Venezuelans Protest Chavez's Power

(AP)  Tens of thousands of Venezuelans opposed to President Hugo Chavez took to the streets Saturday, blaming him for rolling blackouts, water rationing, widespread crime and other problems they say are making daily life increasingly difficult.

Chavez backers flooded the capital's avenues with an equally impressive demonstration as the socialist leader faces mounting criticism and an emboldened opposition ahead of upcoming congressional elections.

Waving Venezuelan flags, protesters accused Chavez of dragging the politically divided South American country into a severe crisis as he accelerates his drive to transform it into a socialist state.

"Chavez is leading the country to ruin," said 79-year-old Olga Damjanovich at the opposition protest. "He's controlled all the country's institutions for more than a decade, so how could it be possible that he's not responsible for the problems weighing down on us?"

Many wore T-shirts that read: "3 Strikes: Blackouts, Water Rationing and Crime. Chavez, You've Struck Out!" A pickup truck weaving its way through the crowd carried a papier-mache model of a candle alongside a sign reading: "Chavista Electricity Plant."

Chavez backers rebutted the criticism, accusing opponents of exaggerating the country's calamities. While several conceded that problems seem to be piling up, they said that Chavez would resolve them.

"Things aren't all as we would like them to be, but we know that El Comandante is doing what he can to help us, the poor," said Yorbert Rodriguez, a 39-year-old bricklayer.

Over 5,000 police and National Guard troops were deployed along march routes to prevent clashes between rivals. There were no reports of arrests or violence, which has marred numerous political rallies in the past.

Political rivals organized Saturday's demonstrations to coincide with the 52nd anniversary of an uprising that toppled Venezuela's last dictator. As they commemorated the 1958 overthrow of Gen. Marcos Perez Jimenez, Chavistas argued that democracy is growing stronger, while government foes fear their liberties are slipping away.

Opposition parties hope to make a strong showing in September's elections by holding Chavez responsible for rampant crime, a recent currency devaluation widely expected to boost inflation - which ended 2009 at 25 percent - and electricity rationing.

But it remains unclear if the opposition strategy will be successful against Chavez, a tireless campaigner who has overcome bigger obstacles during his 11-year presidency. The former paratroop commander emerged unscathed from a botched 2002 coup and devastating two-month strike the following year.

Chavez has easily defeated opponents in most elections and remains popular - especially among the country's poor majority. He has repeatedly vowed to give his adversaries "a beating" on Sept. 26 to maintain a commanding majority in the National Assembly.

[ramos1129]

For once, let's sit this one out. If enezuelans want Chavez, that is their decision; if they do not, they will throw him out soon enough. We do not have to get involved.

[wjksea]

Goldman Sachs and other large financials as well as the health insurance cartel has extracted trillions from the people of the United States. The baby boom generation self indulged and let the posterity of this nation slide off a cliff. The people of the U.S. are under the thumb of private global plutocracies that have objectives of eliminating competitors, reducing overhead and maximizing profits. As the monopolies grow larger and the competition is eliminated, the american people will see the Godliness of their own system.

[mrjustice1]

Thank you for your recent, highly-enlightening commentary!

I do agree with some of your comments, observations, etc.

How may we be in touch with each other to synthesize ...

...for the benefit of of OUR America? perhaps via email?

[mrjustice1]

Thank you for your recent, highly-enlightening commentary!

I do agree with some of your comments, observations, etc.

How may we be in touch with each other to synthesize ...

...for the benefit of of OUR America? perhaps via email?

[wjksea]

I wish God would bless and restore our dying democratic republic.

[armyoftwelve]

God bless the Venezuelan opposition for showing so much spunk. Chavez needs to go soon, before the oil runs out and Venezuela falls apart the way the old Soviet Union did.

Vivat Christus Rex!

[wjksea]

Could be but where is the concern for our own country? The ability of the private banking system and the health insurance cartels to extract trillions of dollars from our system does not give me much confidence in what is in our own backyard. It will be a humbling experience for those who have engaged in distracting rhetoric when they realize that global corporate plutocracies have been undermining our democratic republic for years. A german citizen was once asked how the 3rd reich came to power. The answer described a slow, steady transition where one outrage was normalized by the next greater outrage.

[armyoftwelve]

One thing at a time! This story is about Venezeula, not the US.

[wjksea]

Corporations are NOT democratic republics. They are non-democratic plutocracies. Corporations are not humans. They are organizations driven by profit and at best responsible to the individuals who hold the greatest number of shares in them. Corporate participation in our political debate is corroding our sovereignty as a collective people. Churches were recognized as non-democratic entities and granted soveigny and separation from the political debate. The same should apply to organized capital in the form of corporations. Otherwise Siemens, Toyota and Exxon will have more ability than the people of the United States to affect the political debate of this nation.

[mrjustice1]

Who can tell us if the recent US Sup Court Decision that upholds the rights of corporations to make unlimited campaign contributions is immutable?

[Clemsson]

"Corporate participation in our political debate is corroding our sovereignty as a collective people."

Commie.

[wjksea]

Right wing vs. left wing, liberal vs. conservative, democratic vs. republican. Something for the little people to bicker over. When the dust settles it is a few with lots of money vs. the masses. Private global capital has even more rights than it already has enjoyed in influencing elections after this. I guess this means Saudi corporations as well as Chinese ones can buy our government and elections through propaganda on steroids. There goes the republic. Taxation without representation unless you are a global capitalist with your wealth leveraged through international corporate charters then you can skip paying taxes and have all the represenation. The cost of doing business is to bribe the politicians and mislead the masses. The health insurance corporations have proven it can be well worth spending millions of insurance subscriber premiums on this process.

