He he he... what's the matter OW? You could find any current photos of violent protesters?
Even as a propagandist you are pathetic.
The first pic is as recent as they come (published in a US newspaper - that sure helps the opposition image!). Just showing how true to form they stay.
I know they are becoming smaller and ever fewer but I do hope these oppsitionists stay around at least in a limited capacity. Their entertainment value is unsurpassed 
I can't wait for the photos when the economy comes crashing down. Oil production coming down....spend thrift spending continues to go up..at some point there will be a collision. So many hands in the cookie jar...the cookies run out...then what??
typical opposition supporter - pining for the economy to crash. They already had that happen once. Didn't work out for the opposition too well though.
Thing is, even if revenue drops quite a bit Chavez can make sure it is the middle and upper classes that bare the brunt of it and keep his political base largely insulated from it.
BTW, with oil prices back up there is a decent chance production could go back up so rooting for a production collapse isn't going to do you much good either
Picture # 5
"I Like"
John is quite right.
RCTV on the air or not, what counts is revenues from the oil industry. This is where the problem will originate. The rest will fall accordingly.
Mark my words.
ow,
Do you have any experience in the oil and gas industry? (filling up at your local gas station does not count). Seriously, if you had a little bit of idea of how things work in the industry, you would not make some of your comments. Leaving all political inclinations aside, they are not managing PDVSA right. Production IS going down and will get worse.
"Production IS going down and will get worse"
BS. Did you see the first quarter trade balance numbers from the BCV, it looks like production is going up! Maybe Venezuela is starting to cheat on its quota. Hope not, but production is clearly quite high.
OW - this is how the opposition fascists operate.
http://www.aporrea.org/ddhh/n95882.html
PSUV
Grac,
Just to show you you needn't cry for the Venezuelan oil industry:
http://www.haloscan.com/comments...8489608/
#324559
That sounds horrible - though as much as I hate to say it I'm not sure how they know right off it is political.
"I mean really, would you wear $200 designer jeans to a riot?"
You can buy jeans like these in Sabana Grande (well, before they cleaned it up) for 10,000 Bs.
"They already had that happen once. Didn't work out for the opposition too well though."
Almost did. Chavez's opinion poll ratings in 02-03 were not good. He may have lost the RR if it was held in 03 instead 04 when oil prices had bounced back up. Chavez's ratings - as most other Presidents - correlate with oil prices.
"Thing is, even if revenue drops quite a bit Chavez can make sure it is the middle and upper classes that bare the brunt of it and keep his political base largely insulated from it."
Doubtful. Most government spending benefits Chavez's base. This strategy would work for a while, but you saw the budget. What would happen if you cut oil revenues by 10%? 20%? They would have to cut somewhere. Sure they can cut investment or infrastructure or increase gas taxes or impose other taxes, but if the government keeps increasing expenditures (they are doing this) this will only plug the gap in the short term.
The economy is a concern in the medium term. Chavez is in the clear for about 1-3 years if oil stays at $60, but after that I am not too optimistic...
As for the protests, who cares? Protests were much bigger in 03-04. Clearly they do reflect popular discontent with the RCTV thing (only 16.7% were in agreement in a recent Dataanalysis poll), but they will not mean anything politically. That being said, RCTV has been a PR disaster for Chavez (especially with the follow-up threats against Globo...and now calling everybody who disagrees imperialists and fascists including the Brazilian Senate)
"Doubtful. Most government spending benefits Chavez's base. This strategy would work for a while, but you saw the budget. What would happen if you cut oil revenues by 10%? 20%? They would have to cut somewhere. Sure they can cut investment or infrastructure or increase gas taxes or impose other taxes, but if the government keeps increasing expenditures (they are doing this) this will only plug the gap in the short term. "
I think they could do quite a bit. Part of it is what you mentioned - cutting back on infrastructure spending which is nice but not necessary. Also, they could make the government workforce which is largely anti-Chavez take a hit both through pay cuts and trimming numbers. They could also defund these large public universities that are dominated by the middle and upper classes anyways, etc. All that would add up to something.
But here is the really big thing they could do - devalue the bolivar. Remember, the government earns a large share of all its money in Bolivars so when they devalue they give themselves (the government) a huge raise. And the people who consume the most imports, mainly the middle and upper classes, would take a big hit.
