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American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

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Venezuela: Shooting in the streets

Please read the Feb. 21st post for updated information

Caracas Chronicles has harrowing videos of last night’s events:

TODAY’s MUST-READ: 19F – The Night Venezuela Finally Imploded

It gets worse. In this video, you can see the National Guard murdering a civilian in La Candelaria (at 1:52)

Sliding to Venezuelan hell

this video from reader KM in Altamira as stormtroopers drive by shooting all around!!!

From the Caracas Chronicles comments:

EVERYBODY PLEASE SHARE THIS IN YOUR FACEBOOK PAGES.
Venezuela’s president has shout douwn TV news.
Internet is the only hope for Venezuelans.
We are the media now. PLEASE SHARE. We can do something by sharing this with the world!!

Twitter: JGpunto

News media:
Prosecutors want up to 10 years in prison for Leopoldo López

The Venezuelan opposition leader was charged with the crimes of arson and damages, solicitation to crime and conspiracy. The latter is the most serious one and it is designated in the Organic Law against Organized Crime and Funding of Terrorism, punished by imprisonment for 10 years

The US & Canada bring up Venezuela at the OAS: EEUU y Canadá llevan a OEA caso de Venezuela

Fourth Venezuela Opposition Protester Dies as Demonstrations Continue
At Least Five People, Including a Government Supporter, Have Died Since Demonstrations Turned Violent Last Week

Álvaro Uribe accuses Maduro’s government of “fueling violence”
Uribe called upon the democratic world to require the release “at the earliest possible” of opposition leader Leopoldo López who turned himself into Venezuelan authorities during a demonstration in Caracas

UPDATE:
Exclusive: Read the Speech Venezuelan Opposition Leader Leopoldo López Made Before He Was Jailed

Linked to by Extrano’s alley and TeeJaw Blog. Thank you!

Linked to by Instapundit. Thank you!

Linked to by PaGunBlog. Thank you!

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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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Venezuela: Today’s headlines

The Scotsman: Venezuela: Third night of riots over dead students

WSJ: Venezuela Opposition Leader Is Sought
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said a police manhunt was under way for Leopoldo Lopez, the hard-line opposition leader behind antigovernment demonstrations that ended with three deaths.

Reuters: Venezuela frees some student protesters, unrest continues

Yahoo: Venezuela music star Dudamel targeted by opposition critics

AP: Twitter reports image blocking in Venezuela

MercoPress: Chilean president-elect Bachelet blasts Venezuelan repression and Maduro

Following the bloody events of last Wednesday, while countries such as Argentina, Cuba, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua expressed their full support for the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro, others were more cautious such as Washington and the Europe Union calling for restraint and dialogue, but Chilean president-elect Michelle Bachelet openly twitted her rejection to repression, to President Maduro and called for a plebiscite.

AFP: John Kerry says US concerned about unrest in Venezuela. Official statement here.

Twitter:
#LaSalida

Livestream: NTN24

Blogs:
Altamira then and now: a Venezuelan spring?

Cuba Training Venezuelan Armed Groups

Is This the End of Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela?
In the midst of runaway violence, inflation, and shortages of basic goods, Venezuela’s youth have taken to the streets—to take on its Orwellian government.

Video in Spanish:

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Venezuela: Street scenes UPDATED

LaSalida

Raw video from Altamira:

NTN24 report (in Spanish):

Venezuelan bloggers:
There are some tweets that illustrate the fascist nature of the Venezuelan regime.

Venezuelan Protest and Violence As Seen From Afar

The day hegemony was unleashed

Tweets: #LaSalida

UPDATE:
3 dead, 66 people injured, and 69 arrested as of the time the question was asked, and the State Dept. doesn’t know squat. Too bad the State Dept. spokeswoman didn’t read this blog before heading out for the briefing (emphasis added):

QUESTION: I have a couple of questions on Venezuela.

MS. HARF: Uh-huh.

QUESTION: I’d like to ask if you have any comment about the violent protest that took place yesterday there and the lack of coverage provided by the local TV. And also, this morning the Venezuelan foreign minister in an interview blamed an opposition politician, Leopoldo Lopez, for violence that took place yesterday and said that Lopez and his acolytes have been financed by the U.S. Government for a long time. If you please have a comment on those two points, I would appreciate it.

