He had me at "¿A quién va a convencer Ud. encerrándose en su propia calle?"

By
Francisco Toro
-
0

Henrique Capriles’s speech at today’s march deserves to be listened to in full. The sheer relief of having somebody take charge and lead, damnit, was overwhelming for me.

His message is crystal clear. Listen, in particular, at 10:50:

I ask those who are protesting not to lock yourselves up with your own people. What good does it do to lock yourself up on your own street? Who are you going to convince locking yourself in on your own street when everyone there is already convinced? It’s in the government’s interest for the protests to be in Altamira rather than in Catia, and every day, come nightfall, they stoke that protest in Altamira.

Then, at 15:51, he makes Juan’s day, by writing a list.

A hugely important step forward.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

1 COMMENT

  2. Is “Capriles List” forthcoming here in English?

    I’m curious to know if it’s all about what the opposition should be doing now and going forward, along with what they can expect in return if they go the ‘active non-violent’ (I suppose) route.

    Anything on the list that could be considered a “demand” (or request – if demand is too strong a word) directed the regime’s way?

    /passive-aggressive comment

    • 1. Release all the students in prison, and amnesty for anyone who has been convicted or has had charges pressed.

      2. Release of Leopoldo Lopez

      3. Release of Ivan Simonovis

      4. Amnesty for political exiles

      5. Disarm the paramilitary groups. Set a date to verify the disarmament in all

      6. Bipartisan Truth Comission (GPP-. MUD) to investigate the death of protestors

      7. Stop the brutal repression against the people.

      8. Demilitarize Tachira, let foodstuff and other supplies enter Tachira.

      Then there’s more stuff like rolling back Castro-Communism inspired economic measures, solving the crime problem, step up or step down, etc. But those are more part of the speech than the list.

      • The “more stuff” is really what’s going to make a difference for the future of the students/Country; the 8 “demands” , with the exception of disarming the paramilitary groups (which the Government wont/probably can’t do, no matter what they say), will just get the Country back to square 1 before the protests started, with no change to the vast economic/social/institutional problems afflicting the entire population.

      • Thanks J.

        I’m not exactly optimistic that Maduro will respond to Capriles List by saying ‘You know what, we were thinking along the same lines, thanks for clarifying, we’ll get right on it’.

        Did HCR say anything about what the opposition should or can do do if the regime ignores a couple of, a few, most or all of the list?

        What did HCR actually ask of the opposition? (besides ‘chill’, I reckon, ‘or give peace another chance’)

        It’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle, especially when you can’t come up with a good reason why he should.

        (p.d. obviously time to dust off my Rosetta Stone cd’s)

        • Of the opposition? He asked us to desist from guarimbas, have non-violent discipline, to be political activists and reach out to those unconvinced, to get back on message (the issues).

          One of his best quotes, was regarding the Federal Governance Council, which serves a caucus where all State Governors and the National Government coordinate policies and budget priorities.

          Maduro had summoned a Federal Governance Council, in a disrespectful way, which meant no opposition governor attended, with 12F so close and unresolved. Maduro used that “slight” he provoked to justify the rejection of every project proposed by an Opposition Governor.

          Yesterday Maduro summoned another for next Monday and the opposition hadn’t replied. Oh did HCR respond, he said “I’m going to go the FGC, Nicolas, but if you don’t let me speak on national cadena, I’ll leave you there”

        • I love your statement. Thart is exactly the spirit. HCR might have good ingentions and ideas, but they won’t just work with the power-hungry-narco government we are dealing with. Following the legal channels and waiting has not exactly worked our for HCR or the Country so far, has it?

          • Exactly… I sometimes wonder if he has sold out, because he has really not supported Leopoldo, and even called him immature on an interview on CNN, and now it seems to me like he wants to get people to go home, and stop the protests. Antidemocratic regimes don’t leave power peacefully.

