Dear Yon (Update: Dear Mario!)

I am, of course, in no position to judge what the hell happened between Yon Goicoechea and the leadership of Primero Justicia. I don’t even know for a...

I am, of course, in no position to judge what the hell happened between Yon Goicoechea and the leadership of Primero Justicia. I don’t even know for a fact if he was really thrown out of the party, as reports now claim.

I do know that when the logic of unity pushes you to purge your most promising young leaders, your institutional cylinders are misfiring. Badly.

I don’t know where, precisely, the path to democracy lies in Venezuela, but if this is confirmed, I will know this: we’re not on it.

UPDATE: Primero Justicia Secretary General Tomás Guanipa is tweeting that Goicoechea has not been expelled, that it’s all part of a dirty war started at La Hojilla. Stay tuned.

UPDATE 2: It would say a lot about the government’s fears if in fact they feel the need to make up petty fights within the opposition. It would also speak volumes about their perception of Goicoechea’s potential – if they didn’t see him as a potential threat, they wouldn’t bother.

UPDATE 3: Goicoechea himself confirms he has not been expelled. Which begs the question: Mario Silva, have you no shame, sir!? (spoken in our best Keith Olbermann accent)