Of course, the poor would have some more expenses too - imported food would cost more. But the government can subsidize that to insulate them.
The key here is that although its not focused on much the Venezuelan upper classes have been getting a huge subsidy these past few years by vitue of the overvalued currency. That is why their retial sales and car purchases have gone through the roof. But if something has to go that would be the logical thing to throw overboard. And Chavez is a smart enough politician to make sure he protects his 60% of the population base, even if he has to really piss off the other 40% to do it.
Norwegian development minister Erik Solheim:
Solheim said "We can only say one thing about the closing of media in this part of the world - it's bad. There's every reason to be concerned that Chávez is replacing the State with himself, with all power in his own hands."
The remarkable thing is that he's from the socialist-left party (something like IU in Spain). They've been fierce pro-Chávez up until the RCTV-closure. [copied from a comment on CC]
the other remarkable thing is that Solheim is about as far left as you get in the Norwegian political spectrum (i.e. hard-left). What can I say? Fascist, coup-monger, extreme-rightist, imperialist, parrot of the empire...
No just misinformed.
I would hope these sling shot pacifists get picked up soon.
From the size of these demonstrations it's obvious that even many people who oppose Chavez on this one issue are not joining in the melee.
Edmundo - you beat me to it
"http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&
sid=aTsBi3wtRPZU&refer=news"
Inflation is increasing despite the 3% IVA cut (which will worsen the budget)
Here maybe you can forward him this article there TOR. Take a read for yourself too.
If a gov. is going to "shut down" a TV station because of a coup they would come in with guns blazing, shut the shit down right away, confiscate it equipment, throw the owner in jail, bla blah blah....did that happen no. maybe you should then stop calling it a "shut down" then....
Hugo Chavez versus RCTV
Venezuela's oldest private TV network played a major role in a failed 2002 coup.
By Bart Jones, BART JONES spent eight years in Venezuela, mainly as a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press, and is the author of the forthcoming book "Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story, From Mud Hut to Perpetual
May 30, 2007
VENEZUELAN President Hugo Chavez's refusal to renew the license of Radio Caracas Television might seem to justify fears that Chavez is crushing free speech and eliminating any voices critical of him.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Committee to Protect Journalists and members of the European Parliament, the U.S. Senate and even Chile's Congress have denounced the closure of RCTV, Venezuela's oldest private television network. Chavez's detractors got more ammunition Tuesday when the president included another opposition network, Globovision, among the "enemies of the homeland."
But the case of RCTV — like most things involving Chavez — has been caught up in a web of misinformation. While one side of the story is getting headlines around the world, the other is barely heard.
The demise of RCTV is indeed a sad event in some ways for Venezuelans. Founded in 1953, it was an institution in the country, having produced the long-running political satire program "Radio Rochela" and the blisteringly realistic nighttime soap opera "Por Estas Calles." It was RCTV that broadcast the first live-from-satellite images in Venezuela when it showed Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969.
But after Chavez was elected president in 1998, RCTV shifted to another endeavor: ousting a democratically elected leader from office. Controlled by members of the country's fabulously wealthy oligarchy including RCTV chief Marcel Granier, it saw Chavez and his "Bolivarian Revolution" on behalf of Venezuela's majority poor as a threat.
RCTV's most infamous effort to topple Chavez came during the April 11, 2002, coup attempt against him. For two days before the putsch, RCTV preempted regular programming and ran wall-to-wall coverage of a general strike aimed at ousting Chavez. A stream of commentators spewed nonstop vitriolic attacks against him — while permitting no response from the government.
Then RCTV ran nonstop ads encouraging people to attend a march on April 11 aimed at toppling Chavez and broadcast blanket coverage of the event. When the march ended in violence, RCTV and Globovision ran manipulated video blaming Chavez supporters for scores of deaths and injuries.