          • So, You and miss Izaguirre upthere propose to follow the “non-legal channels” and get rid of the Chavistas “warfully”?
            If so, are you fully aware of the consequences of that?
            Can you give us a picture of any plan to do that with a best and worst case scenario and the “what next” in case of victory and defeat?
            I believe is a perfectly valid position, but I don’t share it, and if you want to convince me to join you I would like to see at least a more complete plan than “guarimbear until the tyrants fall”.

          • What has Capriles achieved for us??? He writes little notes, screams at Maduro, but what have been some concrete solutions that he has provided? We can’t really rely on the CNE because lets be honest It’s corrupt and controlled by Maduro. We can’t rely on the MP because it’s also controlled by Maduro and let’s not forget the Cubans who have infiltrated our government and armed forces. So tell me, what would you like to happen? Yes in an ideal country you can try the legal route, and follow HCR’s plan, and it would work, but have you realized who we are dealing with here? So maybe the guarimba’s aren’t perfect, but I refuse to sit in my home waiting for a miracle. I will defend my country against the Cuban invasion that we are currently having. Look at where we are after 15 years of apathy, peacefully voting, and following the “legal” channels. I am not willing to let another 5 years go by until the next presidential elections in hopes that maybe just maybe HCR wins. No way Jose. Venezuela doesn’t have another 5 years to waste. The streets have proven to upset this regime, and now the world knows what this “government” is capable of. I do believe that we are a lot closer to the end of this nightmare than we were a month ago.

          • We haven`t won any presidential election in 15 years. We have always lose the legal way and now we want the power by violent ways.

  4. How can any police force justify the actions in these videos?
    National Guard breaking car windows:

    Armored carrier destroying cars:

  8. Lo mas arrecho de esto, es que es un discurso con la capacidad de calmar los animos y acabar con la guarimba y gracias a la hegemonia comunicacional, no sera distribuido. Sera que Venevision o Televen estaran pidiendo permiso para transmitirlo?

    • I lost all faith in Venevisión when they butchered the Pepsi Music Event to cut every calls to end violence. Venezuelan artists had intended to channel (in a civic non-partisan way) the grief after the murder of Caramelos de Cianuro’s manager Libero Iaizzo as a homage to curb on violence.

      So I’d be surprised if Cisneros were to broadcast this speech.

  11. I listened to the whole speech; what a great speaker HCR is, and what a motivational speech, at that! What’s not to love about it?

    • His “motivational” speech calls for people to stop resisting, and go through “legal” channels, but there is no justice in Venezuela. Guarimbas are necessary because they cause disruption to the violent groups that go into neighborhoods to hurt people who are sometimes even inside of their homes.

      • HCR has never called for people to stop resisting. He is calling for non violent resistance, that is very different. It implies not acting with violence, not throwing rocks, molotovs or fireworks as weapons, no fires, no destruction of private properties.
        Guarimbas incite the violent groups into action, not only they are not necessary they are counterproductive.

        • So when the GNB comes at me with gas and rubber bullets plus real bullets, you want me to a) run b) throw followers at them c) take it up the butt. BTW in my neighborhood the Guarimbas have made the Tupamaros go in circles.

  13. HCR is back in leader mode. Is good to see various MUD politicians stepping up their game.

    I’m more hopeful today than I was yesterday.

  14. Thank God, I hope the people of my neighborhood take heed of his words and cancel whatever guarimba they had planned for next week. I think Capriles’s speech was quite good.

  18. El mensaje de HCR es el que puede hacernos avanzar en la dirección correcta —By the way, and, in light of this –much needed– spirit of getting through to the other side, to those who matter (e.g. Venezuelans), how about getting this exceptionally well written and commented Blog going in Spanish. No será posible hacer el esfuerzo en español? Digo, para que este diálogo le llegue a más gente.

