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Catherina
Catherina's Journal
Catherina's Journal
April 18, 2013
Workers of the state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) in the state of Zulia rejected the violence that occurred in different states of the country, where there have been fatalities and significant property damage.
The oil workers also repudiated the recent armed attack on the residence of West PDVSA CEO, Ricardo Coronado, that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday in the city of Maracaibo.
While we're in the business, there is no oligarchy that can take over the oil resources that are allocated to the entire population, they said.
In addition to this, more than eight thousand workers of the Caracas Metro announced they are active to prevent violent actions against the institution by radical sectors of the Venezuelan right.
On Monday and Tuesday, opposition groups attacked Metrobus units, which led to the suspension of operations on several routes, a situation that affected more than 150 000 users.
...
http://www.ciudadccs.info/?p=412124
armed attack on the residence of West PDVSA CEO, Ricardo Coronado. Workers to protect/defend
Workers of the state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) in the state of Zulia rejected the violence that occurred in different states of the country, where there have been fatalities and significant property damage.
The oil workers also repudiated the recent armed attack on the residence of West PDVSA CEO, Ricardo Coronado, that occurred in the early hours of Wednesday in the city of Maracaibo.
While we're in the business, there is no oligarchy that can take over the oil resources that are allocated to the entire population, they said.
In addition to this, more than eight thousand workers of the Caracas Metro announced they are active to prevent violent actions against the institution by radical sectors of the Venezuelan right.
On Monday and Tuesday, opposition groups attacked Metrobus units, which led to the suspension of operations on several routes, a situation that affected more than 150 000 users.
...
http://www.ciudadccs.info/?p=412124
April 18, 2013
Watch
Listen
14m 38s
AMY GOODMAN: To talk more about the situation in Venezuela, we’re joined by Democracy Now! video stream by Alex Main in Caracas. Alex is senior associate for international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, served as an election monitor in Venezuela.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Alex Main. Talk about what has happened so far in these post-election days, with a number of people killed, and the U.S. position on the election.
ALEX MAIN: Yeah, thanks, Amy. So, yeah, as we’ve heard in your news summary just now, it’s been a rocky couple of days, very noisy, as well. The last couple of nights, the Capriles campaign has called on the population to carry out a cacerolazo, which, as you may know, is a banging of pots and pans that comes from some of the protests that harken back to the 1970s in some of the dictatorships in South America. So, they’ve been trying to revive this form of protest here in Venezuela, and they’ve been doing this really for the last 12 years. But the last time we had serious cacerolazos here were—was in the 2002-to-2004 period, where there were constant street demonstrations, there were constant rumors of a coup. There was, of course, a coup in 2002 and so on.
And so there’s been a real atmosphere of tension here, and I think a lot of the country breathed a huge sigh of relief when Capriles called off the march on the CNE tomorrow. Many people saw it as something very similar to the call for a march that occurred back in April 2002, on April 11th, a march that of course turned violent and created a pretext for a military coup.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Alex Main, how have people in Venezuela responded to the U.S. support for the opposition’s call for a recount?
ALEX MAIN: Well, I think, you know, there’s no real surprise. I mean, the U.S. State Department has been pretty consistent in its treatment of Venezuela really nearly since Chávez was elected, certainly since 2001, 2002. There’s, I think, been kind of a constant campaign that the U.S. has quite deliberately fed into to try to undermine the government, to destabilize it. Of course, they did openly support the coup in 2002.
I think one of the big differences we’re seeing with 2002 now in the U.S.'s position is that (inaudible) very, very isolated. It's only the U.S. and the very right-wing government of Spain that have backed the opposition position to call for a full recount and to not recognize Maduro as president until that recount occurs. We’re not seeing that anywhere else in the world at this point.
