fact is there’s very little time left to change the course of fate. Only an event of miraculous or catastrophic nature could modify the idea that millions of Venezuelans (of any political sign) have made themselves about this government during almost 6 years. Yes, indeed it’s been almost 6 years. On August 15th, 2004, President Chávez will have spent exactly 5.53 years in power. 5.53, you ask.

Yes, 5.53 years. That is the product of dividing the amount of days Hugo has been in power between the amount of days in a year: 2021 days/365 days pr. year = 5.53 years. It is curious that on that day, a president who keeps telling us he will be in power until 2021, arrives at exactly 2021 DAYS in power. Coincidence? Fate?

It will be 5.53 years, which began auspiciously because the lot of us bought into Chávez’s intentions and promises of taking the country ahead in peace.

That there’s violence in both sides, that both parts have degraded political discourse, that the opposition does not condemn it’s own violent radicals, that we don’t assume the reponsability of the actions of both Carmona and Ortega, that we are an embodiment of the past; are all ideas frequently presented as arguments by “ni-ni’s” and philochavistas to present the idea that the Venezuelan President should be left alone.

Well, I want to express the following:

• Violence from any source is despicable and must be abhorred
• Both parts have commited grave mistakes in their handling of the last three years.
• Again, Violence is depicable. If the opposition is responsible for it, it is even more so, because the way to go should be democratic.
• I admit that I felt a strong sympathy for the paro and its promoters at its beginning, although I understand they did not force anybody to do anything. IT must be noted though that the Venezuelan approached the Paro as if it did not exist: it was “virtual”, “inexistent”, “mediático”. Now the Paro is to blame for even the simplest things.
• I was exactly 18 years old at the 4F 1992. I voted for the first time in 1993. And I did so perfectly conscious of the responsability of the act of voting. I took the time, even as party-minded 18 year old to find out about the candidates and their agendas. In 1998 Chaves proposed change, in peace. And lied. I never belonged to any political party, and adecos and copeyanos I feel no sympathy for. But antipathy for adecos, will not drive me to support Hugo and his hate agenda

Having said all that, I decided to post this, because if it serves to convince a single “ni-ni” who believes Chavez should be left to finish his period, or a chavista who has enough doubts about the intentions of their leader, that this government is nothing but a vile lie, smoke and mirrors with everybody’s money, I’ve accomplished my task.

Again: Alea jacta est. But my undecided friend, there’s always time to reconsider: Venezuela, not its government, requires your loyalty. The future is also in your hands.

Los “civilistas” protegen a los escuálidos de si mismos