MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
In a pre-recorded message López calls for protests against Maduro to continue
Imprisoned protest leader Leopoldo Lopez urged supporters to keep fighting for the departure of Venezuela's populist government, even as he was due in court accused of fomenting unrest that has killed at least five people. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesWhile everybody talks about the possibility of a civil war I don’t understand who will the Army and PSUV militias fight apart from students and middle class sectors. It sounds like a massive crackdown incoming.
Feb 20th, 2014 - 01:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0Is there actual sectors of the Venezuelan army who are still independent?
1) where is Lopez? Rumours and some news wires say he is being kept in a military compound. Why?
Feb 20th, 2014 - 02:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0I speculate that if they put him a regular prison the prisoners would set him free. Not joking. The prisoners run the prisons. The guards merely control the perimeter.
2) yes @1 re: the army and not the national guard. Separate entity. I will post tomorrow on this. Long day on social media circumventing gov. Blocks in venezuela. .. back soon
2
Feb 20th, 2014 - 02:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0Look forward to that too. Please post some information of what Colombia's position or what role do you think it will adopt in the event of a Venezuelan civil war.
There are bad days coming for this hero...and the country.
Feb 20th, 2014 - 10:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0And it doesn't help that there is a lot of attention (distraction even) from Ukraine right now.
Feb 20th, 2014 - 02:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The only hope for the people is if a large section of the army turn on Maduro, but can anybody see that happening?
Feb 20th, 2014 - 05:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It may take a serious number of ordinary people to be killed before even the army can see no sense in supporting the bus driver and then it will only take one bullet to end the direct problem.
But would “free elections” be allowed once the military are seen to be in charge? I think Maduro is not in charge at the moment: he is just a mouthpiece and fall guy, just like TMBOA seems to be.
I don't see the army opposing the Chavistas. Pretty much everyone in Venezuela with any real power is Chavista and the capitalists have already left. This will end up like Solidarity in Poland, with all the rebels being shot down.
Feb 20th, 2014 - 09:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Why I believe there will NOT be a Civil War in the ‘classic’ sense in Venezuela.
Feb 20th, 2014 - 09:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The 50% of the population that did not vote for Maduro is unarmed and has no access to the quantity or arms required to mount a serious military threat to the regime. Equally they have no desire for such a battle.
This conflict is no longer ideological, something that has always been the core of most civil wars in history. The reasons we are seeing thousands on the streets is due to massive inflation, scarcity of goods, insecurity in the streets and lack of decent jobs.
It is about the Economy for most of the people, they are sick of 21st Century Socialism. They want jobs, milk, toilet paper, stability, a future for their kids. No-one cares about politics any more (except a few hardcore chavista communists), people just want a ‘life’.
It is also about the ‘clientismo’ that means any Public Sector jobs, (in the only growing sector), are only available to PSUV members. It is about widespread corruption, state-inefficiency and the knowledge that the country has massive resources that are being mis-used. There is no ‘USA’ plot. They have too many problems at home and no desire for further military involvement elsewhere. That would be political suicide, domestically speaking, in the US. Equally, for the cynics, the US no-longer requires VZ oil, as they are on the way to being energy self-sufficient. Let us also remember, the Cold War is over. A left-wing regime in Lat-Am is no longer the threat it once was.
The people know that they are getting screwed.
I will post more about the Cubanisation of the Gov. and why the US is no-longer interested.
Venezuela! For me!
Feb 20th, 2014 - 11:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Beautiful
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHZmZYnUyqU&list=FLmXPTu1f8AdGlizWNiASx2A
Spanish great!
@9 dickhead. Shut up.
Feb 21st, 2014 - 12:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0More important events are upon us.
I am getting reports on the newswires that Maduro is going to block CNN!
anyone else confirm this? Just rumours?
Or proof of dictatorial censorship?
also feedback saying he is trying to shut down ISP providers like CanTv...
10
Feb 21st, 2014 - 12:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0Yep, its being going for quite some time in Arg media
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1665907-nicolas-maduro-uno-por-uno-voy-por-ustedes-fascistas
He wants CNN to rectify its programming on the events of the last couple of days or else its the boot.
To bad the army is not going to stop the onslaught of the government.
I've seen many videos and you can hear gun shots permanently is it possible that the amount of casualties is being censured by the gov't??
Why is MercoPress not reporting on Censorship in Venezeula?
Feb 21st, 2014 - 12:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0MercoPress, you could be next! For Evil to prosper it only requires good men to remain silent! You could be next if you do not speak now!
San Cristobal - VZLA
Last night, the authorities shut down internet service to the whole city, which explains why so few YouTube videos have emerged from San Cristóbal, whereas we have seen so many from Merida and other smaller cities, not just Caracas. Thousands of National Guard troops were sent out into San Cristóbal at around around 12:40 last night, and at 1:00 a.m. Internet service was shut down for the whole city and its surrounding areas. Then the nightly running battles started, with unarmed kids facing off against the National Guard and their paramilitary companions both – a ludicrously uneven fight where the people claiming the right to protest get called fascists by a government using grotesquely disproportionate force to quash them.
That military pillar of the regime has been crumbling since Chávez’s death last March. Maduro has earned little respect within their ranks. Those who have rallied around him are men he has coopted with new assignments and the very corruptnarcomilitares — notably National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello — who are hoping to hold on to their illicit fortunes by preserving the criminal and unaccountable regime.
A nationalist Armychafes at the heavy-handed role of the Cuban regime in Maduro’s administration. As one former Chávez confidante grumbled privately, “There is not a ‘Chavista‘ government in Venezuela today — it is a ‘Cuban’ government, instead.” The images of ill-trained national guardsmen and civilian thugs shooting, beating, and detaining student protesters has further alienated the bulk of the Army officer corps from Maduro and his cadre of corrupt generals.
This could be the end of Mas-Burro, but not necessarily the regime.
Unfortunately.
This I why I think the will be no' civil war' just an almighty bloody mess...
@12 Well let's face it. Euphemistically and geographically speaking, Mercopress uhh.. puts the south in southern hemisphere coverage. Argentina, Falklands, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile seem go to the front of the line and newsfeed, even the current cover slides with CFK and her dogs and stuffies (god, who IS her idiot in charge of PR?). But since it's somewhat more of a “news aggregator” than a full-blown news agency it certainly doesn't have to do the “fair and balanced” fence sitting between naked unapologetic fascist power and struggling democrats lest they loose “access” like CNN has (oh so ironic that, given Eason Jordan's pseudo apologetics over playing patty cake with Saddam Hussein). BBC meanwhile has been absolutely infuriating but predictable in that regard towing a careful line. Hey, you never know. It might pay off and maybe they can get an interview with Maduro's little bird but the anti-tweetie is probably too busy sending Yanukovych & Zakharchenko two totally awesome fruit baskets since they are literally giving the PSUV a helluvalotta cover fire.
Feb 21st, 2014 - 02:13 am - Link - Report abuse 0Mercopress brings together a selection of news stories seemingly tailored to its readership. Not unusual for media. The more comments and reads a story gets the more appear on that subject. If you want more on Venezuela you need to keep the comments coming.
Feb 21st, 2014 - 10:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0MP doesn't do 'breaking news' so a lot appears here after the event. It is more of a round up news site. There are other places for up-to-date and breaking news.
The CNN story is now showing on this site.
Thanks guys.
Feb 21st, 2014 - 03:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I find panampost.com pretty useful for news and commentary on Colombia, Venezuela and the Caribbean.
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