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Venezuela: What’s happening today #18F #PrayForVenezuela

6:50PM EST:
Full crackdown on opposition leadership: Judge issues arrest warrant on Carlos Vecchio, Voluntad Popular [People’s Will] Party leader (Leopoldo Lopez’s party).

It’s Happening Again. Communism Fails.

Linked by Rick Moran at American Thinker. Thank you!

5:55PM EST:
Female student shot in the head, several wounded as demonstrators were attacked by the National Guard.

5:50PM EST:
Leopoldo López under custody of the GNB [Bolivarian National Guard] 12:28PM. He will be in court later today. UPDATE: The hearing has been rescheduled for tomorrow at noon.

For Venezuelan Regime, the Party’s Over

5:30PM EST:
Arrest warrant issued for Maria Corina Machado.

NTN24 not livefeeding anymore.

Question of the Day in Venezuela: “Where Are We Going, and What’s With the Handbasket?”

US Lawmakers Call for Embargoing Venezuela Oil Imports

“I commend the students and their supporters for courageously speaking out against the Maduro regime that seeks to undermine democracy and violate human rights,” said Ros-Lehtinen, who along with Representative Albio Sires (D-NJ) introduced bipartisan legislation, House Resolution 1687 – Countering ALBA Act of 2013, urging the President to sanction persons of ALBA nations, who the President determines are responsible for serious human rights abuses against citizens of ALBA countries. The bill also directs the Secretary of State to transmit a comprehensive strategy to ensure that ALBA nations are democratic governments committed to making constitutional changes that would ensure regular free and fair elections and the full enjoyment of basic civil liberties and human rights by the citizens of ALBA countries; and have made demonstrable progress in establishing independent judiciaries and electoral councils.” target=”_blank”>U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, asked Secretary of State John Kerry to reduce oil imports from Venezuela and to direct the Permanent U.S. Representative at the Organization of American State (OAS) to call for a special session to discuss the ongoing Venezuelan crisis.
…
“I commend the students and their supporters for courageously speaking out against the Maduro regime that seeks to undermine democracy and violate human rights,” said Ros-Lehtinen, who along with Representative Albio Sires (D-NJ) introduced bipartisan legislation, House Resolution 1687 – Countering ALBA Act of 2013, urging the President to sanction persons of ALBA nations, who the President determines are responsible for serious human rights abuses against citizens of ALBA countries.

The bill also directs the Secretary of State to transmit a comprehensive strategy to ensure that ALBA nations are democratic governments committed to making constitutional changes that would ensure regular free and fair elections and the full enjoyment of basic civil liberties and human rights by the citizens of ALBA countries; and have made demonstrable progress in establishing independent judiciaries and electoral councils.

4:00PM:
SANCTION THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENT NOW

The protests are not just about inflation, scarcity and poverty that now characterize the Venezuelan economy but also about repression and lack of freedom.

In addition, it is about the soul of the Venezuelan nation. Demonstrators have become totally convinced that there is no electoral exit to a regime that turns more and more oppressive as time goes by. Maduro, like Hugo Chavez before him, aims at perpetuating his power and exercising total control over the Venezuelan state and society. The Venezuelan Government secured the loyalty of the military to its despotic rule and has repressed trade unions, the media, business and professional associations. It politicized every corner of Venezuela rewarding loyalist and sycophants and destroying, exiling and blocking opponents.

The military has no problem in watching how Venezuelans are being killed by the paramilitary. As Venezuelan journalist Nelson Bocaranda revealed more than a year ago, Venezuelan and Cuban generals agreed that they would protect the Bolivarian government even by carrying out a self-coup.

HRF Condemns Arrest of Opposition Leader Leopoldo López

Linked to by The Universal Spectator. Thank you!

3:19PM EST:
Now the rumors start: “Is López being taken to Cuba?”

3:07PM EST:

Great post with photos: The deed is done: with Lopez in regime’s hands, it is worse for them; López had no choice but to turn himself in.

An interesting question: Is Capriles following the Pope’s advice?

Venezuelan President’s Public Enemy No. 1: Harvard-Educated Leader Leopoldo Lopez

More photos.

Photo from earlier today:

Linked to by Instapundit. Thank you!

2:45PM Photo of the pro-López rally:
Impressive photo of El Rosal courtesy of @ivanna_hurtado

Maduro is speaking to rally of red shirts. “The greatest oil reserves on Earth was rescued by Comandante Chávez”.
I wish the US would end buying or refining Venezuelan oil.

