Sunday, May 30, 2004

The repair centers closed but an hour ago and you can already hear fireworks going on in several parts of the city. Yes, it's way too early to celebrate, but we are venezuelans, we don't need much reason to party... -YFGB 6:51:07 PM    comment []

Government losing it! The political Police (DISIP) is going to the offices of political parties, without judges, without the presence of lawyers, separating women from men in two rooms and then going from room to room "seeding evidence." They are basically leaving copies of forged ("cloned") ID documents. This is very likely an attempt to cloud the process of reppair. As usual the government makes a huge effort to dissipate any doubts. They are losing the process, they are losing it, they are lost. -YFGB 4:05:42 PM    comment []

Chavez has just said he is not a communist... Is he already in campaign? -YFGB 1:32:37 PM    comment []

Forged IDs and Police Action it seems that the plan of the "Oficialismo" is already under way. After the president of the CNE went on TV to "denounce" the use of forged documents (cloned, they are saying, but that doesn't make sense) to ratify signatures, officers from the intelligence police have been going to houses near the reparo centers in order to investigate whether there are Clonation centers. Can they do this wholesale? If you, like me and millions other, thought that the strategy of the Planillas planas was an act of desperation, be prepared. The plan now is similar to those used in previous dictatorships to avoid elections. Do not be surprised if the whole process is declared Null & void. -TFGB 1:08:21 PM    comment []

Hearing the president of the CNE it is impossible not to be suspicious. Every single thing he says is against the opposition he has said things like: "People going to ratify their signatures with forged ID documents" Not retire their signatures, Not presumably forged. Every case he denounces is against the opposition. Knowing of over 600 cases of irregularities against the opposition, one can't help it but think the worst from this asshole. -YFGB 12:17:55 PM    comment []

I just heard Ramos Allup from Acción Democratica (live, not on TV) saying that a lot more people than thought had retired their signatures (that is had gone to the centers to say that they didn't sign), hence, the numbers may not add up. He said textually: "It is better not to have high hopes." This may be a trick to get more people to ratify their signatures, but his face didn't show that. -YFGB 12:09:54 PM    comment []

Fear settles in or a new trick brewing? The president of the Electoral Council has instructed its functionaries to carefully check the ID documents of the ratifiers. Will they try to invalidate the process through this ugly trick? Or as some people are claiming the numbers are close and they need this sort of treachery? My numbers say that yesterday there were about 525 thousand ratified and about 64 thousand retired. It should be easy to get to 700 thousand signatures and less than a 100 thousand retired. That still gives a decent margin, so the tricks must be beginning. -YFGB 11:56:50 AM    comment []

A la tercera va la vencida Third day of reparos, I'll go out in a while to check a few centers live. But the information I have indicates whatever is gotten today will just be a safety-margin. The needed ratified signatures in order to, finally, activate the recall seem to be in the hands of the Electoral Coouncil. *gulp* The opposition has to ask: What will they come up with next? On the other hand the obvious failure of the oficialismo to even make a dent in this process is a nice sign of how isolated government officials are. They are isolated and weak, but treacherous and mean. -YFGB 9:55:51 AM    comment []