[mrjustice1]

NURTURING CULTIVATION OF MOVEMENT AGAINST "VD" HUGO CHAVEZ IS ESSENTIAL,
AS "VD HUGO" NOW CONTROLS VENEZUELAN RADIO, TV, NEWSPAPERS, MEDIA, ETC

Let's support the Venezuelan people's movement against "VD Hugo" in any way we can.

The people of Venezuela have been denied;
freedom of speech
freedom of writing
freedom of opinion
freedom of expression
and many other freedoms,
as the result of "VD Hugo's" series of dictatorial decrees against the Venezuelan people's liberties.

In all probability, providing Venezuelans with a 'Radio Free Venezuela'
(as we provided Europe's people who were locked behind
the Communist Iron Curtain, post World War II),
will keep such movements against Venezuelan Dictator or "VD Hugo", moralized enough to continue, and hopefully to grow.

In other words, stopping the spread of the "VD Hugo strain" and his hostile anti-America mind, is as important as stopping any other harmful disease.


PRES BARACK OBAMA'S CONTINUING NAIVE POLICIES OF ATTEMPTING TO BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL VIA HIGHLY-NAIVE, AND VIA FALSE, UNREALISTIC, NAIVE EXPECTATIONS RESULTING FROM SUCH 'DIPLOMACY', IS MERELY WISHFUL THINKING AND IS INDEED TO BLAME

And make no mistake about it:
"VD Hugo" Chavez is deeply and intimately in bed with Iran's not-so-little Hitler, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who together have vowed to destroy America!

As we sit here and debate, and as we afford both Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad complete freedom to operate and to recruit additional enemies against us geo-politically, economically and militarily, these two continue to plot their idealistic visions of destroying us.

If the forgoing is not enough to indicate the danger posed to America, then a recent pact between Iran's A-mad-nut-job and VD Hugo to exchange Venezuelan uranium for Iranian nuclear technology...

CONCLUSION:
It's time we nipped the very, very serious Chavez/Ahmadinejad threat against America in the bud. These two actively hostile-against-America madmen, have
CONSISTENT AND LONG-TERM PLANS, VISIONS AND PACTS
to destroy the United States...

...while Barack Hussein Obama makes 'diplomatically-naive' speeches, which permit, encourage and embolden both VD Hugo and A-mad-nut-job, to do more harm to America, to our security, and to our interests.

To repeat:
Pres Barack Obama's continuing naive policies of attempting to bargain with the devil via highly-naive, and via false, unrealistic, naive EXPECTATIONS from such 'diplomacy', is merely wishful thinking, and is indeed to blame!

[wjksea]

You don't need to demonize Hugo. He's misled but when are we the people of the United States going to notice the LOG IN OUR OWN EYE? Special interests are stripping us of the last remnants of a democratic republic. The private financial and private healthcare cartels have extracted trillions from the potential of american citizens. That's why 1/10th of 1 % have almost half the wealth in this corrupt nation. How is that so different from a third world latin american country? Those who work are not compensated in america and someday we will be like the slaves on the old southern cotton plantations. Working all day and housed in cold shacks and fed milk and bread at night.

[ToolMangler1]

by wjksea January 24, 2010 10:17 AM EST
"You don't need to demonize Hugo. He's misled "

No he isn't. He has carefully thought out every move, just like Hitler and other megalomaniacs


by wjksea January 24, 2010 9:58 AM EST
'Chavez didn't take the assets of the rich who oppose him did he?'

He took the assets of every large business that he 'nationalized' and is only one step away from being declared "President for Life" (Dictator). But if he is the type leader you want, feel free to move down there. Just don't try to convince 'anybody' that thinks for themselves that Chavez is something to be admired. You will be laughed at by the knowledgeable.

[wjksea]

Chavez didn't take the assets of the rich who oppose him did he? The United States needs to live up to it's promise and be a democratic republic but instead it's falling to special interests.

[wjksea]

I wonder how much the global corporate plutocrats who want at the oil are screwing with them internally. No one pwerson will take their ill gotten gains when the promise of mortality knocks. This includes ones such as Pat Robertson.

[runningralph]

Chavez is a Communist dictator. If these protesters think they can defeat him they should study Joe Stalin, Mao Tse Dung, Fidel Castro and others to see how hopeless their position is. Communism is the downfall of an economy but it is extremely difficult get rid of. Russia overcame Communism only when their leader renounced Communism. China has become the biggest capitalist in history but they still call themselves the "People's Republic" and hold political power while unleashing the productive power of capitalism. Chavez will not go away. The protesters should adjust or leave.

[wjksea]

So is a plutocratic oligarchy. The old European world went with centuries of periodic warring monarchies, the peasants caught fighting on their behalf. When it gets bad enough and there is no more to lose, the impoverished masses can revolt as in the French Revolution but we can see today oppressive regimes around the world. Notable ones in Africa and Latin america. It's not about right or left and it's not about what third world countries around us are doing. It's about the death of our democratic republic in the U.S. being undermined by global plutocratic interests. Both left wing and right wing dictatorships equal one thing, rule of a few.

[wjksea]

The american people should see how diffiucult it is to topple entrenched power. Just look at how the financial and health insurance cartel in the United States is able to extract trillions of potential from the american people.