May 2, 2013

Hugo Chávez, Soldier of the People Forever

Hugo Chávez, Soldier of the People Forever



I awoke on a cloudy day and am leaving in the sun. I have just visited the Montaña Garrison. It is surrounded by working class neighborhoods. You can see Miraflores in the distance. The head of the guard told me that Hugo always looked this way from his office there. How could he not! This is where he planned the insurrection against Andrés Pérez. The 4th Republic, the tragic epilogue to the Punto Fijo agreement, when the Caracazo broke out – or as Hugo liked to say, the Venezolazo – the final crisis of neoliberal policies.

Repression and death to the people. Coincidences in our history are no accident. Hugo rose up against this from the Montaña Garrison. He failed, "for now," as he announced upon surrendering.

They showed me a fully restored colonial era cannon. Every day at 4:25 pm the old cannon fires a salute to mark the time of his departure. 4:25? Eva died at 8:25. What capricious times! Don’t you think? When I returned to the broad, bright, outdoor patio, I could not avoid the infinite sadness. There were television cameras, reporters, commentators. Cilia, married to Nicolás, accompanied me. I politely asked all of them to withdraw. I wanted to be alone. Thank you, thank you very much. I hope you understand. I hope so.

The patio was left empty. I was accompanied only by the four hussars of Carbobo on duty, providing the permanent Honor Guard. From somewhere else, the sound of Hugo singing softly could be heard, as if it were floating. How he loved to sing! The sound of the water which surrounds his space could also be heard. But, for a moment, there was complete silence. Or at least, that is what I felt. I could only hear that some of the guards were crying with me. It is strange. Until today, I had not shed a single tear. Not on March 5, when I was informed. Not on March 6, when I attended the wake along with so many others. Florencia, on the other hand, cried so much, she had to leave, she couldn’t breathe. Me, nothing. It was as if I did not want to admit or accept it. I don’t know, some day, if I decide to, I’ll explain it to a psychologist.

I stayed there a while. I walked around the marble coffin, again and again. I see the carving of a phrase from one of Hugo’s speeches in which he mentions Alí Primera. Who is Alí Primera? A popular Venezuelan singer-songwriter, a member of the Communist Party, who died February 16, 1985. February 16, the day my son was born. Hugo departed the day my sister was born. Strange, when you get old, you start in with this business of dates.

The last gift Hugo gave me, was the complete collection of Alí Primera on CD

His daughter, María brought it to me in Olivos, November 8, and she told me the story. As a young officer, her father would secretly listen to the songs, because they were prohibited in the military.

I read the speech excerpt and the date on which it was delivered. June 12, 2012. June 12, the date of Peron’s last speech. What is this with dates? I was in the Plaza de Mayo that day. 21 years old. The year, 1974. My mother! (She was there, too). So many things. So much history. Strange, the dates, the events. The visible connections. And the invisible ones, as well.

When I went down to see the portraits of Hugo in the galleries which surround the patio, Nicolás entered with those who were waiting outside and accompanied me around the area.

We entered a small, but precious, chapel. Two Virgins. One from the Valley and the other… Rosa Mística! The Virgin venerated in La Plata. I couldn’t believe it.

I told Nicolás that I was going to send an image of the Virgin of Luján to be placed in the chapel and I told them the story, of the Virgin, of course.

It was May, 1630. She was traveling on a wagon toward Brazil, carrying among other things, two boxes with contained images of Virgins. Attempting to cross the Luján River, in Buenos Aires, the wagon was stuck. They added more oxen, but no good. Finally, they removed of the boxes with the Virgins from the wagon, to no avail. They removed the second box and the wagon took off, with no difficulty at all. They loaded the box once more, and once again the wagon wouldn’t budge. The drivers were confounded and the Virgin stubborn. When they opened the box, the image of the dark skinned Virgin appeared. The wagon took off, but the Virgin stayed in Luján. She is now in the Basilica, where she is venerated as Argentina’s patron saint. They were fascinated by the story.

The restoration of the Basilica, was Nestor’s first act. I didn’t tell them that, but it’s true, too.