AMY GOODMAN: Alex, I just want to ask—I mean, this interaction between Matthew Lee of AP and Mr. Ventrell of the State Department was quite astounding. It was Mr. Ventrell of the State Department who said, "It’s ultimately up to the CNE to certify [the] election results, which they’ve done." And so, the reporter said, "So are you going to congratulate Mr. Maduro?" And he said, "We’re not there yet. Our position is that it would engender more confidence in the Venezuelan people if they would do this recount." I think back to 2000 in the United States, a very close race between Bush and Gore. They never had a full recount, that the United States is demanding of Venezuela right now.
ALEX MAIN: No, that’s absolutely correct. And, of course, it was a much slimmer margin back in 2000, and actually, of course, a margin that turned out to be in favor of Gore in terms of the popular vote. It’s even more absurd in this (inaudible) that you have really one of the most heavily audited electoral systems in the world. I think this has been recognized by international observers, certainly former President Jimmy Carter, (inaudible) as the best system in the world.
And the terms of this electoral process were agreed to beforehand by the Venezuelan opposition. You have an extraordinary audit of 54 percent of the ballot boxes. Each electronic voting machine produces a paper receipt. These paper receipts go into sealed ballot boxes at the end of the voting day. Fifty-four percent of these ballot boxes are audited in a random sample. This is way beyond what’s necessary from a statistical point of view: You really only need 2 to 3 percent. But this is a concession that was made to the opposition. But now they’re calling for a full recount. And so, you know, they’re constantly trying to push things a little bit further in their attempt to sort of delegitimize the process here.
...
LUISA ORTEGA: [translated] Seven Venezuelans have been killed. Among them was a police worker with the Táchira state police. And so far we have confirmed 61 injured people. And I ask that you hear this, that among the injured, there was one person that they burned alive. They intended to kill her by burning her. They set her ablaze. Take note of the level of violent aggression that this particular group of people have at this moment.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Venezuela’s chief prosecutor. Alex Main, can you talk about where the country goes from here? We also mustn’t forget that it was the U.S. that endorsed the coup in 2002—what was that, 11 years ago—that threw out Hugo Chávez for a few days before he made it back in, unlike other leaders, like President Aristide in Haiti, who didn’t make it back to the country, or Zelaya in Honduras. But what happens now? That just shows the significance of U.S.’s position in these countries.
ALEX MAIN: Well, I mean, it is absolutely critical, this point about the U.S.’s position on the internal affairs of Venezuela, because what the U.S. is doing is really essentially emboldening the opposition. Having this sort of support, to them, really means the world. And I think until the U.S. sort of backs off and, you know, follows the rest of the world, really, in recognizing the results of these elections, the opposition is going to continue with its current tactics.
So, yeah, certainly on Monday night, there were scenes of chaos. What was particularly ironic, given that the Capriles campaign has said that it is all about defending Venezuela’s social programs under Chávez, is that there were many of the government health clinics that were attacked, also many of the subsidized food stores that were attacked by opposition supporters. And along with those, also PSUV headquarters, various government officials’ residences were attacked. So, we’re really seeing scenes reminiscent of, again, the time between 2002, 2004. In 2004, you had what was called the guarimbas, supposedly peaceful protests, and Capriles keeps insisting that he’s been calling on peaceful protests when he tells people to take to the streets. In fact, that was the case also back in 2004, and those peaceful protests grew very violent. They really paralyzed most of Caracas for a few days and led to a few deaths, as well. Capriles is perfectly aware that there are violent elements within the opposition and that when he tells everyone to take to the streets to, quote-unquote, "defend their votes," this is the likely outcome.
So, really, I think, you know, the U.S. is being quite irresponsible. They’re promoting a civil conflict in the country. Fortunately, the opposition seems to be backing down at the moment. Last night was much calmer. But until the State Department has a clear position on the situation, we’re likely to see this continue.
AMY GOODMAN: Alex Main, we want to thank you for being with us, senior associate for international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, served as an election monitor in Venezuela. He is speaking to us from Caracas.