  19. Simplemente vive en Venezuela para que se den cuenta lo que estamos padeciendo los venezolanos.
    Solo por pensar diferente nos atacan y matan a nuestros jovenes, nuestro futuro, que son los que convocaron inicialmente todo esto, que han levantado el ánimo de los venezolanos. Y a la Mesa de la Unidad que convoco esta manifestación en la Ave Francisco de Miranda en el Municipio Sucre a a altura del CC Lider y el CC El Marquez, este 22-2-2014; mas de 1 millón de personas llenaron esta avenida desde Petare hasta mas alla de Los Ruices hacia Los 2 caminos, Sebucan y Altamira. Como dice HCR no hablen tanta paja, no critiquen lo que no conocen – Se puede tener diferencias pero eso no implica que no exista la UNIDAD. Si no vives en Venezuela o no eres venezolano, apoyanos estan violando nuestros derechos humanos, hay presos politicos, hay torturas y maltratos solo por estar en la calle y no pensar igual a ellos. No queremos comunismo. Queremos libertad de prensa, de expresión, de poder transitar por nuestras calles, de poder trabajar, de poder estudiar; que no nos cambien nuesta historia por lo que a ellos les da la gana, que nos regresen nuestra imagen del Libertador Simón Bolívar, que hasta eso nos lo cambiaron, por lo que a ellos les dió la gana. Queremos nuestra Venezuela libre y progresando. Que se acabe el desabastecimiento, que no tengamos que hacer cola para comprar lo poco que hay para comer. Queremos seguridad plena. Queremos nuestro Amarillo, Azul y Rojo con sus 7 estrellas y el caballo como es, aunque suene futil son nuestros símbolos y estos no pueden cambiarse porque a ellos les da la gana. Ellos son el gobierno, un gobierno que solo piensa en ellos y quieren acabar con todos los que pensamos diferente , somos democratas. Y no queremos otra dictadura aunque esta haya sido elegida …………con trampas y fraudes………..pero tienen toda la plata y todos los poderes, aqui no existe democracia.

  20. He is not perfect but since we r not chavistas we know no political leaders r but I strong believe in what ive been saying since before he won the primaries. This is the man who who will lead us out this mess. He has vision and is a good strategist. Many criticized him for accepting defeat against Chavez, for even running against Maduro, for trying to turn the municipal elections into a plebiscite and for not calling for endless protests until Maduro left. He knew what he was doing everytime. Most Venezuelans and the rest of the world believed that Chavez won those elections. Not accepting that would have been stupid. Running against Maduro seemed like political suicide. O must admit this is the only moment when I doubted him. Either they stole the elections from him or he narrowed the gap from an 11% to a 2% difference. Which is almost impossible even if you are Bill Clinton. Yes we lost on 8D but O believe that without his campaigning it would have been worse. After all we did gain more then 20 municipalies including the 3rd and 4th largest cities in the country. Now he emerged to give the protests objectives and to stop those who would steer the country into violence and chaos out of desperation. Its okay and healthy to criticize him after all like I said we are not chavistas but we should be clear once and for all. This man knows what he is doing. Im talking to you quico lol

  22. I think it’s naive to just send a paper and demand stuff.
    What do you expect? For them to be efficient?

    Tha plan for food production has always been to slowly choke all private producers and then blame them for the scarcity, close them and let the people survive on imports and rationing. This is Cuba we are dealing with.Never forget that.

    Good luck with that list

    • But the same question is posed once again. If not this kind of thing, what? What do you want him to say? “Nicolás, right now me and all this people here will walk to Miraflores, we will break in, and every single one of us will kick your ass before giving you and all your gang a one-way ticket to The Hague, let’s go everybody!!”

      Cool, you don’t like it, propose something and let’s discuss here if with that we can, first, bring _all_ the opposition factors on board, and then, the most quantity of ni-nis and currently unhappy chavistas, *and*, that guarantees that no crazy militar (Chavistoide o pinochestoide) will fuck everything up, *and* that you have enough governability to, when you say “The dollar is now free-floating and the price of gasoline is 10Bs. per liter” (I’m assuming we need something like that, I would also like to know what is your plan for the “after”), the other half of the population don’t start guarimbing in the barrios.

