Caracas Chronicles

For Wednesday, March 30, 2016. Translated by Javier Liendo.

Run over by chavismo

In Táchira state, purportedly chavista students from University Institute of Agroindustrial Technology (IUT) took to the streets very early to protest the increase in the public transportation fare. Protesters seized several transport units, including a Expresos Barinas bus with which they ran over two police officers, one from the National Bolivarian Police and the other -recently graduated- from Táchira Police.

For this event 50 people were arrested in and around IUT, in a raid in which police violence was reported. In response to the chaos, the drivers’ union decided to call for an indefinite strike. Deputy Juan Carlos Palencia’s version includes that the protest was organized by the state’s Legislative Council, IUT students, members of the PSUV and even governor José Gregorio Vielma Mora himself. Palencia called for a thorough investigation on the protest and responsible parties.

Vielma condemned the deaths of the police officers, declaring his dismay at the “escalation of terrorist violence against the people,” assuring that these events were planned for days because they were talked about on social networks. The ultimate responsibility, then, falls on “media laboratories” –de la derecha, of course-, which generate a matrix of opinions. He called the protesters “disturbing”, comparing these murders with the events in Brussels and criticizing the media for not covering the story the way he wanted.

As with the news this Monday in El Marite prison, Chavismo wrestles with the truth, seeking to impose their version over the collapse. In the case of the prison, because it reveals the extent of police corruption which houses stolen cars in the penitentiary facilities; and in today’s case, because it shows the impunity that you can offer as an incentive to your own people and yet, it stumbles when confronted with evidence. Vielma Mora’s problem isn’t the media, even though he says otherwise, but two police groups who are mourning the cruel death of their fellow officers, only 21 and 25 years old. The problem is with his supporters, with deaths impossible to cover up or attribute to Colombian groups. The problem is truth.

The following video shows the exact moment when the policemen were attacked, warning, the images are disturbing:

Cadena before the game

The National Assembly ended up modifying its nondescript agenda proposed yesterday for te plenary session to include the debate and approval of the Law on Amnesty and National Reconciliation. The debate lasted over 7 hours, but it was pushed from public attention by one of Nicolás’ cadenas. He didn’t mention the 89 centimeters of water remaining before Guri collapses.

He chavismo a favor, because the arguments of its deputies against the Amnesty Law are pure nonsense. Only one deputy of the PSUV said it right: “You may approve an amnesty, but that will never represent a reconciliation.” The promise to keep the polarization is all PSUV needs. Hatred, division and enemies, are their bids to stay in power.

Nicolás ended up explicitly confirming the threat that several chavista deputies alluded to: The law will not happen because that’s what they have the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court for. And he gave marching orders to his newspapers, the headline today should be. “Criminal law approved.”

But the cadena was supposedly to tell the country that it took them 17 years to consolidate the 1st collective agreement for workers of the Ministry of Education, which again supposedly, gathers the 17 federations and unions representing the Ministry. But Nicolás spent more time justifying the closure of independent newspapers by the monopoly on paper maintained by the government, saying that “these young, growing people won’t know the printed newspaper (…) children 4 to 6 years old don’t watch television, they use networks on tablets and phones.” As if we had great connection speed, as if our newspapers closed by choice and not by the lack of allocation of paper supplies.

To conclude the cadena, he said that the most important task his government faces is “to purge” the economy of resellers, that they’ll firmly take the measures that need to be taken, because “every bourgeois parasite will be punished.” Too much irresponsibility.

Characters

Miguel Rodríguez Torres, former Minister of Interior and Justice, said he doesn’t dream of being President of the Republic but he’ll start a motivational campaign across the country to revive chavismo anyway.

He questioned the results of Operation for People’s Liberation (OLP) because criminality is at an all time high -even though Nicolás swore in a cadena that the “shoot first, ask later” approach hasn’t been applied again. In his opinion there must be “participatory democracy within Chavismo” and the party base must be consulted. If he wants to inspire others, better for him to return to the barracks. He said what he wants aloud: the presidency. He enters the field to compete with Governor Henri Falcon -who’s also convinced that he’s the one for transition-, whom I  hope is paying Rubén Blades a lot of money for using one of his songs in his vulgar propaganda.

Ombudsman Tarek William Saab is expected to go to the National Assembly next April 5, to present his memoria y cuenta for 2015. Since he didn’t attend the meeting on February 7 and most Chavismo officials have ignored their obligations with Parliament, we’ll see.

Governor of Bolivar state, Francisco Rangel Gómez, is among those who didn’t comply. He said that he wouldn’t expose himself to a media charade. A rough way to summarize the scope of the -still not properly resolved- investigation into the massacre at Tumeremo.

Nicolás appointed Antonio “El Potro” Álvarez as president of the Poliedro of Caracas, as Minister of Communication and Information, Luis José Marcano, reported on Twitter. Álvarez, who has failed as a candidate and has held the offices of Youth and Sports, will replace Desirée Santos Amaral.