After military rebels overthrew Chave
After military rebels overthrew Chavez and he disappeared from public view for two days, RCTV's biased coverage edged fully into sedition. Thousands of Chavez supporters took to the streets to demand his return, but none of that appeared on RCTV or other television stations. RCTV News Director Andres Izarra later testified at National Assembly hearings on the coup attempt that he received an order from superiors at the station: "Zero pro-Chavez, nothing related to Chavez or his supporters…. The idea was to create a climate of transition and to start to promote the dawn of a new country." While the streets of Caracas burned with rage, RCTV ran cartoons, soap operas and old movies such as "Pretty Woman." On April 13, 2002, Granier and other media moguls met in the Miraflores palace to pledge support to the country's coup-installed dictator, Pedro Carmona, who had eliminated the Supreme Court, the National Assembly and the Constitution.
Would a network that aided and abetted a coup against the government be allowed to operate in the United States? The U.S. government probably would have shut down RCTV within five minutes after a failed coup attempt — and thrown its owners in jail. Chavez's government allowed it to continue operating for five years, and then declined to renew its 20-year license to use the public airwaves. It can still broadcast on cable or via satellite dish.
Granier and others should not be seen as free-speech martyrs. Radio, TV and newspapers remain uncensored, unfettered and unthreatened by the government. Most Venezuelan media are still controlled by the old oligarchy and are staunchly anti-Chavez.
If Granier had not decided to try to oust the country's president, Venezuelans might still be able to look forward to more broadcasts of "Radio Rochela."
http://www.latimes.com/news/
opin...1,5553603.story
'No just misinformed"
Government ministers - especially government minister that have traditionally supported Chavez - just watch CNN for 5 minutes and then make a pronouncement, right? Just send him some stuff from the VIO and he'll reverse?
Actually governments are careful before stating their opinons and they consider more than just the headlines. Trust me, this guy is a big fan of many of Chavez's social and economic policies and sympathetic to state TV, he would give the RCTV decision the benefit of the doubt.
"Just send him some stuff from the VIO and he'll reverse?"
Maybe he just needs to watch some YouTube videos
"Actually governments are careful before stating their opinons and they consider more than just the headlines."
Are you so sure. Do you think Bush carefully weighed what he was saying when he told the Iraqi insurgents to "bring it on"?
"Trust me, this guy is a big fan of many of Chavez's social and economic policies and sympathetic to state TV, he would give the RCTV decision the benefit of the doubt."
Just curious but I'm not sure what the relevance of what this person thinks is. Chavez already has the government of the most powerful country in the world pissed at him so why would he care what a Norwegian minister thinks?
The people who Chavez has to worry about are Venezuelans and the last time they voiced an opinion on the matter he got 62% of the vote.
"If Granier had not decided to try to oust the country's president, Venezuelans might still be able to look forward to more broadcasts of "Radio Rochela."
I've presented my case before in previous threads (go dig). I will not repeat myself here, but suffice to say that this misses the point. RCTV did bad things during the coup in 2002 (and during the strike in 2003). In fact, as a TV channel I have little respect for them. They are much worse than Fox News (which I also dislike). But all that is beside the point.
THe point is about the signal this sends to other media. The decision was taken by Chavez in December (after years of threats) and all other proceedings followed afterwards. nothing went through the courts or regulators. they simply rubberstamped things. Venevision and Televen who did basically the same thing during 2002-2003, but are much less critical now (if at all)were not punished at all. This was never explained or taken through any proceedings. Strangely Venevision's license was only renewed for 5 years...its 5.5 years until the next elections...ummm...coincidence? (typically licenses have been 20 years). Worse, Chavez imposed TVes as a substitute by dictate, no competition or alternatives...so far it looks like a lackluster pro-Chavez channel. But the jury is still out...
Nevertheless, RCTV has been an external and internal PR disaster for Chavez. Maybe people are 'misinformed', but there are two sides to every story and it seems like most people think the story is something like this:
http://www.economist.com/daily/
k...tory_id=9275081
"Just curious but I'm not sure what the relevance of what this person thinks is. Chavez already has the government of the most powerful country in the world pissed at him so why would he care what a Norwegian minister thinks?"
He shouldn't. However, Chavez does seem concerned about world politics (UN seat, handouts, alliances, world tours etc.). It hurts his ego. Does it matter much in Venezuela? No.
The reason I made the case I was making, was to respond to the 'misinformed' argument. It seems like Chavistas in government think they did the right thing and that everyone else (outside Venezuela) is 'misinformed'. This is a myth, and that was the relevence of my argument.