  26. Is the idea of a general strike in Venezuela just completely out of the question for historical reasons? I mean, I like the idea of marching through other peoples neighborhoods, and Capriles gave a great speech, but we are talking about a regime that is killing people in the streets.

  28. Oh the list! the faithful list of demands, comply with the list or else!

    I’m just not so sure that Maduro or his cronies will ever listen to it. Which begets the question, what’s next?
    What else?

    Since I’m living abroad, I have no right to ask the people in Venezuela to put themselves in danger, just to provoke a change of regime towards a democratic government. But I got to say tyrannical and autocratic regimes never ends on their own volition nor with soft words.

    Capriles today, well he certainly delivered a great speech, but people wants results, and so he gotta be prepared for the upcoming scenario where chavismo fails to comply with the “else”…

    • he is given a list, one of hundreds lists they gave, with the same result: nothing. He insist on calling this a “government” and not a dictatorship. You don’t live here my friend, but Capriles, he is not our leader, he was, but he failled to do the job.

    • So, IYHO, what we should do?
      If the result you want *now* is “Caida y mesa limpia” of all the government, the only way is coup d’état (or if you prefer the alter name “Civic-militar rebellion”) and that costs blood, period.

      My “else” scenario: we need to reorganize people to do real civic disobedience instead of this non-sense. If I’m burning public property I’m not doing something positive for the change and I’m giving a very good reason to the GNB to throw tear gas at me, and as they are as we know they are, i also have a handful of tickets to be shot in the head.
      If my answer to the collectivos is Molotov cocktails and wires… they will call the police!!, and when the police come to my house, what I’m going to do? sacrifice myself à la Ricaurte? I’m sure the government will be more than happy to invite CNN to cover this kind of news in exclusive.

      In short, and in the same lines as Capriles, we need to do it in daylight, where we can have cameras monitoring in case something happens and we need evidence. We need to convince people to join us instead of luring them away. For that, I miss some of the economical problems in the “list”, I think is easier to catch people with that instead of explaining why we want Simonovis out of prison and how does that help him.

      • I agree with you. This is not the right way. Flames bring back flames and we are not used to confront flames. And we have to assume that the electoral job was not done.

      • So, IYHO, what we should do? Well, you got me in that one Sir, because I’m not living in Venezuela. If I were living in Venezuela, I would have supported Leopoldo, protesting in the streets, for sure. But since I’m not living in Vzla, I can hardly suggest people to take action one way or another.

        But probably you and Capriles are thinking that you will be fine as long you don’t get close enough to the fire, and the cubans are counting on it. Capriles was imprisoned once and released, true, but that was a different moment, nobody in the chavismo really really cared. Now is a different context, Chavez is gone, chavismo is desperate, they are waiting for the first mistake of Capriles to put him back in jail, not only him but Maria Corina as well, Aveledo etc.

        To be honest, all I can say, is if that you like the current situation in Venezuela then do nothing, keep thinking that peaceful protest and banging the pot will give us the country back from the cubans and their merry band of leachers and moochers.

        You don’t want to inmolate like Ricaurte fine, but I’m sure know there are a few kids that already did, and they are paying dearly for it, they were waiting for others to join, but others decided to stay.

        I’m sure that Bolivar, the American Founding Fathers, even the Ukrainians would have understood your argument.

        • I think there is a big difference between “doing nothing” and “peaceful protest”, instead of banging the pot, i would say organized and focused protest.

          I think also that many people don’t like the situation in Venezuela, but that does not mean that they will go on a non-peaceful protest and give the government a good reason to repress you or jail you. There is still a big bunch of people that believes government propaganda or that don’t believe neither side, I think that if you don’t win this people there is no way you can beat the system, unless you have an organized and armed militia (Bolivar and AFFs) or you have weapons and the diplomatical support of a big player because you have something they are interested to (Ukraine), I also think that guarimbas will not give us any of the things we need to get rid of this “history error” in a way that guarantees further governance (i.e., no right-wing totalitarist nor the other 40% of the population “counter-guarimbing”)

          In short, I have the same reserves on your point of the opposition all going berserk to claim back the country that the ones you have from my point of view of alternative protest.

