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Zorro

(15,691 posts)
Fri Jan 29, 2016, 12:04 PM Jan 2016

Venezuela opposition leader urges fast action to oust president

Source: Reuters

Venezuela's opposition must define within weeks its strategy for ending Nicolas Maduro's presidency given the OPEC nation's "monstrous" economic crisis, opposition leader Henrique Capriles believes.

Having won control of the National Assembly last month due to voter ire at Venezuela's punishing recession, the opposition coalition has vowed to find a constitutional mechanism to oust Hugo Chavez' successor in the first half of 2016.

Options for the multi-faction coalition include demanding his resignation, forcing a recall referendum as allowed half-way through his term, or reforming the constitution to trigger a new presidential election.

"We have to find a common position. The clock is ticking ... We can't wait longer than the first quarter," Capriles, a state governor who narrowly lost a 2013 presidential vote to Maduro, told Reuters in an interview late on Thursday.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-opposition-leader-urges-fast-action-oust-president-140929811--business.html



The Venezuelan economy's downward spiral will continue unless Maduro changes his policies, and there's every indication he plans to stay the course. It's a case of politics trumping reality, much like what is seen in supply-side embracing states like Kansas.
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FLPanhandle

(7,107 posts)
2. Not when he has the military commanders backing him up.
Fri Jan 29, 2016, 12:16 PM
Jan 2016

I expect Maduro will end any pretense of democracy soon.

FBaggins

(26,693 posts)
3. That's still an open question
Fri Jan 29, 2016, 12:55 PM
Jan 2016

The word was that the only reason that Maduro pretended to accept the results of the election was that the military commanders refused to back him against the clear will of the people. However, his more recent moves hint that things might have changed.

It won't be boring... and with Venezuela mere weeks (to perhaps months) away from bankruptcy... it probably won't be long in coming.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
4. VZ opposition showing that neither side has much respect for democracy or rule of law.
Fri Jan 29, 2016, 01:58 PM
Jan 2016

Just like neither the Chavistas nor their wingnut opponents have much of an appetite for genuinely reforming VZ's economy from its current status as the world's largest gas station..

LiberalLovinLug

(14,153 posts)
5. The counter-revolution is almost complete
Fri Jan 29, 2016, 07:11 PM
Jan 2016

Out of the frying pan back into the fire.

Maduro could have capitulated to the onslaught of the international financial .01 % oligarchy sooner and allowed his nation to go back to their former masters, but he decided to match their ruthlessness to defend Chavez's democratic socialist legacy. But he fell into their no-win trap. They knew the only way to stop the multi directional attacks, including the collusion with the terrorist state of Saudi Arabia to flood the market with cheap oil, the suppression of necessities, along with right wing owned media smears, was to get more draconian himself. It was a deal with the Devil that he cannot win. Its all really sad for the people there.

Zorra

(27,670 posts)
7. Wall St. will try to do something similar to us if Bernie is elected.
Sat Jan 30, 2016, 12:25 AM
Jan 2016

Now that we have seen the Venezuelan model for how they destroy democracies through planned economic deprivation and external economic and media manipulation, etc., we need to figure out how to quickly strip them of their power to commit acts of financial terrorism against the US and all peoples of the world of the world who wish to establish democratic governments for themselves that are free from manipulation and control of greedy, malicious oligarchs.

Subcomandante Marcos, Zapatista brother, wrote this in the mountains of south Mexico a few decades ago:

The global power of the financial centers is so great, that they can afford not to worry about the political tendency of those who hold power in a nation, if the economic program (in other words, the role that nation has in the global economic megaprogram) remains unaltered. The financial disciplines impose themselves upon the different colors of the world political spectrum in regards to the government of any nation. he great world power can tolerate a leftist government in any part of the world, as long as the government does not take measures that go against the needs of the world financial centers. But in no way will it tolerate that an alternative economic, political and social organization consolidate. For the megapolitics, the national politics are dwarfed and submit to the dict ates of the financial centers. It will be this way until the dwarfs rebel . .

http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/mexico/ezln/1997/jigsaw.html


From Fire to Autonomy: Zapatistas, 20 Years of Walking Slowly

Speaking in the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico, on a cold drizzly New Year's Eve, the Zapatista Comandante Hortensia addressed the crowd: "Twenty-five or 30 years ago we were completely deceived, manipulated, subjugated, forgotten, drowned in ignorance and misery." She was communicating the official words of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) on the 20th anniversary of their rebellion, when thousands of indigenous people rose up in arms, took over dozens of major towns and villages in this southern state, and declared "enough is enough, never again will there be a homeland that doesn't include us."

Comandante Hortensia went on to explain how over the past two decades, they have constructed their own autonomous government, complete with their own health and education system, based in the indigenous traditions of their ancestors. Despite the continual efforts of the "neoliberal bad government" to displace them from their land, the Zapatistas have successfully recuperated thousands of acres of land on which they have constructed communities that are governed "from the bottom up." Community members participate in rotating government positions that operate under the democratic principle of "mandar obedeciendo" (commanding by obeying).