"The people who Chavez has to worry about are Venezuelans and the last time they voiced an opinion on the matter he got 62% of the vote."
True, but polls show the RCTV closure was very unpopular. Will it dent Chavez's approval rating? not much, the arepa factor is much more important than the soap opera factor, but 19% inflation is not popular even though the 37% increase in retail sales trumps it...for now...
"Also, they could make the government workforce which is largely anti-Chavez take a hit both through pay cuts and trimming numbers. They could also defund these large public universities that are dominated by the middle and upper classes anyways, etc. All that would add up to something."
It would, but it would be painful. Actually I would support both decisions, but I don't see Chavez making them until he is stuck between a sharp sword and a wall. Cutting infrastructure (and oil investment) would be easy, but this would hurt long-term. Remember the government needs to invest in increasing the economic pie not just redistributing it.
"But here is the really big thing they could do - devalue the bolivar. Remember, the government earns a large share of all its money in Bolivars so when they devalue they give themselves (the government) a huge raise."
This would help, but it would also increase inflation and this hurts the poor. Also the poor consume lots of imports too (food since agriculture production is down), clothes, shoes, cell phones (most people have one these days). Venezuela imports most stuff (and many inputs to production as well).
"Of course, the poor would have some more expenses too - imported food would cost more. But the government can subsidize that to insulate them."
But this would increase the budget deficit.
"THe point is about the signal this sends to other media."
Indeed - don't participate in coups. Part of the purpose of any punishment is to discourage others from participating in similarly bad behaviour.
"The decision was taken by Chavez in December "
How do you know this. I know he was the first to publically announce it - but he is the president of the country and this was an executive branch decision so that is no surprise. But beyond that what role, if any, that he had in making the decision I don't know. Unfortunately I don't get invited to Chavez's cabinet meetings 
"and all other proceedings followed afterwards. nothing went through the courts or regulators. they simply rubberstamped things. "
As far as I know everything was done administratively through Conatel. And again I don't think you know what decisions were made when and by whom.
"Venevision and Televen who did basically the same thing during 2002-2003,"
Two points on this. First, I've never seen evidence that they did the same thing - ie letting military officers use their programming to give orders and direct a coup.
Second, if they've pulled back from being political actors and gone to being a normal TV station (ie, reporting the news instead of trying to make it) wouldn't the government take account of that in deciding what licenses to renew? I would think so. If you have one group of people who accept what they did as wrong and change that is good. If you have others who are unrepentant and would do the same thing tomorrow if they could then I think it would be wise for the government to make sure they don't get the same chance.
"Worse, Chavez imposed TVes as a substitute by dictate, no competition or alternatives...so far it looks like a lackluster pro-Chavez channel"
Yup that is an issue. Interestingly the opposition doesn't make much of an issue of this. Rather, they try to defend what in my view is indefensible which will of course lead them nowhere.
"Nevertheless, RCTV has been an external and internal PR disaster for Chavez."
I don't think. This is all the same heat of the moment type stuff we've seen over an over again in Venezuela
So if anybody is for Chavez, he is right. If he opposes him he is either misinformed or a right-wing pig.
ow/Edmundo,
Does Chavez ever make a mistake? Personally, I am sure that if he could back in time he would not shut down RCTV. He miscalculated the repersussions.
"but I don't see Chavez making them until he is stuck between a sharp sword and a wall."
Yes, I wish he would be more pro-active on this. But the point is he can do it if he needs to.
"Cutting infrastructure (and oil investment) would be easy, but this would hurt long-term."
I was referring to infrastructure like roads and mass transit. Its all nice but if you need to cut it for a few years you can especially given all the work that has been done recently. Oil investment would be kept at levels needed to meet OPEC quotas.
"But this would increase the budget deficit."
No, because remember one of the reasons the budget is tight is that the government is only paying itself 2,150 Bs for all the dollars it has. If it devalued to 4,300 for example it would have a lot more money (eg, the revenue side of the budget just went WAY up) and can subsidize what it needs to. By making dollars to the middle class expensive and subsidizing the poor (which it would then have the money for) it keeps its base safe.
