Tuesday, August 10, 2004

More on the violence in La Candelaria Yesterday the Chavistas in Plaza la Candelaria refused once again to allow the opponents of the President to set up a stand in Plaza La Candelaria. They burned it down and destroyed all of the ads and even burned a motorcycle. The difference was that this time the military police and the National Guard protected the Chavistas and attacked the opposition supporters using live bullets! Fortunately, nobody was hurt, but this poor opposition supporter certainly had the scare of his life!:     From today’s Tal Cual a description of the violence yesterday in Plaza La Candelaria:   “It was the appearance of the military police and the National Guard that induced the mess. As if obeying orders from those that support the “No” vote, they detained and attacked the opposition supporters and opened the way for the pro-Chávez supporters some of whom were going around pistols in their belts, they destroyed the stands and advertising of the opposition supporters. The sound of bullets that stuns and induces fear in all of us, drove away the critics of the President, that were asphyxiating by the bomb of the tear gas bombs, that the Chavistas appeared to smoke if one were to judge by the enthusiasm with which they were destroying the opposition stands. A woman complained to the military with a broken voice what they were doing. Overcoming the fear of being a victim of aggression, she faced the guardsman and poured over his medals the indignation stuck in her throat: You are a national shame!”   Where is the CNE? Where is the Attorney General? Where is the People's Ombudsman? What ever happened o equality under the law?   (For those that do not know Caracas, La Candelaria is a middle class section close to downtown Caracas which was adopted by the Spanish immigrants of the '50s and retains a large fraction of Spanish families living there as well as a whole bunch of very nice Spanish Restaurants) 11:42:33 PM    comment []

People still being registered to vote? Busy day today working this evening as a volunteer for the election, after a full day of work. Here is this article from Descifrado that says they have proof that at the Caracas military fort people are still being registered to vote, but half a million people were moved from their true center and will have little chance to do change it and possibly vote.   They continue to register people in the electoral registry   If you did not have time to register in the Electoral Registry (REP) you still have a chance. In the centers for flash issuing of a national ID card at Tiuna Fort they continue to register people, despite the fact that the period to register is over and was closed on June 30th. Moreover, if you were included in one of those strange migrations from one voting center to another and for example, they changed you from La Florida, Los Palos Grandes o Petare, to EL Paraíso, Montalbán or Caricuao, take advantage of it. Because in these centers not only do they register you, but they assign you a voting center in the East of Caracas, maybe you can vote at San Ignacio School if you are lucky. What do Francisco Carrasquero and Jorge Rodriguez have to say about this? The proof is in Descifrado possession at its office. 11:14:47 PM    comment []

A new conspiracy theory According to the Venezuelan News Agency, Venpres, the Secretary General of the party Patria Para Todos (PPT) Albornoz which backs Chavez, denounced that US pollster Greenberg, former President Jimmy Carter, Human Rights Watch representative Francisco Vivanco and the President of RCTV Marcel Granier were conspiring to provoke confusion Sunday night so that the results of the recall poll are not recognized. According to Albornoz, the plan is to release data at 9:30 AM which goes against the “NO” votes so that later Governor Enrique Mendoza and the Secretary General of AD will announce that they do not recognize the results of the vote.   What a combination! Maybe Carter works for the CIA!   (Note; By the way, polls could not be released after Sunday by CNE ruling, but the Venpres website published a story with the results of all polls today. I am sure CNE Director Rodriguez will say nothing about it.) 11:13:09 PM    comment []