We continued touring the site. There are two halls with photographs which depict Hugo’s life. What most moved me was an immense mural. Hugo, from the back, walking in the rain, on October 4, his last and most glorious event, which was not, as some believe, the closure of his campaign. It was his last act of love. I understood that later, when I learned of his terrible, unbearable pain. Of his beyond-human sacrifice. My God!

I said to Nicolás, "This is the place. Don’t even think about taking him anywhere else, as magnificent as it might seem. This is where he began and this is where he must stay. In HIS place. In his garrison, in the humble neighborhood. Soldier of the people. Definitively and for ever.

- Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, President of Argentina

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/ouramerica-i/25abril-Argentine.html

Posted in full, no copyright on the President's original letter.

May 2, 2013

The Ironies of the Venezuelan Opposition, part 22 - pre-planned violence in National Assembly, pt 2

The ironies of the Venezuelan opposition, part 22
May 2, 2013 — Sabina Becker




María Corina Machado, Washington’s darling, flanked by the only people in Venezuela who find her even remotely credible: the “reporters” (note the quotes) of oppo crapaganda channels Venevisión and Globovisión, respectively. As a presumptive victim of the brawl in Venezuela’s parliament the other day, it’s a wonder and a miracle that she can even be seen in public with all her injuries. So, tell us, MariCori: where does it REALLY hurt?

...

One would expect someone with four fractures to the bridge of her nose to be bandaged out to there, and have so much bruising and swelling around the eyes that she could barely see, much less be seen. Yet there she is, looking remarkably well, with tasteful little turquoise earrings and everything. And she’s even going to Colombia today, to show what a horrible country Venezuela is, presumably against doctor’s orders. What a trouper! Perhaps MariCori had a little help from the same makeup wizard at Globomojón who livened up Julio Borges for the cameras? In any event, one doesn’t wear a whiplash collar for a broken nose. If you’re going to make up stories, MariCori, can’t you at least make sure the details match? If you could find earrings to go with your blouse (in that condition!), it shouldn’t be any problem for you.

...



“The lie will always triumph. The good always conquers. We have to take the hatred of a few and convert it into energy to fight more!”

Um, Julio…since when does a lie serve the “good”? And yeah, interesting choice of words there. “The hatred of a few”…that wouldn’t be your side, now, would it? Nahhhhhh, of course not. They’re only the noisy minority who lost the election to a dead man they hated, after all…

And your stage manager doesn’t seem to do any better at keeping things under his hat, either:



“Today the ‘parlimentary coup’ could come together, watch the National Assembly session.”

Note the date and time. This was tweeted right before all the shit started to hit the fan in the Hemiciclo. It was planned violence, and good ol’ Albertico Federico seems to have seriously believed no one was watching his tweeter for the cues. Only his loyal sycophants, of course.

...

If these hopeless bumbling idiots are the best Washington can do for local allies, it’s no wonder the locals are no longer fooled by the show they put on. And they won’t vote for them, either. Even the vaunted “international community” no longer gives a shit for them. Even the spooks couldn’t help them. Just a pity they can no longer rig elections in their favor, like they used to before Chavecito. Ha, ha, ha.

http://www.sabinabecker.com/2013/05/the-ironies-of-the-venezuelan-opposition-part-22.html

May 2, 2013

Venezuelan Right Wing and Media Preparing the Stage for a Coup and Foreign Intervention

May 2, 2013

It is worn out. They think people don't recognize their tired old scripts

What a bunch of assholes. These spoiled brats need a long time out behind bars.












http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=167566&titular=las-agresiones-en-la-asamblea-nacional-

May 2, 2013

The Ironies of the Venezuelan Opposition, part 21 - pre-planned violence in the National Assembly

The ironies of the Venezuelan opposition, part 21
May 2, 2013 — Sabina Becker



Right-wing Venezuelan deputy Alfonso Marquina, wearing a motorcycle helmet in parliament. Was he planning maybe to pop a wheelie in the Hemiciclo?

Ah yes. The peaceful Venezuelan right just keeps getting more and more peaceful all the time…

...