"Does Chavez ever make a mistake?"
sure, not setting up a democratically controlled channel to replace RCTV is a mistake.
Keeping the Bolivar overvalued is a HUGE mistake.
Not doing anything about crime is a big mistake.
etc, etc.
Lucky for him though he does more things right than wrong.
"Personally, I am sure that if he could back in time he would not shut down RCTV. He miscalculated the repersussions."
I'm not in Chavez's head but I highly doubt that.
When it comes to economics Chavez is as dumb as a bucket of rocks.
"It hurts his ego."
I don't know, maybe. Personally I think he kind of thrives on this type of stuff. A lot of Type A personalities do.
"The reason I made the case I was making, was to respond to the 'misinformed' argument. It seems like Chavistas in government think they did the right thing and that everyone else (outside Venezuela) is 'misinformed'. This is a myth, and that was the relevence of my argument."
Yes and no. Obviously there are many people who are very well informed about the situation and disagree with what Chavez did. Well informed people can and do disagree all the time. So being against the closure of RCTV does not mean you are poorly informed.
However, a large number of people, even people making pronouncements on it, do not know many of the facts. And much of the reporting is misleading and incomplete, which doesn't help.
How well informed is this particular person? I don't know. Regardless, if he is against the license not being renewed I disagree with him.
"True, but polls show the RCTV closure was very unpopular. Will it dent Chavez's approval rating?"
It may well have been an unpopular move. But that doesn't matter - there aren't any upcoming elections. That is why Chavez, being a smart politician, did this at the beginning of his term.
Chavez needs to get tough with corporate criminals. He lets them get away with too much.The fascists need to learn that crime doesn't pay. Anyone who commits treason and aids or participates in a coup d'etat against the democratically elected and legitimate government needs to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and should be sentenced to life in prison without parole. Venezuela also needs to improve prison security. They have too many criminals that are escaping from prison.
here here ty,
give the guilty bastards a fair trial and lock them up. all this crying over rctv is such a crock. only in world gone bats could this be taken seriously.
keepin' on,
"If it devalued to 4,300 for example it would have a lot more money (eg, the revenue side of the budget just went WAY up) and can subsidize what it needs to. By making dollars to the middle class expensive and subsidizing the poor (which it would then have the money for) it keeps its base safe."
True, but I meant all else constant, more subsides for food would increase the budget deficit. Remember devaluation would increase inflation and may lead to demands for higher wages and higher subsidies, but I agree that the short-term effect of a devaluation would be to make government finances more robust.
"But that doesn't matter - there aren't any upcoming elections. That is why Chavez, being a smart politician, did this at the beginning of his term."
What about the constitutional reform referendum?
I would think the government had to respond to the RCTV license renewal issue because the license was going to expire and a decision yes or no had to be made whether or not it was the opportune moment on the political calendar.
Ty, the situation is that police, courts and prison officials are corrupt and justice is far from certain. Many are openly or not openly against the president and his policies and to top it off, don't forget the state of mind of the population as a whole. It's not arguable that most are unhappy with the decision to not renew RCTV.
Frankly a new socialist ethic is not yet the rule of the day and just like here in the US many people virtually live their lives through television which is a very powerful narcotic type drug of a sort.
Hysterical FOX news segment on Venezuela. Some pearls:
1) Venezuela close the "last independent TV station"
2) THe government used to control 65% of the media - "now it controls 100%"
3) when one announcer pointed out that Chavez was democratically elected Maria Conchita Alonzo objected and said no he wans't. Rosales was part of a conspiracy to make the election look legitimate according to her.
4) "the economy keeps going down".
Thank god in the U.S. we have a free media to make sure we are well informed about what is going on in the world
I thought i read "just don’t see that any of that will have any significance"
What? estás aculillao ahora, gringo guevón?
When you say "student protests have died down" I suppose you mean that the student protests where attacked by chavismo supporters both in Caracas and Maracaibo. Right?
Just checking your lies, oops!, sorry, facts, facts.
:D
Tor, your analysis is so full of wishful, pro-capitalist, Economist thinking. You are a good example of how the "liberal' mind in Western, pro-empire countries work.