The Mexican government has attempted to introduce social programs with the goal of co-opting and dividing the indigenous population in Zapatista areas. However, the indigenous rebels, who reject all forms of government handouts, have successfully resisted co-optation. If you ask a Zapatista how many are in the ranks, they will just respond "somos un chingo," which loosely translates into "there are a whole lot of us." Official estimates put their numbers at 250,000 people or roughly 10 percent of the population of the state of Chiapas.
snip---
Daily Life: Dignity Triumphs over Money

Their efforts in constructing autonomy could not be understood without focusing on their indigenous ethics and principles of mandar obedenciedo: to serve and not be served; represent and not supplant; build and not destroy; propose and not impose; and convince, not defeat, from below not above. No autonomous authority receives a salary, as it is considered an honor to serve the people. The home community of the representatives of the good government donate corn and beans to be consumed by them while they are living and working in the Caracol.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/21427-from-fire-to-autonomy-zapatistas-20-years-of-walking-slowly


A possible simple working model for worldwide democratic resistance to the economic terrorism of the oligarchs.

LiberalLovinLug

(14,153 posts)
8. Yes
Sat Jan 30, 2016, 01:22 AM
Jan 2016

And I don't know if people that are aware of this, or something like this, will have the stomach, and the time (with everyone being squeezed to work longer hours for less pay) to help fight the war that will happen if Bernie is elected.

Contrary to other Bernie supporters, I think even though the corporate MSM would hound Hillary as well, it will be a 10x onslaught on Sanders if he would win the nomination. And if through all that he managed to win the Presidency, it would not stop. Only intensify. Hillary would be much more prone to making back room deals...."you lay off me here, and I'll put SS back on the table" or something like that. With Bernie, we will all have to help support him and his revolution for his whole term.

EX500rider

(10,518 posts)
9. Please, Venz's problems are all self-inflicted:
Sat Jan 30, 2016, 12:15 PM
Jan 2016

Single product economy, confiscation of foreign owned facilities driving away foreign investment, poorly thought out currency controls, command economy price controls during rampant inflation-caused by running the currency printing presses 24-7, give away prices on some consumer items guaranteeing smuggling and a black market-resulting in organized crime flourishing and resulting in one of the highest murder rates on the planet, with Caracas being the murder capitol of the world, replacing competent managers with yes-men (causing a 25% drop in oil production) and suppression of a free press and opposition.

LiberalLovinLug

(14,153 posts)
10. Please? accept your corporate media talking points?....uh no.
Sat Jan 30, 2016, 03:30 PM
Jan 2016

I wonder if the completely snookered folks like you can even at least appreciate what Chavez brought to Venezuela when he first came to elected power? The astounding advancements in literacy, education, and higher education, a legacy of 2 new Universities that are now the largest in the country. It places 2nd in Latin America and 5th in the world with the greatest proportions of university students. Poverty being reduced from 70.8% (1996) to 21% (2010). Extreme poverty reduced from 40% (1996) to a very low level of 7.3% (2010).

I could go on.

Do you actually believe that the powerful moneyed establishment simply stood by and did nothing when such a populist Socialist engaged in such massive redistribution of wealth and management? That they just sat by and watched their investments being taken over that were generating nice profits within the previous draconian yes-men government?..especially watching Chavez become a kind of beacon to the rest of South America?

They used speculation and black market to start to destroy the bolivar even before the oil price suspicious plummet. They used sabotage of the infrastructure like the electrical grid. Dumping food and daily household products to keep them off the retail markets. Disinformation in right wing media. It was a multilevel, manifold and vicious like we have never seen before.

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/the-us-covert-war-on-venezuela-in-2015/

Did Chavez and Murado double down stubbornly and refuse to capitulate? To the detriment of the economy? Probably. But PLEASE, don't be so naive as to think that the US and other nation's financial oligarchy would not covertly, and overtly, work to isolate, impoverish, and destabilize Venezuela ever since Chavez gained power.



If Sanders ever does get elected, I hope you are not the pushover you seem to be because he will also be attacked on all fronts relentlessly. And it will be important not to believe the first thing you hear by the corporate owned media, whose ownership will no doubt feel threatened.

EX500rider

(10,518 posts)
11. Lets see...
Sat Jan 30, 2016, 04:23 PM
Jan 2016

I see you stopped at 2010 for poverty levels, don't blame you...

Venezuela’s poverty rate rose to 32 percent at the end of last year from a record low 25 percent in 2012, according to the National Statistics Institute, or INE. That represents an additional 1.8 million people who live in families with less in income than 6,648 bolivars ($87 at the black market rate) a month.
http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/08/02/venezuelas-increasing-inflation-shortages-leave-poor-doubting-maduro

Education?
18 Venezuelan universities on brink of shutdown as economic crisis enters the classroom
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/10/27/18-venezuelan-universities-on-brink-shutdown-as-crisis-enters-classroom/

"They used speculation and black market to start to destroy the bolivar."
No the Venezuelan govt did that with over printing and bad currency controls.