Creative Commons License The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
http://m.democracynow.org/stories/13589
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/17/venezuela_accuses_us_of_plotting_coup
Democracy Now: Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Plotting Coup After Deadly Post-Election Protests
Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Plotting Coup After Deadly Post-Election Protests
Watch
Listen
14m 38s
AMY GOODMAN: To talk more about the situation in Venezuela, we’re joined by Democracy Now! video stream by Alex Main in Caracas. Alex is senior associate for international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, served as an election monitor in Venezuela.
Welcome to Democracy Now!, Alex Main. Talk about what has happened so far in these post-election days, with a number of people killed, and the U.S. position on the election.
ALEX MAIN: Yeah, thanks, Amy. So, yeah, as we’ve heard in your news summary just now, it’s been a rocky couple of days, very noisy, as well. The last couple of nights, the Capriles campaign has called on the population to carry out a cacerolazo, which, as you may know, is a banging of pots and pans that comes from some of the protests that harken back to the 1970s in some of the dictatorships in South America. So, they’ve been trying to revive this form of protest here in Venezuela, and they’ve been doing this really for the last 12 years. But the last time we had serious cacerolazos here were—was in the 2002-to-2004 period, where there were constant street demonstrations, there were constant rumors of a coup. There was, of course, a coup in 2002 and so on.
And so there’s been a real atmosphere of tension here, and I think a lot of the country breathed a huge sigh of relief when Capriles called off the march on the CNE tomorrow. Many people saw it as something very similar to the call for a march that occurred back in April 2002, on April 11th, a march that of course turned violent and created a pretext for a military coup.
NERMEEN SHAIKH: Alex Main, how have people in Venezuela responded to the U.S. support for the opposition’s call for a recount?
ALEX MAIN: Well, I think, you know, there’s no real surprise. I mean, the U.S. State Department has been pretty consistent in its treatment of Venezuela really nearly since Chávez was elected, certainly since 2001, 2002. There’s, I think, been kind of a constant campaign that the U.S. has quite deliberately fed into to try to undermine the government, to destabilize it. Of course, they did openly support the coup in 2002.
I think one of the big differences we’re seeing with 2002 now in the U.S.'s position is that (inaudible) very, very isolated. It's only the U.S. and the very right-wing government of Spain that have backed the opposition position to call for a full recount and to not recognize Maduro as president until that recount occurs. We’re not seeing that anywhere else in the world at this point.
AMY GOODMAN: Alex, I just want to ask—I mean, this interaction between Matthew Lee of AP and Mr. Ventrell of the State Department was quite astounding. It was Mr. Ventrell of the State Department who said, "It’s ultimately up to the CNE to certify [the] election results, which they’ve done." And so, the reporter said, "So are you going to congratulate Mr. Maduro?" And he said, "We’re not there yet. Our position is that it would engender more confidence in the Venezuelan people if they would do this recount." I think back to 2000 in the United States, a very close race between Bush and Gore. They never had a full recount, that the United States is demanding of Venezuela right now.
ALEX MAIN: No, that’s absolutely correct. And, of course, it was a much slimmer margin back in 2000, and actually, of course, a margin that turned out to be in favor of Gore in terms of the popular vote. It’s even more absurd in this (inaudible) that you have really one of the most heavily audited electoral systems in the world. I think this has been recognized by international observers, certainly former President Jimmy Carter, (inaudible) as the best system in the world.
And the terms of this electoral process were agreed to beforehand by the Venezuelan opposition. You have an extraordinary audit of 54 percent of the ballot boxes. Each electronic voting machine produces a paper receipt. These paper receipts go into sealed ballot boxes at the end of the voting day. Fifty-four percent of these ballot boxes are audited in a random sample. This is way beyond what’s necessary from a statistical point of view: You really only need 2 to 3 percent. But this is a concession that was made to the opposition. But now they’re calling for a full recount. And so, you know, they’re constantly trying to push things a little bit further in their attempt to sort of delegitimize the process here.
...