Norway, like the rest of Europe, is a conspirator nation--these nations function as back-door apologists for imperial plunder. Surely, the economic interests across Europe benefit from the imperial status quo.
The 'hard-left' politicos of these nations are 'leftist' in an ideological continuum that stays well within the IMF/World Bank neoconservative model.
Zapatero is different than Bush only by a matter of style--the neocon substance is still the difference that makes the difference..
Your naive credility is touching Tor; but I suggest you disabuse yourself of this adolesant inclination that you choose to cloud your thinking.
Capitaliism can only exist through the pathological plunder of the planet and sustained human oppression. But as long as you pollute your mind with Economist-think--without availing yourself of criitical thinking that would call such facil propaganda into question--you will continue to proffer naive hope that the thoughts of a two-bit, hypocritical Norwegien, fake-left minister is news-worthy.
If we smack down the fascism of The nazi-youth Pope and the criminal leaders of fascist imperialism, then your giddy pointing to the Norweign stoodge is a mere non sequitor. 
In Venezuela there are 82 TV staions on open signal. (excluding community TV)
78 are run by the opposition.
PSUV
I know, but I've now seen it repeated several places that ALL media is now controlled by the government.
As Ken Livingstone said....
I'll ask again since I didn't get any response last time.
Does anyone have any information as to why CANTV is blocking certain "opposition" websites now?
Nope
OW, this is off topic, but have you heard Gates talk about the US being in Iraq as a permanent force, like South Korea.
He has evinced this thoughts before--and now the mainstream imperialist media seem to be trying to adjust the US population to this notion of a permanent prescence.
I knew that this was the game-plan all along. The bald imperialist agression and corporate theft is clear for anyone but the willfully blind to see.
Looks like those wanting freemdom from the US occupation in Iraq will have no peace any time soon.
That's pretty sad then. I guess this is just proof then that CANTV is another censorship tool of the government.
Well this blocking seems unacceptable to me. What are the sites they blocked?
When you say "student protests have died down" I suppose you mean that the student protests where attacked by chavismo supporters both in Caracas and Maracaibo. Right?
Just checking your lies, oops!, sorry, facts, facts.
:D
"Well this blocking seems unacceptable to me"
What sites are being blocked????
Last night I couldn't get onto this site for a couple of hours, am I to assume the US government is blocking it?
I read lots of opposition sites and they all seem to be up and running just fine with even lots of people in Venezuela reading and commenting on them too.
Anon, don't be like the other rightwing, pro-empire liars in Venezuela--give us a list of sites that are being blocked, not just vauge accusations.
Please, eight years of lies and distortions, the rightwing oppos don't seem capable of emitting one sentence that doesn't have distortions and misrepresentations, glaring omissions and logical fallacies.
I guess this goes with not ever being challenged on their bullshit as they blow smoke up each others' asses. Kinky, yes--but this titillary excersizes don't give you respect among the general population of Venezuela. Oh, I forgott, for you vendepatrias the population of Venezuela are second-tier players in your putrid yuppie drama.
Whappp! Yeah, that is reality smack'n you liars upside the head.
CATNV is reportedly blocking
http://www.caracasradiotv.com
I cannot verify this since I have no CANTV IP, CANTV is not my ISP.
Sire, oh, you cannot verify these rumors....how utterly typical.
By the way, it was sad to see your compadres attack you with such vehemence over at CC's place.
I am banned, so I could not come to your defense. How typical, no? 
Others seem to have been able to verify it. However, due to technical constraints I cannot, not for lack of will.
I have not recently commented on Caracas Chronicles, however, I was indeed criticised on some other places.
There are idiots on both sides, that's out of the question.
I doubt its being blocked. Why would they block it and not places like N.D., Megaresistencia, and others which they clearly are not. Technical glitches pop up on the internet all the time.
The opposition always has had the means to make itself heard loud and clear and still does. What seems to annoy them is they no longer have a near monopoly on major media which they pretty much did have 4 or 5 years ago.
What, no pictures of the Chavistas that were drawing their guns last week?
Dan OW Burnett admits to spending lots of time reading opposition websites?
I am very impressed with OW's comments regarding Internet blockage... ignorance exposed. Keep it up!