12:05PM EST El Universal confirms that Leopoldo López turned himself in to the National Guard

Another livefeed from Chacaito.

11:57AM EST: NTN24 is trying to confirm rumors that Leopoldo López has been arrested.

11:34AM: López speaks to the crowd. Most wear white. “I’ll never leave Venezuela.”

11:25AM: [FOTO] SE DIRIGE HACIA LA MARCHA: ¡Leopoldo López ya está en la calle!

FB photos.

The people LOST THEIR FEARS in Chacaito and PUSH a water cannon that meant to intimidate

11:00AM:
NTN24 reports some power outages, Metro stations are closed, an opposition crowd is gathering at Plaza Brión while waiting for Leopoldo López, surrounded by police. Oil industry union members are being bused in for a Chavista counter-demonstration.

Today’s hashtag is #18F

10:30AM EST
Today Leopoldo López will lead a march, and then go to the Ministry of Interior and Justice to hand a petition and hand himself in:

First, solidarity from Princeton U professor Robert George,

 

Blogs:
VN&V and Leopoldo Lopez

COHA’s disgraceful report on Venezuela

Showdown in Caracas

Throwing strikes and worrying about your family back in Venezuela

Venezuela’s Cuba-backed dictatorship lashes out at opposition as it braces for massive protest march today

News:
Livestream from NTN24:

Venezuela’s El Universal: PROTESTS IN VENEZUELA
Gov’t supporters gather in north Caracas to attend demonstration
The presidential palace of Miraflores, downtown Caracas, has been militarized as well as most areas in the Venezuelan capital

WSJ: Venezuela Expels U.S. Diplomats
President Nicolás Maduro’s government, facing a growing challenge from protesters, on Monday ordered three U.S. diplomats out of the country after accusing them of organizing students to destabilize the state.

Drudge:

VENEZUELA ON THE BRINK…

Chile’s El Mostrador: Régimen usa el sistema penal para reprimir a opositores, señala José Miguel Vivanco
Director de Human Rights Watch confirma brutalidad policial, cerco informativo y violaciones a los DD.HH. en Venezuela

Puerto Rico’s NotiUno: Another student killed, Muere otro estudiante durante jornada de protesta en Venezuela

Puerto Rico’s NotiUno: Independence party head Rubén Berríos takes Cuba’s side against the protestors, which comes as no surprise, Rubén Berríos defiende gobierno venezolano

USA Today: Venezuelan security forces raid major opposition base
Offices of Popular Will party were stormed on Monday by what appear to be security forces.

Miami Herald: Venezuela braces for dueling protests amid U.S. diplomatic ouster
Opposition leader Leopoldo López is planning to lead a march Tuesday that many suspect could end in his arrest. The demonstration comes just hours before three U.S. diplomats will be forced to leave the country amid allegations that they fueled student discontent.


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Comments

  1. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen’s call for embargo could be disastrous to about 10 U.S. Gulf Coast refiners until Keystone XL is completed. Canadian and Venezuelan crudes are similar and in quantities not really found elsewhere in the world. These refineries are configured for very heavy and heavy crude oil. Any change would affect their ability to operate at capacity as well as having to declare force majeure on certain products. Gasoline production DOESN’T MAKE ANY PROFIT these days.

  2. Is it possible that the crucial act will be the decision on what to do with Lopez? And that he made that calculation?

  4. There are always unscrupulous people who want to harm causes, but the Venezuelan people have suffered long enough. Ya basta con Maduro.

  5. I fully agree – Maduro has to be taken down, and hard. It’s unfortunate that Chavez died before he could suffer that humiliation, and even worse that Fidel will likely slip away before Communist Cuba falls.

    It’s intriguing to me though that in the photo at top, showing Lopez under arrest as he is taken away in the helicopter, he is talking on the helicopter’s radio. The state police have a strangely loose interpretation of what it means to place a political opponent under apprehension.

  7. In the 1980’s Reagan had Saudi Arabia increase oil production to drop the price and hurt the USSR’s cash cow. Why can’t we allow Keystone XL to be completed to kill Venezuela’s cash cow? Canadian heavy blend and Venezuelan crudes are all the same type of crude oil which are used by several very major Gulf Coast refineries. Other crude oils cannot economically replace them.

  8. Wow.
    I’ll remember Venezuela in my prayers.
    Keep up the good work, personal crisis have been keeping me from following political issues but this is important.
    I’ll keep you and your(?) nation in my prayers, I hope you don’t mind Protestant ones.