          • I don’t think you fully realise, but whatever, is that the way you want to go, fine go there. Like I said I have no right to ask you to go one way or another. All I can say that we try that way, we tried convincing the hard core chavistas, the ones the are in neither side, and it didn’t worked, they were provided with plenty of arguments with different people and candidates, and they are not going to listen, because the alternative is simply too scary for them, they believe that big government and welfare state is the answer to everything.

            But hey if you want to keep hitting yourself with the same stone again, then suit yourself.

  32. yo supongo q muchos aqui no viven en Venezuela, pero solo reflexionen un poco en algo… ese gran lider del q estan hablando, gran motivador… apenas ayer vino a darle su respaldo a Leopoldo Lopez, porq el dia q se entrego a esta justicia criminal controlada por los rojos, ese dia HCR ni siquiera un apretón de manos le dio a su amigo…Señores, ese señor lo q quiere es enfriar la calle, y con todo respeto, pero piensen q con su liderazgo, el q venia haciendo, hace dos semanas nadie en el mundo se estaba interesando por nosotros… el no es Vytali Klistcsko, el es mas bien como Chamberlain

    • No importa cuando salió a apoyarlo, lo que importa es que lo hizo. Y no creo que quiere enfriar las calles, lo que creo es que esta pidiendo que lo hagamos de manera inteligente, para evitar mas muertes innecesarias. Su discurso, es un llamado a la unión, porque no importa si el te gusta, o no, quiere lo mismo que tu, así que apoyalo, no lo critiques.

    • Asi es amigo Miguel… Para mi HCR solo hace lo que le combiene. La guarimba no se puede acabar porque en Venezuela no hay justicia. Y la guarimba proteje a la gente de estos terroristas del gobierno.

      • Da dolor decirlo pero creo que hay una grandísima improvisación en todo este asunto, y el responsable está muy seguro tras las rejas, estilo pran.

        • Whatever man, all I know is that I rather go out fighting than standing in line hoping that I might get a kilo of sugar. undemocratic governments don’t go out democratically. HCR can continue to send letters and messages on Twitter. But I will in the streets protesting the Cuban invasion. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are one of those whose goal is to create doubt.

  33. The most important outcome of this speech has the same outcome VENEZUELA. There is no personal agenda…Leopoldo and Henrique have been fighters and loyal to the country from ever.

  34. Apoyemos a Leopoldo Lopez.
    #ElQueSeCansaPierde
    #SoyLeopoldoSoyResistenciaYGuarimba

    Leopoldo Lopez pido a todos hacer Guarimba por todo el país para cansar a la DICTADURA.

    ¡¡¡REBELIÓN y 350!!!
    ¡¡¡RESISTENCIA y DESOBEDIENCIA CIVIL ABSOLUTA!!!
    ¡¡¡GUARIMBA!!!
    ¡¡¡CALLE SIN RETORNO!!!

    No dejen que el Colombiano se llame gobierno, te gobierne, y gobierne a nuestros país.

    Haz tu #Guarimba grande y fuerte.

    Aqui esta la informacion, haz tu Guarimba te lo pido Leopoldo Lopez.

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.250307018480845.1073741836.187041478140733&type=3

    “Fuerza, fe y Guarimba”

    ¡¡¡Ruedalo!!!
    Para que todo el mundo lo sepa
    Comparte, copia y pega por todas partes.

    Si te gusta la página de Venezuela Voto Manual, únete y comparte .

    https://www.facebook.com/venezuela.voto.manual

  35. The list is probably a way to call the bluff. I don’t think anybody in the oppo believes Nico will listen to it, but now he cannot use the “oppo doesn’t want dialog excuse.