So, to recap: Oppos refuse to recognize legitimate president, based on the results of the cleanest, fairest, freest election possible. Government, realizing this as part of a putschist plan, suspends their right to speak until they do the democratic thing and concede defeat. And since they knew this was coming (it was announced ahead of time, and no one can pretend they didn’t hear), they come prepared for violence — some with vuvuzelas, others (see Marquina) with a crash helmet. Even before it starts, putschist media owner Ravell, of Globovisión, tweets that he hopes there won’t be any censorship. And of course, there isn’t, since the ANTV recording clearly shows the opposition attacking the Chavistas:



Here you can see it all exactly as it goes down. Before the trouble starts, the ruling PSUV wing of the parliament is completely calm, not expecting any trouble; the PSUV deputies keep to their seats and go about their business very normally. The other side, however, is a beehive of very strange activity. Lots of oppos are standing and moving around. You can see María Corina Machado, that lamb so lionized by the Washington Post, obviously urging some very un-kosher activity as she moves from row to row. You can also see right-wing deputy Julio Borges reaching under his desk for a small black knapsack, which he hands to a woman oppo seated in front of him. She takes something out, then passes the bag back to Borges, who also removes something from it. The something turns out to be an airhorn (these are the “vuvuzelas” from the piece I translated), which several other oppos also produce from their bags in order to generate noise and chaos. The oppos then swarm the dais where Assembly President Cabello and the two vice-presidents sit, assaulting and attacking PSUV deputies along the way. In typical cowardly fashion, they beat up the women first.

...



Here, we see that Julio Borges got a little help from Globomojón’s makeup crew before appearing on camera to whine and kvetch about how there’s no democracy in Venezuela, and how he got beaten up for not accepting the fact that there IS democracy, and his side simply lost. This after he and MariCori (more about HER later) went out of their way to pick a fight.

Classiest sore losers ever, those guys.

http://www.sabinabecker.com/2013/05/the-ironies-of-the-venezuelan-opposition-part-21.html

May 2, 2013

Capriles calls for international interference and says he will contest the elections

Capriles calls for international interference and says he will contest the elections

01/05/13.- "We will exhaust all internal means, but we have no doubt that this case will end up in the international community," said former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, referring to his challenge of the elections held on April 14, where Nicolas Maduro took victory with 50.61 percent of the vote.

...

Requesting foreign interference as a way to violate the decision of the Venezuelan people expressed at the polls on 14-A has been evident since last week when members of the party Primero Justicia (PJ) promoted their disregard of state institutions during a tour conducted in four European countries.

At that time, the national secretary PJ Thomas Guanipa, accompanied by Edmundo González, member of the International Liaison & Coordination for MUD, reported that they had visited Spain, Germany, Belgium and France, where they met with rightwing organizations to request support for their disregard of Venezuelan institutions.

Despite repeated attempts by the right to discredit the Venezuelan Electoral Authority and President Nicolas Maduro's victory with 50.61% of the vote (7,586,251 votes), all countries of the world have recognized the results of the elections except the United States.

http://www.ciudadccs.info/?p=417699

May 2, 2013

MUD deputy recognizes that Capriles lost the election

MUD deputy recognizes that Capriles lost the election

01/05/13.- Juan Carlos Caldera, Conservative deputy to the National Assembly for the First Justice party, acknowledged on Wednesday that the candidate Henrique Capriles lost the elections last April 14.

"Unfortunately he who wanted to be the president of the Venezuelans, Henrique Capriles, failed in the stated objective, the objective of winning the election, as announced by the CNE," said Caldera.

...

http://www.ciudadccs.info/?p=417657

May 2, 2013

Chilean police crack down on Labor Day rally

They're also demanding an employer/worker funded public pension and justice for Juan Pablo Jimenez, a union leader who was assassinated in January after being too vocal about the Azeta Electrical company's anti-trade union practices. He was on his way to a labor hearing about their practices when he was shot.

May 2, 2013

Capriles to formally contest Venezuela poll results

"You great big whopping fascist! You were defeated! Accept your loss already. Stop kicking and screaming and crying"

"That's what you are: a little fascist bourgeois crybaby, who wants to take the country over a cliff sowing hatred and violence"

May 2, 2013

Venezuela Celebrates May Day with New Minimum Wage

In the States and in Europe, workers are losing their rights. In Latin America, they're winning them. The total minimum wage increase for Venezuela in 2013 is 45%.

How are we going to celebrate Labor Day this year?