".....even before the oil price suspicious plummet."
Nothing suspicious about it, US fracking help caused a glut, Saudi doesn't want to cut production to mess with Iran & US fracking.

"They used sabotage of the infrastructure like the electrical grid
."
Venezuelan govt again responsible for not upgrading and expanding capacity, not "sabotage" lol

"Dumping food and daily household products to keep them off the retail markets."
Only thing keeping products off the market are price controls coupled with currency controls and rampant inflation.

"Disinformation in right wing media."
Venz. govt took over or closed most opposition in the press, getting a bad score of "NOT FREE" from Freedom House's press rankings. Human Rights Watch said that during "the leadership of President Chávez and now President Maduro, the accumulation of power in the executive branch and the erosion of human rights guarantees have enabled the government to intimidate, censor, and prosecute its critics" and reported that broadcasters may be censored if they criticize the government."
Reporters Without Borders said that the media in Venezuela is "almost entirely dominated by the government and its obligatory announcements, called cadenas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Venezuela
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2015/venezuela

LiberalLovinLug

(14,153 posts)
12. lol thanks for proving my point
Sat Jan 30, 2016, 04:57 PM
Jan 2016

Of course poverty levels increased once again after years of those monolithic attacks.

Anyways, I was thinking of going point by point and posting my own links. But you'd only post back your own corporate sanctioned talking points back so I dont' have time for that.

So while I admitted that, like rats cornered, Chavez and Murado began to overstep and become more aggressive including consolidating the media in reaction, rather than simply give up on their socialist revolution, you refuse to acknowledge the accomplishments that were brought to Venz. and cling to the belief that all their problems were completely self inflicted, (no market manipulation with the currency for example) and that the world's financial powers just sat on the sidelines and did nothing. We will have to agree to disagree.

EX500rider

(10,518 posts)
13. "no market manipulation with the currency for example"
Sat Jan 30, 2016, 09:49 PM
Jan 2016

Links that don't go back to Venz Analysis or some blog?

They screwed their own currency by the classic over printing which drives inflation, and moronic currency controls so local companies can't get enough dollars to buy the exports they need. Add on top price controls in the face of 100%+ inflation makes sure the store shelves are empty.

 

Marksman_91

(2,035 posts)
14. And here comes the usually delusional talking points that Venezuela's problems are "sabotage"
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 02:07 PM
Feb 2016

You do realize that nobody except hardcore Marxist useful idiots (for any jury members who get chosen to read this comment if it's flagged, do understand that "useful idiot" is a historically common phrase to denote people who are propagandists for a cause whose goals they are not fully aware of, this is not meant to be used as an insult) are the ones who at this point keep clamoring the tired notion that the US/CIA/corporate elites are behind every cat stuck up a tree in developing countries, especially those ruled by anti-US nincompoops like Maduro. No matter how much you try to sell it, people with common sense are not gonna fall for this BS anymore. It's the reason why Chavismo had a colossal loss this past election, and why they will continue to lose. Accept that Chavismo is done with, the pseudo-"revolution" that Chavez started was an utter failure that is collapsing under its own weight. If you can't see that, though, well, then you're simply too ideologically blinded to change your mind.

LiberalLovinLug

(14,153 posts)
15. You are embarrassing yourself
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 02:52 PM
Feb 2016

The US/CIA/corporate elite billionaire global class would NEVER stoop to such awful behaviour. They are just hapless philanthropists that have gotten a bad rap. There is no such history of this every happening ever. Chavez and Murado are "anti-US" because that is how it is framed in the US corporate newscasts. It is not that they challenged the colonial legacies of near-dictatorial foreign corporate ownership of their resources, and demanded a more equitably society and its more that they went out of their way to have a fight with the US totally unprovoked.

Sometimes I envy those of you that live in this good/bad black/white bubble. USA USA USA!!!

 

Marksman_91

(2,035 posts)
16. I don't deny that the US has been involved in shady stuff in the past
Mon Feb 1, 2016, 08:35 PM
Feb 2016

Just to name a few, they collaborated with the coup that removed Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran and placed the Western-friendly Mohammad Reza in power. Then there was the whole collaborating with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan (back when the Soviets were invading.) And I don't doubt that Nixon had a hand in Allende's fall in 1973. There are many other examples I can give.

With that being said, however, the current state of affairs in Venezuela is entirely self-inflicted by the Chavista delinquents in power, and nothing at all to do with some dumb-ass conspiracy theory of the CIA financing the opposition or crippling the economy, especially when the Chavista regime controls most of the means of production and transportation in the country, and at the expense of many privately owned lands that they unjustly expropriated without compensation, by the way.

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