MS. HARF: Yeah. Well, let me see if I can get some specifics on what’s happened in the last few days. In general, when it comes to Venezuela, we’ve made clear that we’re open to having a constructive relationship with the Government of Venezuela. Quite frankly, we haven’t seen that – we have not seen that reciprocated, to be clear. So we also, I think, see a lot of conspiracy theories or rumors out there in the press about how the U.S. is interested in influencing the domestic political situation in Venezuela, which is absolutely not true. It’s not up to us to comment on internal Venezuelan politics. So I’m happy to check with our team to see if there is more specifics about the protest specifically that I’m not as familiar with, and see if we can get you something on that.

QUESTION: Okay. I would appreciate that because there were 3 dead, 66 people injured, and 69 arrested.

MS. HARF: Yeah. No, it’s a good question. And apologies that I don’t have something in front of me on that, so let me see what I can do.

QUESTION: Okay. Thanks so much.

UPDATE:
Linked to by Pirate’s Cove. Thank you!


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Is Venezuela collapsing?

My friend Ed Morrissey asks, is Venezuela on the edge of collapse?

He’s asking for good reason: Rioting, three dead, people starting to disappear.
Jorge Luis LeóN disappeared at last night’s Trigal, Valencia, protests. HELP US if you know something.

First, the headlines:
Telegraph: Army sent in to Venezuelan cities as unrest prompts coup warning
President Nicolás Maduro claims ‘fascist’ opponents orchestrated protest violence that claimed three lives as part of plan to overthrow government

Under the slogan “The Exit”, meaning the departure of Mr Maduro from power, hardline opposition groups have for the last fortnight been staging protests over the country’s searing crime, corruption, rampant inflation and shortages of basic goods.

But Leopoldo López, the opposition leader now in hiding from an arrest warrant on charges of homicide and conspiracy, said the government had instigated the bloodshed in order to discredit his peaceful movement.

The opposition blames armed pro-government militant groups known as “colectivos” for attacking their marches. Several times during Wednesday’s rally the cry went up: “The colectivos are coming!”, sending some demonstrators running for safety. One of those killed was a well-known colectivo leader from “January 23”, an impoverished hillside barrio in Caracas that is a key revolutionary stronghold.

WSJ: Venezuela Moves to Quell Protests
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s administration deployed security forces and demanded that demonstrators seek permission before protesting.
WaPo: Venezuelan officials order arrest of opposition leader
Leopoldo López faces murder and terrorism charges after protests that left three people dead Wednesday.
NYT: Prominent Opposition Leader in Venezuela Is Blamed for Unrest
El Universal: Venezuelan president: Taking NTN24 off the air was a State decision
Miami Herald: Opposition fears witch hunt as Venezuelan government vows to crack down on protest leaders

And CSM makes a point (emphasis added): Venezuela: Could protesters’ deaths hurt fractured opposition? (+video)
Thousands of protesters came out nationwide yesterday to call for Venezuela’s President Maduro to step down, but the death of at least two people could give the government the upper hand.

Despite both political camps trading blame, observers warn that the recent antigovernment push to take to the streets could backfire on the fractured opposition. The unrest could offer the Maduro administration a welcome diversion from the slew of problems plaguing Venezuela.

“The government is in the best position to take advantage of the situation,” says political analyst Luis Vicente Leon, head of the Caracas-based polling firm Datanalisis. “The violence provides a scapegoat for the crises at hand.”

Back to Ed’s question, is Venezuela on the edge of collapse?

Venezuela “collapsed” into a Communist state guided by Castro’s Cubans years ago. For years after Hugo Chavez declared himself a Marxist, I have documented the corruption and chaos, the expropriations of private property, the Chavista takeover of the media, and their control of all Venezuelan institutions: the military, the judiciary, the legislative, and the state governments, not just the presidency.

While Venezuela’s oil production has severely declined over the years, oil is still hovering the $100/barrel magical number. Yes, Venezuelan oil is heavier, etc, etc. The fact remains that Venezuela still is an oil producer, and the USA’s misguided energy policies add to Venezuela’s coffers.

Venezuela’s also an ally of Iran, another oil producer that has managed to retain a repressive totalitarian regime, even in spite of UN sanctions.

The Cuban puppet masters are the most effective propaganda masters in the history of the Western world. They will make the revolting students (all puns intended) the bad guys.

But the fact remains that the students are going it alone: Not one country in our hemisphere, let alone the world, has publicly expressed support. Most importantly, no one in Venezuela’s military appears to be behind them.

So, to answer Ed’s question, no, Venezuela is not collapsing. It is well down the road to repression. The current regime will continue for many years to come, be it with Maduro, or Cabello, or someone else at the presidency.

And I pray to God I’m wrong.

UPDATE
Related:
Cuba Moves In for the Kill


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