LUISA ORTEGA: [translated] Seven Venezuelans have been killed. Among them was a police worker with the Táchira state police. And so far we have confirmed 61 injured people. And I ask that you hear this, that among the injured, there was one person that they burned alive. They intended to kill her by burning her. They set her ablaze. Take note of the level of violent aggression that this particular group of people have at this moment.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Venezuela’s chief prosecutor. Alex Main, can you talk about where the country goes from here? We also mustn’t forget that it was the U.S. that endorsed the coup in 2002—what was that, 11 years ago—that threw out Hugo Chávez for a few days before he made it back in, unlike other leaders, like President Aristide in Haiti, who didn’t make it back to the country, or Zelaya in Honduras. But what happens now? That just shows the significance of U.S.’s position in these countries.
ALEX MAIN: Well, I mean, it is absolutely critical, this point about the U.S.’s position on the internal affairs of Venezuela, because what the U.S. is doing is really essentially emboldening the opposition. Having this sort of support, to them, really means the world. And I think until the U.S. sort of backs off and, you know, follows the rest of the world, really, in recognizing the results of these elections, the opposition is going to continue with its current tactics.
So, yeah, certainly on Monday night, there were scenes of chaos. What was particularly ironic, given that the Capriles campaign has said that it is all about defending Venezuela’s social programs under Chávez, is that there were many of the government health clinics that were attacked, also many of the subsidized food stores that were attacked by opposition supporters. And along with those, also PSUV headquarters, various government officials’ residences were attacked. So, we’re really seeing scenes reminiscent of, again, the time between 2002, 2004. In 2004, you had what was called the guarimbas, supposedly peaceful protests, and Capriles keeps insisting that he’s been calling on peaceful protests when he tells people to take to the streets. In fact, that was the case also back in 2004, and those peaceful protests grew very violent. They really paralyzed most of Caracas for a few days and led to a few deaths, as well. Capriles is perfectly aware that there are violent elements within the opposition and that when he tells everyone to take to the streets to, quote-unquote, "defend their votes," this is the likely outcome.
So, really, I think, you know, the U.S. is being quite irresponsible. They’re promoting a civil conflict in the country. Fortunately, the opposition seems to be backing down at the moment. Last night was much calmer. But until the State Department has a clear position on the situation, we’re likely to see this continue.
AMY GOODMAN: Alex Main, we want to thank you for being with us, senior associate for international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, served as an election monitor in Venezuela. He is speaking to us from Caracas.
Creative Commons License The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
http://m.democracynow.org/stories/13589
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/4/17/venezuela_accuses_us_of_plotting_coup
April 18, 2013
National Lawyers Guild urges Obama to recognize new Maduro government
Announcement
National Lawyers Guild Monitors Conclude Venezuelan Elections Were Well-Organized, Fair and Transparent
April 16, 2013
A delegation of National Lawyers Guild (NLG) election monitors visited polling sites in five Venezuelan states on April 14 and found that the Venezuelan presidential election process was fair, transparent, participatory, and well-organized.
With over 78 percent voter turnout, Nicolas Maduro Moros was declared Venezuela’s new president with a 50.66 percent share of the 99.12 percent of votes counted.
“The U.S. would do well to incorporate some of the security checks and practices that are routine in Venezuela to improve both the level of participation and the credibility of our elections,” said NLG attorney Robin Alexander. She added, “The six polls I visited in the state of Carabobo were calm and well-organized and lines were short."
The five-member NLG delegation formed part of a larger team of over 130 people, which included former presidents of Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, electoral commission members, journalists, and representatives of human rights organizations from across the globe. Election monitors traveled to polling places throughout the country on Election Day.
The NLG delegation found the following: advanced voting procedures that prevent fraud through multiple fingerprint and voter ID certifications; accurate and efficient digital and manual vote calculation; active participation by party witnesses and national and international observers.
In addition, the NLG monitors found a reliable system in which 54 percent of all votes are randomly audited on Election Day. NLG monitors witnessed one such audit in Caracas in which the paper ballots matched perfectly with the electronic votes.
