The Chavez government is trying to make a show of democratic debate for the proposed constitutional changes. Never mind that the proposals were discussed in "petit commité", never mind that Chavez reserved for himself, and him alone the time and place and content of the "reform", never mind that already the possibility of voting by article has been denied, never mind that Chavez has specified that it should all be not only discussed in block but voted in vote. Still, naively one thinks, chavismo is trying to pretend that there is debate going on in the country. For that they are organizing carefully staged shows where all the guests are chavistas and where a single opposition member tries bravely to have his voice pierce through the choreographed boos that try very hard to cover the loud speakers. Ah! the joys of participatory democracy!
But today we were in for a treat as the video below will show you.
The event was a "public event" to discuss the proposal. The guest of honor was nothing less but the ombudsman of the nation, also known as Defender of the People. The only folks that German Mundarrain ever defended were Chavez and some of his supporters caught red handed. In the hard fought contest for who will lower himself the most to suck up to Chavez, Mundarrain is in the top 5 candidates, the laughing stock of all, even within chavismo.
Well, the dear defender was there to explain why the good folk should vote straight ticket for Chavez new constitution. Unfortunately for Mundarrain, used to predictably red shows, some folks from Primero Justicia wanted to express their opinion. I mean, the nerve! In a public debate!!! The event ended up in a fist fight where the chavista extremists tried to lynch the Primero Justicia guys as the praetorian Metropolitana Police forcibly escorted out Ocariz and the local PJ leader. In the video you will treated to:
- an Ombudsman trying to shut up the 40% of the opposition that he is supposed to also defend (on TV you even see the moment where he says that he will not give anyone the right to speak, meaning obviously that he represents the official opinion)
- you will see how the chavista hordes scream at the PJ folks (fortunately for them there were actually some folks not chavistas genuinely attending and who sort of avoided the scene to be even more degrading as it was)
- you will see Ocariz confronting the mayor of Sucre and the mayor of Sucre unable to articulate anything but the same chavista line "you are here to make a show", not aware of course of how pitiful was the show he was giving to the cameras.
- the mayor pushing forcefully Ocariz as the cops take him away, and the hordes trying to get at Ocariz anyway they could (including some women more violent than anyone else)
- and more delightful fascist details
So there you have it, participatory democracy in all of its horror. And clear evidence that chavismo does not want any debate and is in a hurry to have the indigestible document approved, because it knows that the more the proposals are debated the less people will like them.
-The end-