Posts Tagged ‘San Cristobal’
Changes in Venezuela? Gocho movement, Nicholas maduro and Sleepy International Media?
Posted on: February 25, 2014
Changes in Venezuela? International Media Asleep?
The people in Venezuela have been experiencing shortages in almost every thing for many years.
There is tacit world embargo on Venezuela, lead by the USA for years, on the ground that the kind of “democracy expressed in Venezuela” does not match what the US expects from a developing State.
The US pressures on Venezuela are similar to Cuba, with the exception that Venezuela is a big oil exporter and the US relied heavily on this oil.
The western regions of Venezuela are a war zone: The Colombian drug cartels have infiltrated this zone and the government is feeling impotent to overcome this calamity.
Apparently the US pressures are bearing fruits: the citizens in Venezuela are ready to let the elite classes do as they wish, as long as the supermarkets are stuffed with goods.
President Nicholas Maduro have asked the USA to open the lines of communications.
The uprising is mostly done by students and this Gocho movement sweeping the country. (I’ll post jeastborough@gmail.com article on the subject tomorrow)
“Gocho” is a term used to refer to people born in Táchira, Venezuela.
Their cultural differences and phonetic accents are noticeable among inhabitants of other states, just as a Texan would stand out in the middle of New York.
“Gocho” is used as a term of endearment among Tachirans, but carries a distinctly negative connotation in almost all other states of Venezuela, implying that Gochos are clumsy, naive, and easily fooled – i.e. “Country Bumpkins”.
“Soy Gocha y tengo de sobra lo que a algunos de ustedes les falta” – “I am a Gocha, and I have plenty of what some of you are missing”. Image h/t @Rpolicial, explanation h/t @Pirouette_G3.
Angry Birds, Gocho-style. Original image h/t @lucho3008, captions mine.
Francisco Toro posted this Feb. 21, 2014
The Game Changed in Venezuela Last Night – and the International Media Is Asleep At the Switch
City of San Cristobal on Tuesday night
Dear International Editor: Listen and understand.
The game changed in Venezuela last night.
1. What had been a slow-motion unraveling that had stretched out over many years went kinetic all of a sudden.
2. What we have this morning is no longer the Venezuela story you thought you understood.
3. Throughout last night, panicked people told their stories of state-sponsored paramilitaries on motorcycles roaming middle class neighborhoods, shooting at people and storming into apartment buildings, shooting at anyone who seemed like he might be protesting.
People continue to be arrested merely for protesting, and a long established local Human Rights NGO makes an urgent plea for an investigation into widespread reports of torture of detainees.
There are now dozens of serious human right abuses: National Guardsmen shooting tear gas canisters directly into residential buildings.
We have videos of soldiers shooting civilians on the street.
And that’s just what came out in real time, over Twitter and YouTube, before any real investigation is carried out.
Online media is next, a city of 645,000 inhabitants has been taken off the internet amid mounting repression, and this blog itself has been the object of a Facebook “block” campaign.
What we saw were not “street clashes”, what we saw is a state-hatched offensive to suppress and terrorize its opponents.
After the major crackdown on the streets of major (and minor) Venezuelan cities last night, I expected some kind of response in the major international news outlets this morning.
I understand that with an even bigger and more photogenic freakout ongoing in an even more strategically important country (Ukraine?), we weren’t going to be front-page-above-the-fold, but I’m staggered this morning to wake up, scan the press and find…
Nothing.
As of 11 a.m. this morning, the New York Times World Section has…nothing.
Zapatistas on women’s rights: Comandanta Ramona
Comandanta Ramona was an officer of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), an indigenous rights movement in Mexico.
“Ramona was said to be the most belligerent, aggressive and intransigent of all the Zapatistas. It was Comandante Ramona on horseback who led the military charge on San Cristobal during the EZLN’s uprising in January 1994.”
The sight of this brave and frail woman defiantly shouting ‘Ya Basta!’ (Enough is Enough!) catapulted her onto the world state.
The media dubbed her “The Petite Warrior” and the Mexican government grew so fearful of her emblematic power that in 1997 they cynically spread false information that she had died.”
After consulting with indigenous communities on the status of women, the EZLN came up with the “Revolutionary Women’s Law,” in commemoration of the international women’s day. The Zapatistas on women’s rights states:
First, Women, regardless of their race, creed, color or political affiliation, have the right to participate in the revolutionary struggle in any way that their desire and capacity determine.
Second, Women have the right to work and receive a just salary.
Third, Women have the right to decide the number of children they have and care for.
Fourth, Women have the right to participate in the matters of the community and have charge if they are free and democratically elected.
Fifth, Women and their children have the right to Primary Attention in their health and nutrition.
Sixth, Women have the right to education.
Seventh, Women have the right to choose their partner and are not obliged to enter into marriage.
Eighth, Women have the right to be free of violence from both relatives and strangers. Rape and attempted rape will be severely punished.
Ninth, Women will be able to occupy positions of leadership in the organization and hold military ranks in the revolutionary armed forces.
Tenth, Women will have all the rights and obligations which the revolutionary laws and regulations give.
Adonis Diaries 