GNB officers rebelling against Maduro on Monday morning surprised most of the country, but Cotiza neighbors joining the protest and standing by the officers was the real news. Cantv blocked social media so no one would know about these events and Guaidó sent a message to military officers across the country.
As millions of Venezuelans find their access to popular social media sites blocked by the State ISP, the government sock-puppet National Constituent Assembly discusses a draconian new Cyberspace Law.
In Cotiza this morning we saw, on a small scale, elements of all three things the regime fears most: military rebellion, political mobilization, and protests in working class areas.
Radical members of the opposition on Twitter make so little sense about 23E, they sound like chavista bots, Kirchner and Chávez were corrupt, Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno irresponsibly pins a femicide on the Venezuelan community in Ecuador.
Camaraderie, friendship, happiness and beauty can flourish after the worst of circumstances and in the dirtiest of places. The Guaire river may split Caracas in two, but it brought these young Venezuelans together.
Open assemblies have spread quickly all over the country and thankfully, some humanitarian aid made it to the country, proving once and for all, that there's no economic blockade but chavista inefficiency.
Venezuelans' favorite sport isn’t safe from the crisis either. Even with absurdly cheap tickets, most people can’t afford to go. LVB players are victims of crime and the government uses baseball for shady business deals.
History placed Juan Guaidó on the forefront of the Venezuelan opposition. He wasn’t looking for that, and we couldn’t have foreseen it. I talked to him about the challenge of fulfilling sky-high expectations while making sure others don’t sneak ahead of him in the final lap.
Open cabildos everywhere, Venezuela has been under a “state of economic emergency” since January 2016, Nicolás begs Trump to meet and talk and a dangerous draft law to further control internet was leaked and caused outrage on social media.
We’ve been able to hang on for 21 years in one of the craziest media landscapes in the world. We’ve seen different media outlets in Venezuela (and abroad) closing shop, something we’re looking to avoid at all costs. Your collaboration goes a long way in helping us weather the storm.