  37. fueron los tachirenses los gochos, los gochos artos ya fueron los que despertaron a la gente, no estos politicos, que ellos despues se meten y se agarran la gloria es otra cosa, cuando vamos a aprender a dejar a un lado a los politicos y unirnos ellos solo se interesan por ellos mismos, ya basta vale tomemos las riendas de nuestros destinos en nuestras manos y obliquemos a estos politicos a actuar y no a hablar, cuando un politco sabe que tiene un pueblo que se respeta porque se arrecha entonces los vamos a tener encarrilaitos

  39. EXTRACTO DE “LA DICTADURA A LA DEMOCRACIA” DE GENE SHARP
    CUANDO LA DICTADURA ES FUERTE PERO EXISTE UNA RESITENCIA IRRITANTE, LOS DICTADORES PUEDEN QUERER NEGOCIAR CON LA OPOSICION PARA QUE SE RINDA BAJO ENGAnO DE “HACER LA PAZ”. EL LLAMADO A NEGOCIAR PUEDE SONAR ATRACTIVO, PERO GRAVES PELIGROS PUEDEN ESTAR AL ACECHO EN LA SALA DE NEGOCIACIONES.
    EN OTRA SITUACION, CUANDO LA OPOSICION ES EXCEPCIONALMENTE FUERTE Y LA DICTADURA ESTA GENUINAMENTE AMENAZADA, LOS DICTADORES PUEDEN BUSCAR NEGOCIAR PARA RESCATAR LO MAS POSIBLE DE SU CONTROL Y RIQUEZA. EN NINGUN CASO LOS DEMOCRATAS DEBEN AYUDAR A LOS DICTADORES A LOGRAR SUS METAS.

    Les pido que difundan esto a todo el mundo, capriles quiere enfriar y terminar con las trancas de la guarimba eso es lo único que realmente ha hecho temblar al regimen. Basta de politicos mentirosos

    • Me parece muy bien que muestres ese párrafo advirtiendo contra las negociaciones con el gobierno. Estoy totalmente de acuerdo. Pero creo que estás confundiendo las cosas:
      1.- Las guarimbas no han hecho temblar al régimen. Han sido las protestas pacíficas. Las guarimbas más bien le han dado un respiro porque ahora puede justificar su violencia.
      2.- Capriles no ha llamado a enfriar la calle. Pero la protesta no puede tampoco ser continua porque la gente se cansa. El gobierno lo único que tiene que hacer es esperar a que la protesta se diluya por si sola. La protesta se debe continuar pero no con el objetivo de tumbar al gobierno. Ninguna protesta puede lograr eso. Una presión sostenida en el tiempo, usando variados medios de lucha como los que menciona Gene Sharp es lo que es necesario.

  40. Ok, Guarimba is not the whole answer. Maybe it’s not even part of the answer. When actually protesting and taking to the streets.

    However… the Colectivos are shooting people. The Colectivos are shooting people and they are NOT going to hand over their weapons, NOR WILL MADURO EVER DISARM THEM, EVEN IF HE COULD. You are going to have to defeat them and take them from their dead fingers, eventually. For the moment, only prevention, security and keeping them running around uselessly is the only sensible answer for people who have no weapons at hand for self defense.

    The idea of organizing security and preventing injury and death wins, in my book, over NOT ORGANIZING SQUAT and getting HUNTED, TERRORIZED, INJURED, AND POSSIBLY KILLED one at a time by the “Colectivos” and the GNB like so many DUMB DEER in front of a searchlight, when they come roaring along. Brave. And futile. Most people NOT joining the protests yet see it that way. Including most people in the barrios.

    Anyhow Venezuelans will have to protest anyway, and face the GNB and the Colectivos again, and again they will try and use their weapons like they did. What’s going to be done that is practical and prevents injury and death? What, to stop them and to stop their terrorism from succeeding?

    And about the arrested and tortured? Where are the volunteer lawyers that are supposed to support them?

  41. Dear All.

    I think we reach an impasse.
    You see there is your way and the wrong way, that sound a los like red, but never mind.
    We have to hear(read) all easy of thinking and this case Miss Andrea, Miguel and other said things like“ Capriles vendido”(sold out).