As a U.S. organization, the NLG emphasizes that the margin of victory for Nicolas Maduro, while small, is comparable to close elections in the U.S., such as the margins of victory for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and for George W. Bush in 2004.
The NLG calls upon the U.S. to honor the Venezuelan election as the nations of the world honor U.S. elections without question. Moreover, as recognized by Jimmy Carter, Venezuela's election infrastructure, with its secure electronic system backed by paper ballots, is "the best in the world," and therefore deserves at least as much respect as our own.
As NLG member and international human rights law professor Daniel Kovalik states: "In the end, it is the Venezuelans who must decide their own future and leaders and the U.S., in the interest of democracy, must honor that decision."
http://www.nlg.org/news/announcements/national-lawyers-guild-monitors-conclude-venezuelan-elections-were-well-organized
National Lawyers Guild Monitors Conclude Venezuelan Elections Were Well-Organized, Fair and Transparent
April 16, 2013
A delegation of National Lawyers Guild (NLG) election monitors visited polling sites in five Venezuelan states on April 14 and found that the Venezuelan presidential election process was fair, transparent, participatory, and well-organized.
With over 78 percent voter turnout, Nicolas Maduro Moros was declared Venezuela’s new president with a 50.66 percent share of the 99.12 percent of votes counted.
“The U.S. would do well to incorporate some of the security checks and practices that are routine in Venezuela to improve both the level of participation and the credibility of our elections,” said NLG attorney Robin Alexander. She added, “The six polls I visited in the state of Carabobo were calm and well-organized and lines were short."
The five-member NLG delegation formed part of a larger team of over 130 people, which included former presidents of Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, electoral commission members, journalists, and representatives of human rights organizations from across the globe. Election monitors traveled to polling places throughout the country on Election Day.
The NLG delegation found the following: advanced voting procedures that prevent fraud through multiple fingerprint and voter ID certifications; accurate and efficient digital and manual vote calculation; active participation by party witnesses and national and international observers.
In addition, the NLG monitors found a reliable system in which 54 percent of all votes are randomly audited on Election Day. NLG monitors witnessed one such audit in Caracas in which the paper ballots matched perfectly with the electronic votes.
As a U.S. organization, the NLG emphasizes that the margin of victory for Nicolas Maduro, while small, is comparable to close elections in the U.S., such as the margins of victory for John F. Kennedy in 1960 and for George W. Bush in 2004.
The NLG calls upon the U.S. to honor the Venezuelan election as the nations of the world honor U.S. elections without question. Moreover, as recognized by Jimmy Carter, Venezuela's election infrastructure, with its secure electronic system backed by paper ballots, is "the best in the world," and therefore deserves at least as much respect as our own.
As NLG member and international human rights law professor Daniel Kovalik states: "In the end, it is the Venezuelans who must decide their own future and leaders and the U.S., in the interest of democracy, must honor that decision."
http://www.nlg.org/news/announcements/national-lawyers-guild-monitors-conclude-venezuelan-elections-were-well-organized
April 18, 2013
Correa Has 90 Percent Public Approval Rating
Correa Has 90 Percent Public Approval Rating
April 17, 2013
Quito, April 17 (Prensa Latina) President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has 90 percent public support, which puts him first in a survey regarding two dozen leaders of the region.
Mexican consulting firm Mitofsky, cited by the newspaper The Telegraph, noted that this assessment is a measure of the work done by presidents or prime ministers.
He noted that South America is the region that has a better average evaluation of the management of its leaders, with 56 percent approval.
President Danilo Medina, of the Dominican Republic, garnered 89 percent approval and the late president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, had an approval rating of 84 percent.
He added that the approval rate is not only the highest obtained by Correa, it is also the largest ever recorded in Ecuador since 2003 for this type of evaluation.
...
http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1321891&Itemid=1
April 18, 2013
Venezuelan Judiciary Questions Opposition's Attitude
Venezuelan Judiciary Questions Opposition's Attitude
President of Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice, Luisa Morales
Caracas, Apr 17 (Prensa Latina) President of Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice, Luisa Morales, said today that the opposition should have resortrd to jurisdictional bodies with its complaints of electoral nonconformity, instead of calling for demonstrations leading to an escalation of violence.
