Caracas Chronicles

From last Friday’s Simon Boccanegra, in TalCual.

[Background: On Thursday, Jose Vicepresidente Rangel had brought together a group of family members of left-wing activists killed by the old regime in the mid-60s – almost 40 years ago – and promised to take their cases to “international instances.” Petkoff, who was on the same side as Rangel in the 60s and helped him with the human rights campaign he launched over the killings of Alberto Lovera and others back then, replies.]

What a coincidence! Just when he has some deaths of his own to cover up, José Vicente Rangel remembers the crimes of the 1960s, and exploiting the understandable pain that never ceases, brings together some family members to put up a show.

Seldom have we seen a more cynical, indecent and unscrupulous manipulation. But his mind played a trick on him. Another “lapsus brutis.” “This is not about covering up one set of deaths with another,” he said, or rather, confessed.

Unfortunately for him, that’s what everyone understood: that Rangel is trying desperately to kill Alberto Lovera for a second time to erase the traces of the crimes he is accountable for himself. After five years in power, Rangel announces he’s taking those cases to the OAS. Why wait so long? Why now and not before? Who does Rangel think he can fool with this crass manipulation? Only a fraudster could think of papering over the assassination of Eva Carrizo in Machiques, or of Zambrano in Lagunillas, with the ones that took place in former times. Or are the families of today’s cassualties responsible for the murders of yesteryear?