Caracas Chronicles

Henry Ramos Allup’s gearbox has no reverse, that’s why él no arruga. Neither does he tolerate the Supreme Tribunal of Justice acting as Nicolás’s personal law firm while presuming to be the referee in the conflict between the National Assembly and the Executive Branch. The Head of Parliament says that not even the regime party wants to carry the burden of Nicolás, of this government that’s ruining Venezuela. That’s why he challenged the PSUV to pick three pollsters to evaluate the performance of the Executive Branch, the TSJ and the Assembly, and also rank him, Nicolás and Gladys Gutiérrez, on the condition that the two worst ranked should resign their posts.

Before the MUD caucus approved the Agreement to exhort compliance with the Constitution, Allup said that nobody would inhibit the Assembly from denouncing this regime’s crimes before international institutions -a posture that Luis Almagro supported in an earlier statement. He said that Nicolás keeps running from any form of electoral challenge because he knows he’ll lose, and also that they’ll keep working for a constitutional end for this regime.

The Assembly’s agreement establishes -among other things- that to guarantee the country’s peace, Nicolás must release political prisoners; accept humanitarian aid (of food and medicines, specifically); remove hate and insults from his discourse; create a common agenda for national production -against corruption and impunity- and respect Branch autonomy. Complicated, eh?

There’s enough time

Every time Henrique Capriles Radonski says “time”, Saint John’s words come to mind. This time, he only insisted that PSUV’s campaign about the impossibility to call for a referendum this year is a lie. He said that there’s enough time for both the recall and gubernatorial elections, citing presidential elections on 2013 -which were organized in 30 days- as an example.

He said that next Wednesday’s march is to demand the start of the signature validation process and repeated that nobody can forbid the people to march along the sidewalks, so that it’s clear this is a peaceful, constitutional and democratic manifestation. He demanded the Armed Forces to guarantee security and respect for the Constitution, because we all live the same catastrophe, whether we wear a uniform or not.

Meanwhile, Jorge Rodríguez (the man in charge of the signature validation process) informed, in his role of mayor, that the opposition “has no permission to march in Caracas this Wednesday,” because they didn’t request the appropriate authorisation. This must be done within 48 hours prior to the event, as per the -pretty fascist- order that no marches are allowed but the PSUVs, with the excuse of considering Caracas a “territory of peace”. Also, CNE official Tania D’Amelio posted this Tuesday night the same document she’d posted before, saying that the signature collection period is 30 days, so… you do the math.

Reverón, saner than Nicolás

Nicolás was in the National Pantheon this Tuesday afternoon to receive the remains of Armando Reverón and César Rengifo, whom he dishonored by talking about fights and battles through culture, about the war of identity to keep the flag raised and not give away glory by kneeling. He could’ve made nobler references to these artists, leaving the military fixation for another moment and honoring their work with better stories about how he met Rengifo and how he admired Reverón when he was a rocker.

He started Tuesday’s cadena enthusiastic about the relaunching of the misnamed Operation for People’s Liberation (OLP) and Caracas’ de facto militarisation. An OLP composed by 3,000 officers and 136 checkpoints, but most importantly, one in which Nicolás is willing to “risk his skin to have a peaceful country.” That’s why gave malandros 72 hours to turn themselves in. Where are they going to put all those criminals who’ll undoubtedly run to turn themselves in tomorrow, weapons and all?

You can review the report prepared by Provea about the past OLP, a terrible summary of repression, abuse of authority, human rights violations and absolute impunity for its officers. So much paja about the “repression of the 4th republic” to end up replicating the practice of oppressing innocents, increasing the amount of achievements. This Tuesday, they inspected 1300, confiscated three rifles, five grenades, 17 vehicles, 20 long weapons, 52 revolvers and several kilos of drug. Gustavo González López said this as if it wasn’t the dramatic evidence of his failure. According to Nicolás, the OLP’s purpose “is to confront, to tackle paramilitary crime and restitute peace,” because peace is built a coñazos.

He made a significant effort to remind us that he controls every State branch save for Parliament; that the victory on December 6 was circumstantial, that if the opposition wins the presidency, everyone should start a general strike. Manuel Quevedo placed the cherry on top of the cake: “They (the beneficiaries of the Gran Misión Vivienda) were worried about ownership, about the titles to their homes.” As they kept celebrating this new phase of the OLP, Pedro Durán, CICPC commissioner, was shot dead during the robbery of his motorcycle in Los Naranjos, and Nicolás calls for a great revolution through culture, the very culture he denies every time he talks.

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Our daily devaluation comes now with a Simadi exchange rate of Bs. 403,45 per dollar. This Wednesday will be a complicated day. Every PSUV spokesperson has made it clear that they’ll work as a shock brigade, that the idiocy of beneficiaries of the Great Housing Mission celebrating that they don’t own their homes is as bad an excuse as their intentions, that they want conflict and will incite it. Chavismo is a minority but they want to remind us that they have guns and impunity, that’s why the OLP is on the street, that’s why they applaud the 3,000 officers with tanks and everything, with arrests and trophies. If you’re going to march, be cautious.