Morales said in a press conference that those leading the opposition are misleading their followers by demanding a manual recount of votes of the presidential elections held on Sunday because this option does not appear in the Constitution
The Venezuelan Constitution includes automated count and the audit of 54 percent of the votes, said Morales.
Therefore, the magistrate urged these people to be prudent and rational because, by demanding the impossible, they are encouraging endless street fights.
...
http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1322631&Itemid=1
April 18, 2013
More fighting in the streets. The Capriles whatevers tried to charge the CNE again, and got their asses kicked by PSUV and PCV Chavistas
At one point in the video someone tried to smash a car, but some guys with the PCV hats made them to stop
Oh yeah. The people are going to defend the gains they made.
Video: Capriles people tried to charge the CNE again
More fighting in the streets. The Capriles whatevers tried to charge the CNE again, and got their asses kicked by PSUV and PCV Chavistas
At one point in the video someone tried to smash a car, but some guys with the PCV hats made them to stop
Oh yeah. The people are going to defend the gains they made.
April 18, 2013
LMAO! Nothing in the Anglo news about this yet. The US is going to find itself pretty much alone. The French Left had to demand their President recognize Maduro "immediately".
I guess the opposition knew that all along lol
France recognizes Maduro
French Government recognizes Nicolas Maduro and requests respect for institutions
Caracas, 17 Apr. AVN. - The Socialist government of Francois Hollande recognized the elected President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro and "takes note" of the "proclamation" made by the "competent authority in the field" last Tuesday.
With this recognition, France became the third European Union country, with Portugal and Spain, which has supported the Venezuelan electoral institutions, the existing regulatory framework and the results of the presidential elections held on April 14.
The French government, likewise, urged "dialogue and respect for the constitutional order", as reported by AFP, in statements issued Wednesday by the spokesman of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Philippe Lalliot.
"The National Electoral Council, the competent authority in the matter, has proclaimed April 16 victory of Mr. Nicolas Maduro at the end of the presidential election held on April 14 in Venezuela. France takes note of this proclamation," said Lalliot.
...
http://www.aporrea.org/venezuelaexterior/n227143.html
Caracas, 17 Apr. AVN. - The Socialist government of Francois Hollande recognized the elected President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro and "takes note" of the "proclamation" made by the "competent authority in the field" last Tuesday.
With this recognition, France became the third European Union country, with Portugal and Spain, which has supported the Venezuelan electoral institutions, the existing regulatory framework and the results of the presidential elections held on April 14.
The French government, likewise, urged "dialogue and respect for the constitutional order", as reported by AFP, in statements issued Wednesday by the spokesman of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Philippe Lalliot.
"The National Electoral Council, the competent authority in the matter, has proclaimed April 16 victory of Mr. Nicolas Maduro at the end of the presidential election held on April 14 in Venezuela. France takes note of this proclamation," said Lalliot.
...
http://www.aporrea.org/venezuelaexterior/n227143.html
Caracas, 17 Abr. AVN.- El gobierno socialista de Francois Hollande reconoció al presidente electo de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, al "tomar nota" de la "proclamación" efectuada por la "autoridad competente en la materia" el pasado día martes.
Con este reconocimiento, Francia se convierte en el tercer país de la Unión Europea, junto a Portugal y España, que ha respaldado la institucionalidad electoral venezolana, el marco normativo vigente y los resultados de las elecciones presidenciales celebradas el 14 de abril.
El gobierno francés, de igual modo, instó "al diálogo y al respeto del orden institucional", tal como lo recogió la agencia AFP de las declaraciones emitidas este miércoles por el portavoz del Ministerio francés de Relaciones Exteriores, Philippe Lalliot.
"El Consejo Nacional Electoral, autoridad competente en la materia, ha proclamado el 16 de abril la victoria del Sr. Nicolás Maduro al término de la elección presidencial organizada el 14 de abril en Venezuela. Francia toma nota de esta proclamación", dijo Lalliot.