    From the begining he said that tha is no his way, that die not change , you want this to be your way, you more than hope want it to be true, but you know it is no so.

    Leopoldo and Capriles are friends there always have been and always will be, that apart López did intent and atack on Capriles leadership rather than Maduro’s power, you dont even have to be to smart to see that, Leopoldo who is a very smart man knew that “#lasalida” is not such (please dont try to argue it is, the point is mute) buy could help him to a place where many (with god reasons) think he should be.

    But as my grandmother said deseos no empreñan, and the reality came to all of us. The real discontent groing in Venezuela came to burst in a induce way instead of a natural way(most likley the scenario that Capriles was betting).

    Maduro, will try to use this to acuse opposition of everything, and injustice to Leopoldo political calculation he will do jail for something that is not crime.

    Now, force by circustamce HCR give you a way, that is not Leopoldo, and in fair es much more realistc and he is a sold out.

    My friend to you do your Guarimbas I will wait you with calm on the other side of despair brinde, and so will do HCR, but please dont judge that you refuse to understand.

  42. Todo mi apoyo para Leopoldo Lopez el autentico lider de Venezuela. A el corresponde el derecho de regir a nuestro pais… Es el mas preparado profesionalmente y con una experiencia de eficiencia comprobada… y como bono adicional (y creo que no es casualidad) el es tataranieto de Simon Bolivar y tataranieto del nuestro 1er presidente Cristobal Mendoza. Abajo los seudo lideres (Capriles, Arria, Ramos Allup, Ledezma, etc) ligados con los nefastos AD y Copei que arruinaron a nuestro pais y abrieron la puerta para que Chavez llegara al poder y por ende a lo que ha venido ocurriendo en el pais desde hace interminables años. Viva Venezuela!!!

  43. All my support to Leopoldo Lopez… the authentic Venezuela’s leader. He is entitled to run our country. He is the most educated with an unsurpassed experience and efficiency… and as additional bonus, he is the a direct descendant of our founding father Simon Bolivar as well as from our 1st president Cristobal Mendoza. Down with the pseudo-leaders (Capriles, Arria, Ramos Allup, Ledezma, etc) linked with the super-corrupted parties AD and COPEI that ruled ruined the country in the past 40 years and opened the door for Chavez to come up onto power and cause all the super-mess we have been living for these endless years…. Viva Venezuela!!!

    • Now, I wonder (and I realize this will likely be a dumb/inappropriate/naïve question), how many people in CC who are in Caracas would be willing to meet and contribute to organize something going in Capriles’ direction. I distrust politicians in generals, and have no faith in Capriles nor López. Still, I am starting to feel that sighing in front of my computer and raising my fist against goverment abuse amounts pretty much to nothing. Rallying, as exciting and cathartic activity as it may be (and I’ve done that as well), will only be effective when people joining us truly come from everywhere in the city (I am talking only about Caracas here, I don’t know how socially diverse are the protests/guarimbas elsehwere in the country) and take place outside Las Mercedes, Chacaíto and Altamira.

      I do agree with Capriles that an organized (let me stress “organized”), long-term mouvement is the best option right now and, let’s face it, no one is going to do it for us (Politicians who do always end up try to instrumentalize the brawl for their personal cause and cash political benefits). Handing out flowers, sitting somewhere for an hour every day, giving out pamphlets…whatever it is, whatever its scale, it should not confirm Maduro’s wacko conspiracy theories (I know this is a extremely hard feat…) and it should aim to attract people from the barrios, from popular neighborhoods, from those who are *still* underrepresented in the capital’s response to the current chaos. If my craziest dream could come true, Saturday’s rally would have taken place in Petare and all sorts of people would show up (it was, though, certainly less bourgeois than other rallies I’ve been to). Now this might not be feasible at all. It may be that malandros, colectivos, GNB and co. would make it impossible. But has anyone, besides those at Voluntad Populard and Primero Justicia and whatever parties are trying to broaden their electoral base, has tried to understand why the middle to lower classes, as far as I know, are not also joining massively all these display of indignation and discontent? Is it only a matter of fear? Misinformation? Plain indifference? What is it? Can we change that? Ojo, I am not saying that what has been going on in the country is the work of a few petit-bourgeois, far from it. But, again, in this I am with Capriles. Whatever long-term mouvement we want to organize, one that doesn’t fizzle out after Carnavales, it will have to be more diverse and will have to take place in a more neutral ground.

