Subscribe to this blog in Radio:
E-mail this blog's author, Satan's Poop Inc. Paila Master:  |
|
 |
Monday, March 01, 2004 |
The recent proposal by the CNE to have people go and confirm that they signed the first time, if the first time they signed a form of those so-called “planas”, where all of the lines with the data had the same calligraphy, is simply absurd.
Think about it, your signature is being questioned because you did not fill out the data yourself, i.e. your name, national ID number and birthdate, but it was filled in by the person at the booth or the itinerant signature collector. This was not even considered in the regulations as a violation, it clearly said only the signature had to be in your handwriting.
The aberrant and absurd solution being proposed: People whose signature is under observation will have to go back and sign and also stamp their fingerprint, BUT THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO FILL OUT THEIR DATA THIS TIME EITHER. The data will be there already in a booklet printed and filled out by a computer. So, what is the legal point? Isn’t this even more susceptible to fraud than before? Why are these signatures legal and the others are not? What is the issue?
Doesn’t this prove that the whole thing is simply an absurd trick contrived to the stop the recall referendum?
11:52:40 PM 
|
|
With the intensity of the last few days I have not had the time to write about the party I went to Saturday night with a whole bunch of Venezuelan bloggers. This was the third meet up of local bloggers, but I was not able to be present at the other two. It was incredibly nice to meet so many people I have read, but not met. At the risk of forgetting someone, I will use my memory to recall all of the people I met in no order in particular. First, I will mention Gaby, there has to be something cool about going to a party where we all have something in common and Gaby is the youngest (17?) and I am the oldest at almost triple her age (xx). There was of course Fran the host and birthday boy, whom I had met in early January together with others present once again like Novato, Saturno and the host in virtual space of most of these blogs Hugo. (Saturno’s sister Ximena was there, she reads blogs and I now know exactly who she is!). New people there were Dreamer in Pain, Inita e Infelix, Catherina, Magoo, Aspivina, Fran’s girlfriend Amigaluna was there and later Chirimeno arrived, he can spin a story as well live as in his blog. Finally El Especialista showed up and got the karaoke going, I had to leave soon afterwards. It was also very cool to have Sikanda participate in the party remotely from Germany. I am sure I am forgetting someone, hope I am not mixing people up; at least my age justifies the oversight. I am sorry if I did, meeting you all proves why one should have all the faith in the world in this country and its people. People like these need to have all their dreams and all their potential fully developed.
10:41:41 PM
|
|
What a laugh! All TV stations showing and ad in "cadena" which means it is obligatory to show about the success of last week's G-15 meeting, saying it was just not another meeting but real progress was achieved about how countries can develope. Of course, there was a little clip from Chavez telling us about the evils of neoliberalism and pictures of him with the Presidents that came, including Lula, who left in disgust and Mugabe, who felt right at home with the repression outside. What clowns!
10:02:49 PM
|
|
CNE just announced an additional day for the other side to propose a solution for the confrontation of those that did sign. CNE Director Jorge Rodriguez says Carter Center has played a role facilitating during the afternoon the dialogue between the various sides in the dispute. He avoided touching on what is being discussed but the said the confirmation process for the signatures can be improved or be perfected.
9:42:43 PM
|
|
Everyone is on the ground in Plaza Altamira as the National Guard, according to TV stations is shooting real bullets from all directions.
8:56:58 PM
|
|
Luis Manuel Esculpi of the Coordinadora Democratica is saying there are 70 political prisoners taken in Caracas and 30 more in Anzoategui state. The count comes from that of the lawyers assisting the Coordinadora. He said that the Coordinadora will not make any announcement until after the CNE makes the expected announcemnet tonight. Add to this eighteen from Barquisimeto and twelve in Maracaibo.
8:29:13 PM
|
|
Right now images of Altamira Square appear to be something like what you see on TV from the Gaza strip. Before, the tanks would advance a little to push people back. Now, tanks from the military police advance all the way up to the square going by residential areas that are now full of smoke and tear gas. The people don't budge, the crowd is growing, so is the violence and the threat of violence.
In Caricuao, extreme West of Caracas, people protest and the National Guard uses tear gas on them. This is part of the well-behaved citizens explicitly mentioned by the Minister of Defense in his speech today were not koining the protest. Will add pictures when possible taken from TV.
8:00:45 PM
|
|
Concern: There continue to be reports of people being jailed without explanation, taken to military facilities and denied access to lawyers. The two bodyguards of a Mayor jailed on Friday have even been taken to a jail for common criminals, I get lists of people “missing”, taken and not released. I only know myself one person who was taken away last night from Altamira square and had a gun on himself. He was taken to a military fort and turned over to a civilian Court today.
Concern and Parody: The Government continues to report that only in certain areas of the country or city, where the upper classes live, are the protests taking place. However, not only did the Mayor of Caracas (pro-Chavez) contradict the Minister of Defense on this, but I am getting reports of protests and tear gas in Petare, Catia, La Silsa and Horizonte, not exactly upper class enclaves. (Right now in Petare the municipal police and the Disip (political police) are using tear gas on the crowd.