BTW, what's up with those old pictures? Did you magnify the girl's ass to see the brand?
http://blogs.salon.com/0001330/2...6/
02.html#a3516
What sites are being blocked????Nope, but nice try. The US government isn't blocking anything, this is completely the Venezuelan government blocking it's people from certain websites.
Last night I couldn't get onto this site for a couple of hours, am I to assume the US government is blocking it?
I read lots of opposition sites and they all seem to be up and running just fine with even lots of people in Venezuela reading and commenting on them too.I guess it's another "perk" of living here. CANTV has blocked caracasradiotv.com on several levels. It has removed it's entry from CANTV DNS servers and has actually prevented the data flow from CANTV lines to the website's server in Florida. People with other ISPs within Venezuela can access the sites as can everyone else worldwide. The site can also be viewed if you use a proxy server to mask the data being viewed.
Pretty sad.
OW, the sad truth is that people bring their masks because they expect to be gassed.
You know, they live in a country where the police uses rubber bullets and gas protesters systematically and where the goverment arm their supporters so that they can infiltrate the marches and start shooting.
Remember how they repressed the people in the marches of February 2004.
http://blogs.salon.com/0001330/2...2/
28.html#a1307
Ah , yes Bruni - the famous Eleanor Montes put in her place after spitting into the face of the GN.
I guess if you throw rocks, cabillas and use firearams you expect to get "repressed".
So far there have been 30 policemen injured and as far as I know, no students in last week's protests. 9 police were wounded by firearms (8 in Mérida). One police man lost an eye and another was shot in the chest and saved by his chaquete antibalas.
It's usually the other way round.
The only people in custody are those cuaght with firearms in the marches. All the rest have been released pending further investigations.
The government is too blandengue if you ask me.
PSUV
"You know, they live in a country where the police uses rubber bullets and gas protesters systematically and where the goverment arm their supporters so that they can infiltrate the marches and start shooting."
That sooo has never happened in U.S. history. Not once.
Thor wrote:That being said, RCTV has been a PR disaster for Chavez (especially with the follow-up threats against Globo...and now calling everybody who disagrees imperialists and fascists including the Brazilian Senate).
Thor lets me tell you a little history about Brazil's senate and broadcast. A plenty of Brazil' senate members is TV broadcast license owners. I.E. - A Former Brazil Republic President, former Brazil' Senate President and current Pará's State Senator "José Sarney" is TV station owner on Maranhão State( Guiana Border); A former Senate President, a former Communication Minister on José Sarney presidential period and current Bahia's Senator " Antônio Carlos Magalhães is Tv owner on Bahia State; a Former Republic President, a former Alagoas's State governor, a former Maceió( Alagoas's capitol) mayor and current Alagoas's state senator is tv owner on Alagoas's state. On deputy chamber the situation is the same, may be worst.
The Brazil's senate motion is not about "free spech" concerns, is due to money and power concerns; what afraid ours Senators is the possibility of license's non renew and subsequent money and power loss.
It is what was called on Cold War " dominos theory". Puts on other: A "bad" example may be followed by other people. For our right wing Lula/Chaves's ties is much closer than they want, so...
the but not least: these "respected guys" mentioned above are actual Fascist with a large criminal roolsheet against "free speech": 1964's coup d'etat, censorship, newspaper's(!) opposition blackout charge and opposition's murders charge.
Unfortunately our Senate is not reference of "free speech heroes".
test
Anonymous,
who said that the rock throwers were not goverment infiltrators? And even if they weren't, does that gives the goverment the right to start shooting rubber bullets, using water tanks, gassing everybody and shooting at buildings?
So, according to you, Anonymous, the Cosntitutional right that the students have to march and protest are inmediately anhilated by the goverment if a single rock is thrown by anybody?
What type of democracy is that?
Bruni:
A single rock? Look at even the videos that Miguel posts showing the demonstrations. Note all the debre in the streets, the fires - not the acts of one or two instigators. If the students were smart they would do a better job of policing their own demonstrations. Because if there is violence then yes the government has not only the right but the responsibility to restore order and that probably does mean the end of the march.
The opposition marched peacefully on Sunday. The students marched peacefully yesterday to the Supreme Court. That is what happens when you conduct yourself in a civil manner.
Commenting by HaloScan
