Hugo Chavez's Campaign Playbook: OS Wonders How Much Of This We Will See Between Now And November

HT Devil's Excrement.

Things are not going well in revolutionary Venezuela, and political opposition is growing from those who believe that freedom and might be a better approach than socialism.

Thus the Chavez regime published a list of '10 Commandments', techniques to employ to disrupt the opposition candidate's campaign appearances:

You can, for example (Commandment #1) coordinate sports, cultural or social activities to compete with Capriles’ visit.

Or, you can use Government resources to have a National ID campaign (Commandment #2) that same day, once again, the idea is not have people show up at Capriles’ rally.

Better yet, you can have an “open air” Mercal, selling cheap produce purchased by the Government (Commandment #3), as the text says: “This activity “captures” a large segment of the population”. Of course, people are scraping by in the revolution.

Then there is Commandment #4, which is somewhat cryptic: “Coordinate with the Francisco de Miranda Front (Chavez campaign organization) and with the Socialist Youth, “political agitation activities”. I am not sure what those activities are, but it does not sound like they will hold a mass or anything like that.

Some of the rest are somewhat lame, like placing women in places to tell Capriles they would vote for him if he had not “take over” the Cuban Embassy in 2002 (which is a lie) or if he had not participated in the “coup” against Chavez in 2002. Or to place people in strategic places to chant: ” Capriles Fascista, Oligarca Imperialista”

But the true Jewel in the commandments is the tenth:
“Provoke situations of political agitation with the security personnel and the bodyguards of the “majunche” candidate”

And then, there is the note:
“All of these activities will be backed by fellow countrymen of alternative media, independent reporters  (??)and members of the national public media (read: Government media). As well as intelligence organizations of the State which will be there dressed as civilians”

Hmmm...bread and circuses. Hire thugs to break up events (SEIU, Black Panthers anyone?) or hold violent rallies on the day, coordinate with the media outlets who have drunk your Kool-Aid and live on your dole. Use plainclothes law enforcement types to assist in creating havoc, all in the cause of 'maintaining order', you know. Shield the thugs, arrest the opposition supporters. 


Nahhh...this is America...can't happen here...

Hugo Chavez Admits He Has Cancer, And Life Is About To Get Interesting In Venezuela

The Devil's Excrement carries the story in English.

Here's the video of Chavez's announcement. He seems, well, rather less ebullient than in times past.



Of course, the obvious problem with someone who sets himself up as 'President for Life' is the inevitability of death, often with a decline preceding the departure.

People possessed of the kind of arrogance that creates a Chavez tend to never think of this detail, or other details, like just what the hell happens to TheGloriousRevolution the day after TheGloriousLeader's funeral.

In the meantime, Hugo's gots-lots-of-'splainin'-to-do-Lucy. And a lot of power-hungry people circling his rowboat.

Wanna bet he ends up in Miami, getting the latest-and-greatest cancer treatments the evil capitalist system of the United States can provide? What if he dies on our soil?
Do we get to toss him back like the opposing team's home-run ball at Wrigley Field?

Venezuela Tidings: Blogger 'Diablo' (The Devil's Excrement) Relocates

It is a bittersweet essay, the lament of the exile.

Thirty three years ago I came back to Venezuela fresh from a Ph.D. in Physics from well-known US University. It was an exciting time, Venezuela was moving forward, we all felt we were ready to take the country to the next stage of development, you could get research funding and lots of people were either leaving to study abroad or coming back with degrees in many fields. The first few years were exciting, things went well, I came back to Venezuela to work in a lab which already had good equipment and I was able to get more, got grants in Venezuela and abroad, my career took off. I also helped start an engineering research institute.

Then came “El Viernes Negro” (Black Friday), when the country’s economy had its first large devaluation in decades. This was February 18th. 1983. Within months the Venezuelan currency had lost almost 60% of its value, things got more difficult. It was a sign of things to come.

Things began to oscillate a lot. There were good years and bad years. Not much new funding. I was working in a field that required ever more sophisticated equipment, lots of running expenses. It was hard to stay at the edge, but I gave it my best try for quite a while.

and later...

There were two main reasons for this tough decision, one that came from the mind, not the heart: Crime and the absence of the rule of law. I stared at both of these in the face and it is something I don’t wish on anyone. You feel like you are not playing on a level field. If the crooks don’t get you, the other “crooks” will and you have no way to defend yourself. There are no instances, no appeals, you have no rights. Time to leave.

OS's heart goes out to this gent. What would it feel like to have to leave a lifetime behind, in order to secure the future of your family and children?

The United States has always been one of the few safe places for people like Dr. Diablo. OS keeps typing away, pleading with one and all that we remain that place: A place with a rule of law, opportunity to prosper, freedom to associate, speak, work, vote, and worship.

OS hopes his readers read Dr. Diablo's essay, and take his words to heart.

Blessings on him.

Venezuela Report From Devil's Excrement: Routine Anarchy

English-language blogger Devil's Excrement reports again from Caracas:

Yesterday, there was an eight hour protest near Los Teques, right outside Caracas. Neighbors of the Brisas de Oriente barrio, a barrio that sits on the ridge of a hill, right next to the Panamerican Highway near Km. 21, right before Los Teques blocked the Panamerican Highway for eight hours. This wasn’ t even huge news, they are part of the routine anarchic and chaotic life these days in Venezuela, while an indifferent and indolent Government claims everything is fine. These people were mad, so mad that the police and the National Guard did not even dare to stop them from blocking the traffic for such a long time. I estimate this affected some 100,000 people, who simply could not move on the highway during that time or chose to stay home, rather than try to find a way to get down to Caracas to work or go to school.

OS suggest the entire post be read.

The final paragraph is poignant:

You may wonder how I know about Brisas de Oriente. For almost 20 years I lived not two kilometers away from it, had breakfast at Los Golfeados daily and got to know and even work with a number of its residents. The barrio was heavily pro-Chavez until 2006 and by now, according to my friends, it has become mostly opposition, except they could care little about politics now. They only worry about survival.

If you pray, keep these folks in your prayers. From such a distance, not much else we can do at this point.