...
http://www.aporrea.org/venezuelaexterior/n227143.html
Con este reconocimiento, Francia se convierte en el tercer país de la Unión Europea, junto a Portugal y España, que ha respaldado la institucionalidad electoral venezolana, el marco normativo vigente y los resultados de las elecciones presidenciales celebradas el 14 de abril.
El gobierno francés, de igual modo, instó "al diálogo y al respeto del orden institucional", tal como lo recogió la agencia AFP de las declaraciones emitidas este miércoles por el portavoz del Ministerio francés de Relaciones Exteriores, Philippe Lalliot.
"El Consejo Nacional Electoral, autoridad competente en la materia, ha proclamado el 16 de abril la victoria del Sr. Nicolás Maduro al término de la elección presidencial organizada el 14 de abril en Venezuela. Francia toma nota de esta proclamación", dijo Lalliot.
...
http://www.aporrea.org/venezuelaexterior/n227143.html
LMAO! Nothing in the Anglo news about this yet. The US is going to find itself pretty much alone. The French Left had to demand their President recognize Maduro "immediately".
I guess the opposition knew that all along lol
April 18, 2013
Letter from Venezuela: After Chavez, country on brink of an all-out showdown between the two halves
This deserves to be read in full.
Letter from Venezuela: After Chavez, a country on the brink of an all-out showdown between the two halves of its society
Published: 17 April, 2013
by LEO GARIB in Venezuela
...
In Merida riots broke out. On Monday I took a desperate phone call from a young CNE official who said they were trapped and “terrified” by the baying crowds outside. In desperation some were arming themselves with the legs from their desks. It took heavily armed National Guard to disperse the mob.
Later clashes erupted between the Caprilistas and Chavez supporters arriving from the poorer areas – Chavistas. For two hours the air was thick with flying bottles, stones and smoke bombs before National Guard, taking pistol shots from the Caprilistas, moved in.
In a day of violence that had some media pundits warning there was a coup underway, Capriles supporters across the country ransacked hospitals and a medicine factory, smashed public schools, wrecked public transport networks and torched the offices of Maduro’s socialist party. At least seven people were killed, including hospital patients, and scores wounded.
...
A group of hardline Caprilistas barricaded themselves into a private hospital and a school, taking potshots with their pistols.
...
Stones and smoke bombs were launched at the buildings, motorbikes belonging to the Caprilistas torched. Riot police among the Chavez supporters took turns hurling rocks and shooting into the buildings. For more than an hour the air was thick with smoke and gunfire before the young men were flushed out and handcuffed. They turned out to be students from the city’s wealthy private university.
...
A 20-year-old medicine student at the city’s University Los Andes explained why she supported trashing the government-subsidised trams used by low-paid workers. “They’re a waste of government money – our money,” she said. “We just don’t like those people coming up here where we live. Ok, Chavez built the tram system but it wasn’t with his money, it was with ours.”
...
http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2013/apr/letter-venezuela-after-chavez-country-brink-all-out-showdown-between-two-halves-its-so
Published: 17 April, 2013
by LEO GARIB in Venezuela
...
In Merida riots broke out. On Monday I took a desperate phone call from a young CNE official who said they were trapped and “terrified” by the baying crowds outside. In desperation some were arming themselves with the legs from their desks. It took heavily armed National Guard to disperse the mob.
Later clashes erupted between the Caprilistas and Chavez supporters arriving from the poorer areas – Chavistas. For two hours the air was thick with flying bottles, stones and smoke bombs before National Guard, taking pistol shots from the Caprilistas, moved in.
In a day of violence that had some media pundits warning there was a coup underway, Capriles supporters across the country ransacked hospitals and a medicine factory, smashed public schools, wrecked public transport networks and torched the offices of Maduro’s socialist party. At least seven people were killed, including hospital patients, and scores wounded.
...
