Banana Republic Newsflash

[Rommie]

I read that one. Totally unbelievable. Well ok not really after reading this thread, but you know what I mean.

[Sigma_Orionis]

"Latin America is the Continent of Magical Realism"

Never found out who actually is the author of that quote, but it's true in more ways than one.

[cid]

Gasoline prices doubling? Tripling? Quadrupling and more, to 25₵ per gallon?!?!?

However will the populace react to this capitalistic indignity?

[/snark]

[Sigma_Orionis]

According to all political animals in the country, LIKE THIS

[Sigma_Orionis]

I used to tell my old man that the Latin Americans most similar to Venezuelans were the Argentinians. Meh, I didn't know how right I was

[Morrolan]

this is why Simon Bolivar, compared his efforts to create a southern eqiuvalent to the USA to "plowing the sea".

[Sigma_Orionis]

So, you've read about the Mantuano. Bolivar's forerunner Francisco de Miranda once (in the early 19th Century) described this country as "Bochinche, Bochinche, Bochinche" which can be roughly translated as "ruckus, ruckus, ruckus".

[Morrolan]

it's sad, really. so much potential, so little actual progress. one step forward, ten steps back; a repeat of the 90s, which was a repeat of the 80's which was a repeat of the 70s...

[Sigma_Orionis]

Absolutely.

BTW, since you seem to know about the Mantuano, you might find this of interest:

In one of Bolívar's most morally dubious acts, Bolívar and the others arrested and handed Miranda over to the Spanish Royal Army. Bolívar claimed afterwards that he wanted to shoot him as a traitor but was restrained by the others; Bolívar's reasoning was that "if Miranda believed the Spaniards would observe the treaty, he should have remained to keep them to their word; if he did not, he was a traitor to have sacrificed his army to it." Ironically, it was by handing over Miranda to the Spanish that Bolívar assured himself a passport from the Spanish authorities (passports which, nevertheless, had been guaranteed to all republicans who requested them by the terms of the armistice), which allowed him to leave Venezuela unmolested.

Also, Peruvians don't like him very much, they consider that Argentinian Jose de San Martin was the one who liberated Peru from Spanish Rule.

[Morrolan]

interesting.

i guess the basic elements of how you had to have money and position in order to be in a place to resist the powers that be (or indeed your direct liege). for all intents and purposes, George Washington was a traitor to his king.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Hasn't changed much has it?

[Morrolan]

not one bit...

'Those that cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it' George Santayana

[FZR1KG]

No one remembers the fall of Rome. lol

[Sigma_Orionis]

Nobody Remembers Recadi Either

We had currency exchange restrictions in the 80s (from 1983 till 1989) through a government office called "RECADI" all they managed to do was create a very thriving black market out of the loopholes of the law.

Now we got the same thing (and has been going on for the last 11 years), but the office is called "CADIVI" and all the Bolivarian Idiots have managed to do was create an even bigger black market.


BTDTGTTS

[Sigma_Orionis]

Gee, I guess that the Revolution is less important than the dictatorship of the evil imperialist US Dollar.

Ecuadorean airline Tame suspends flights to Venezuela

[Sigma_Orionis]

More Protests, now by students, and guess who is pulling the strings behind the scene? You damned Evil imperialist Gringo infidels of course! who else?

You can deny it all you want but our Glorious Foreign Relations Minister knows better

[Sigma_Orionis]

Nicky is pissed off at CNN

Mr Maduro also lashed out against the coverage of the protests by foreign news organisations.

"Enough war propaganda, I won't accept war propaganda against Venezuela. If they don't rectify themselves, out of Venezuela, CNN, out," he said.

A spokeswoman for the US network, only available on cable in Venezuela, told the BBC it did not have any immediate comments about Mr Maduro's comments.

Last week, the government removed Colombian TV news channel NTN24 from channels offered by Venezuelan cable operators.

The government has been highly critical of international media coverage, while protesters say they are concerned with a lack of media freedom, says the BBC's correspondent in Caracas, Irene Caselli.

Mr Maduro also ordered the expulsion of three US diplomats this week.

US President Barack Obama said the Venezuelan government should address "legitimate grievances" of the country instead of "making up false accusations" against US officials.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Well, Nicky just revoked the permits of two CNN journalists

Venezuela 'revokes accreditation and visas' of CNN journalists

[Sigma_Orionis]

Pope pleads for 'end to violence' in Venezuela

Since the Pope asked for it, I was so inspired by it that I went to work this morning........

[Sigma_Orionis]

Those Damned Facist Rigth Wingers at the New York Times are posting "fake" rabble-rousing stories about the riots to make our Glorious Socialist Government look bad.

It's the first actual info I've got from where the bulk of the riots are (In the City of San Cristobal, capital city of the state of Tachira, right by the border of Colombia). Because the local news black out has been quite effective.

Edited for Spelling

[Sigma_Orionis]

This doesn't make me feel very optimistic.

[Morrolan]

it's a shit sandwich...

be safe, my friend.

[SciFiFisher]

what about the upheaval in Caracas?

[Sigma_Orionis]

It has been going on all week, mostly roadblocks. Nothing like what's being reported from San Cristobal.

The bit about the retired general, ah yes, heard about it yesterday. Apparently he told police "come and get me if you can" when they came for him.

Yesterday I went to work. Much quieter than Monday. and saw no roadblocks. When I came back from work I saw the remains of a barricade with a banner that said "Enough with the Country of Scarcity".

Like I said on the other thread, the government decreed that Thursday and Friday will be non-working holidays. And that ties in with the extra-long Carnival weekend, so in essence most people (including me) won't go to work till next Wednesday. In the meantime, as the article you linked said, Nicky is calling for a meeting. I presume that he expects that a lot of average joes will be out of town for the extended holidays (which is pretty normal) and reduce the potential amount of people in marches and demonstrations.

[Swift]

Be safe Sigma