      Also, I want to say for those who are expecting a radical, inmediate solution. If you defend democracy and argue for it, “la salida” is not an avowable choice. If you don’t or if you think it legit to ask Maduro to step down, then ask yourself what are the means that we’ve got: What army? Which guerrilla? Which squad? Whose money? What power do we have, right now, besides protest and the ever-so-elusive international community? Because he won’t do it only because the pueblo seems to be really, really angry. If you cannot answer these questions, then you’ll be condemend to sit around reading tweets and facebook and going to the same old rallies. As for me, I think that an organized, pacific mouvement, souldn’t focus on its size. Even we are just a handful out there handing out pamhplets like a bunch of morons, it adds to the series of tiny events that will help the situation to implode and, yes, eventually change. Hopefully for the better. Just ask Vielma Mora.

      Whoever does it (a hopeful “we”?), has to do it systematically and for a “long” time.

      So, who is willing to meet?

      p.s.: I am sorry for the lenght of this post, but after silently reading CC for a long time, I needed to speak out and this is the most reasonable and better informed audience I could think of.

  44. From this posting, I undesrtand that Capriles made a list of opposition demands. Is there any way to get an English translation of that posted to Caracas Chronicles?

    • copied from above ->

      1. Release all the students in prison, and amnesty for anyone who has been convicted or has had charges pressed.

      2. Release of Leopoldo Lopez

      3. Release of Ivan Simonovis

      4. Amnesty for political exiles

      5. Disarm the paramilitary groups. Set a date to verify the disarmament in all

      6. Bipartisan Truth Comission (GPP-. MUD) to investigate the death of protestors

      7. Stop the brutal repression against the people.

      8. Demilitarize Tachira, let foodstuff and other supplies enter Tachira.

      • Thanks! I look forward to seeing any updates on this and whether or not there is any response from the government.

        I hope the opposition can be more united under Capriles. For that matter, I wonder if the average person on the street in Venezuela is even aware of Capriles’ list, given the extensive media blackout. Hopefully word is getting out.

  45. Señores mientras pensamos y ponemos en discusión quien es mejor líder, Capriles o Leopoldo, vendrá otro del gobierno a sustituir a Maduro…. Aquí suceden cosas MAS importantes debemos todo y cada uno de nosotros ser líderes de nuestras acciones y pensamientos y luchar por un mejor país…..Esto no es un concurso…..

  46. Who said that lock ups were aimed to convince people? they are aimed to diminish and to weaken armed corps. It’s psychological warfare. Capriles is just a fool…

    • To weaken armed corps? Can you, please, explain how that is going to function? Don’t explain with just two words.
      Let’s see: the lock ups make a bunch of several thousand low key army troops tired and angry with the ones organising that while a growing amount of people on both sides of the lock up want to go on with their lives – and you expect the army to do what? To revolt against Maduro?
      How out of touch are you with Venezuela? Geez, man: I am living n Europe but it seems to me the average Swede or Briton might get to know more quickly the mood in Venezuela than your people.

      Por esas vainas es que tenemos el chavismo para rato.
      Y luego hablas de que Capriles es tonto. No soy fan de nadie, pero en serio, creo que tienen que considerar su posición un poco más. Y luego van a decir que es que “no los apoyamos”.

  47. Hey! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where
    I could get a captcha plugin for my comment form?
    I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having problems finding one?
    Thanks a lot!

Leave a Reply