A group of hardline Caprilistas barricaded themselves into a private hospital and a school, taking potshots with their pistols.
...
Stones and smoke bombs were launched at the buildings, motorbikes belonging to the Caprilistas torched. Riot police among the Chavez supporters took turns hurling rocks and shooting into the buildings. For more than an hour the air was thick with smoke and gunfire before the young men were flushed out and handcuffed. They turned out to be students from the city’s wealthy private university.
...
A 20-year-old medicine student at the city’s University Los Andes explained why she supported trashing the government-subsidised trams used by low-paid workers. “They’re a waste of government money – our money,” she said. “We just don’t like those people coming up here where we live. Ok, Chavez built the tram system but it wasn’t with his money, it was with ours.”
...
http://www.camdennewjournal.com/news/2013/apr/letter-venezuela-after-chavez-country-brink-all-out-showdown-between-two-halves-its-so
April 18, 2013
Urgent meeting of Unasur in Lima to express support for Venezuela’s Maduro
Venezuela dispute prompts urgent meeting of regional leaders
LIMA | Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:31pm EDT
(Reuters) - Several South American presidents will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday in Lima to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela following the disputed election of President Nicolas Maduro, Peru's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
...
The meeting will be held under the umbrella of regional group Unasur in Lima on Thursday evening, senior government officials said. Peru holds the rotating presidency of the group. Unasur election monitors have said Maduro's win was legitimate.
The presidents of Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil will attend the meeting and other leaders may also participate, officials said.
Most of the leaders, including President Dilma Rousseff of regional heavyweight Brazil, will then head to Venezuela for the swearing-in ceremony.
...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/18/us-venezuela-election-latinamerica-idUSBRE93G17920130418
LIMA | Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:31pm EDT
(Reuters) - Several South American presidents will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday in Lima to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela following the disputed election of President Nicolas Maduro, Peru's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
...
The meeting will be held under the umbrella of regional group Unasur in Lima on Thursday evening, senior government officials said. Peru holds the rotating presidency of the group. Unasur election monitors have said Maduro's win was legitimate.
The presidents of Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil will attend the meeting and other leaders may also participate, officials said.
Most of the leaders, including President Dilma Rousseff of regional heavyweight Brazil, will then head to Venezuela for the swearing-in ceremony.
...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/18/us-venezuela-election-latinamerica-idUSBRE93G17920130418
President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will travel to Lima for a UNASUR meeting on Thursday in which regional countries are expected to express their support for the elections results in Venezuela. After the meeting she will travel to Caracas to attend Maduro's inauguration ceremony.
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/128959/cfk-to-attend-unasur-meeting-to-support-venezuela
http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/128959/cfk-to-attend-unasur-meeting-to-support-venezuela
April 18, 2013
Maduro to the US: "Don't recognize anything. Your recognition does not matter to us,"
...
U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that he could not say if he would recognize Maduro as the president-elect or not.
"We think there ought to be a recount. ... Obviously if there are huge irregularities we're going to have serious questions about the viability of that government," Kerry said during a hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.
His comments drew a stern response from Maduro, who said Wednesday in national broadcast remarks Wednesday that he "does not care" whether the United States recognizes his election victory.
"Don't recognize anything. Your recognition does not matter to us," Maduro said. "We have decided to be free and we are going to be free and independent, with you or without you. Your opinion is not important to us."
....
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/17/world/americas/venezuela-elections/index.html
U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that he could not say if he would recognize Maduro as the president-elect or not.
"We think there ought to be a recount. ... Obviously if there are huge irregularities we're going to have serious questions about the viability of that government," Kerry said during a hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.
His comments drew a stern response from Maduro, who said Wednesday in national broadcast remarks Wednesday that he "does not care" whether the United States recognizes his election victory.
"Don't recognize anything. Your recognition does not matter to us," Maduro said. "We have decided to be free and we are going to be free and independent, with you or without you. Your opinion is not important to us."
....
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/17/world/americas/venezuela-elections/index.html
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