While democracy was taking a welcome boost in the Washington Mall, in Caracas it suffered yet another set back as we saw clearly how the repressive apparatus of the state is geared exclusively toward people that we disagree with Chavez. Criminals and people who support Chavez can exert any violent action they want as long as Chavez interests remain unperturbed. Thus today while crime keeps it rampage in Venezuela with death rates worthy of Iraq or Gaza, the government sent a disproportionate display of force to repress students marches. Elsewhere as the red shirts of Lina Ron attacked the Atheneum of Caracas (one of their many attacks this week) the police stood by (as it has been doing through all recent attacks).
And what does Chavez do today? He calls for the "bolivarian" students to march in turn, to fill up the streets and to teach the dissident students a lesson. This, three days after he told the repressive forces of his regime to use their strongest tear gas against student protests. That is right, the president of the Republic, the president of all Venezuelans is actively encouraging a group of Venezuelans to go an beat up another group of Venezuelans. For this he will be one day judged and condemned.
But that is not all: on the radio while I was enjoying an unending Caracas traffic jam I heard Chavez saying that all of those that are not for the constitutional amendment are against the country, that patriots can do nothing but vote for his reelection. Chavez was telling me that I was a traitor to the fatherland becasue I will vote NO next month. And later on, in the state radio for the youth, Activa FM, I listened in awe as a young lawyer was ranting against Israel in Gaza. In the heat of the moment he was demanding that all Jews of Venezuela support Chavez actions to break with Israel and what not. That might be acceptable but unfortunately that poor soul got confused all the time between Zionism, Judaism, Israel and the Jews and eventually came across as the ignorant fascist antisemite he is (forgive the redundancy). This around 6 PM. The antisemitism of Chavez is reaching down and deeper than expected. Now we can wait for a hate crime any time. Will gays be be next in demanding that they support the amendment? For this Chavez will also be condemned one day.
PS: more pictures of today events here. The AP report is here.
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