Parody: The Venezuelan Ambassador to the U.S. held a press conference in Washington where he said that what Chavez said yesterday about Bush and cutting off oil supplies to the U.S. was “only” meant to be a message to Venezuelans and not meant to be a real threat. The Ambassador said that he would send a note to the U.S. State Department explaining this.
This just in: The radio reports that the Valle-Coche highway was closed down and Bolivarian Circles came down to open it and were repelled by protesters.
Ave. Fuerzas Armadas was shutdown, the National Guard came and were “bombed” with glass water bottles from a building without lights.
7:41:50 PM
|
|
 
David Graullera's mother sent these pictures of what the National guard did to his son, Saturday night. David was not even particpating in the protest, he was driving up the Panamerican highway when he found the way blocked by the protest. A Guardasked him to get out of the car and sht at him with plastic bullets twice. The first shot was on his back (left), the second three inches away from his leg right) He says the whole in his leg is about half an inch.
6:02:52 PM
|
|
Simply put, why the opposition objects the CNE’s decision, which is wht Sobella Mejias argued today:
1) It was not illegal, according to the regulations written by this CNE to fill out the data for the person signing the petition. In fact, it explicitly says the signature is the only part that has to be filled by the person signing.
2) It changes the law; the procedure proposed by the CNE, puts the burden of proof on the person that already signed to demonstrate that it did. That was the objective of the petition drive. People were asked for their ID cards, there were CNE observers and opposition witnesses. The forms were tightly controlled by the CNE.
3) The regulations contemplate that people will be able to participate in the correction process only if one of two possibilities occur: 1) If the CNE made a material error. 2) If the person appears signing the petition but did not. The forms with the same calligraphy do not fall in any of these two categories.
5:51:30 PM
|
|
It has been a long and dissapointing day. There are protests in many cities of the country and they seem to be increasing at this time.
The President of the Electoral Board (CNE) came on TV sometime around noon and said that the Carter Center had decided to leave the country because of the attitude of CNE Director Sobella Mejias. Accusing Ms. Mejias of being partisan, and saying that he is not (!), Carrasquero called for her removal from the CNE. It sounded strange to me that the Carter Center would say soemthing so undiplomatic, even if true. Minutes later, Jennifer McCoy and Francisco Diez from the Carter Center, held a press Conference to clear up the "confusion" and said that they were not leaving the country that Ms. McCoy was leaving in her regular trips since there was no process to "facilitate" since there were no negotiations going on. Minutes later the President of the CNE came down again and visibly upset said that Francisco Diez from the Carter Center had not told the truth and that he had indeed told him that.
Ms. Mejias essentially said that she was not going to negotiate the process for confirmation or ratification of the signatures. Ms. Mejias said that the CNE was changing the rules and she would only accept that the law be respected. (see next post)
Reportedly, the OAS agrees with the opposition's position to not accept the process, while the Carter Center thinks the opposition should go to this process, even if it is not what the law says. The opposition has been cautious about refusing to go to a confirmation or ratifiation process, saying nothing about it.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense was on TV saying that the protests were restricted to areas where people lived "comfortably", but no more than hour later the Mayor of the Libertador District which encompasses the West of Caracas, said there were eleven focuses of violence in his municipality, which is mostly inhabitated but those who don't enjoy a "comfortable" standard of living to exprss it in the Minister's terms.
5:33:57 PM
|
|
Many streets in Caracas are closed. I am going to try to get to work right now. In the worst case, I will walk, it is not that far away. Francisco has a good article in Caracas Chronicles as to how we got here and where we are. Straight to the point. Hopefully, the CNE Directors will consider a LEGAL mechanism tonight for checking the signatures. When statistical sampling is called "unfair" by the Vice-President you know this is just tricks and cheating. Those that defend what is going on in the comments below have never seen their basic rights as threatened as ours are today. The repression last Friday was uncalled for. So was the military deployment all weekend. the attacks on motorcycles agaisnt protesters are extremely offensive and repressive and the use of tear gas is agaisnt the Constitution.
Chavez got to power promising respect for human rights, among one thousand unfullfilled promises. Riots and demonstrations in Caracas in the ten years before Chavez got to power were met with a water truck. Incredible to think about it. Two years ago in Quebec at the Summit of the Americas, Chavez said that they should have let some demonstrators forward, to talk to them, see what their protest is about. On Friday, he did xcatly the opposite against his own people. That is what Hugo Chavez is all about, empty words. He only cares about the survival of Hugo Chavez. In the same summit he refused to sign the final document because it talked about representative democracy and not participatory democracy. Millions of Venezuelans are asking for that, now he is blind, we are outlaws. We know who the oulaws are and where they are.
9:21:32 AM
|
|
Things seemed to have quieted down some here, so it must be time to turn in. Enrique Mendoza said the opposition will keep the pressure so that the signatures are not discarded on technicalities. Tomorrow promises to be another long and stressful day. I suspect I may have troubles even getting to work in the morning. Hopefully, by the evening the country will be set back in the path of legality, respect for all and democracy. It might be naive, but I can always be an optimist and hope for the best. I can't post from work, remote updates take too long and I don't know why. Unless I am trapped at home, the only communication will be through the comments on this post.
1:12:35 AM
|
|
|
