Monday, February 23, 2015

Venezuela, a Terrorized Nation

The recent arrest of  Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma is an indication of how nervous the Maduro government is getting. The regime's paranoia has caused the people of Venezuela to live under terrorized conditions, not knowing what lies ahead for them.

This past week, Mayor Ledezma was forced out of his office and taken into custody by SEBIN, Maduro's Political Police. Mr. Ledezma is accused of plotting a coup with the United States to topple the current socialist government. This arrest is another example of the oppressive actions that are an attempt to create a distraction for Maduro's lack of leadership in solving the Venezuelan's immediate problems.

Maduro’s problems started last year.  Angry protests erupted after the senseless murder of the actress and model Monica Spear and her husband. Spear's murder, followed  by a rape attempt to a female University student, further infuriated students who took to the streets to protest the enormous insecurity problems that face the country.
The protests grew across the country, leaving over 50 students dead and  hundreds incarcerated.  In support of the students,  Leopoldo Lopez called for peaceful protests. This prompted the Maduro regime to exercise its dictatorship role, arresting Leopoldo Lopez in February. A year later,  Leopoldo Lopez remains Maduro's prisoner, now joined by Mr. Ledezma.

The fate of other Venezuelans with less notoriety is even worse. A few days ago
two students in police custody were found tortured to death. There is no explanation  for this heinous crime.

Maduro is using the same script that Chavez used, accusing the United States of attempting to overthrow him. Wouldn’t it be nice if Maduro’s fantasy - that the United States is trying to topple his government - comes to reality?    

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The illegal Court Procedure Against Leopoldo Lopez

This past month, once again, Venezuelan political leader Leopoldo Lopez was victim of an illegal court procedure behind closed doors. This action not only violates the rights of Leopoldo to have a fair trial, but also violates the Venezuelan Constitution.  Leopoldo Lopez has been imprisoned since last February, falsely accused of steering violent protests against the Maduro regime.



Monday, February 16, 2015

Our Cuban Inheritance: SEBIN, The Political Police

It is painful to read the letter sent by three Venezuelan activists and political prisoners who are currently suffering human rights violations in prison in Caracas known as “Coffin."
These young and courageous men were a part of “Operation Freedom,” a Venezuelan organization that opposes the Nicolas Maduro regime. Lorent Gómez Saleh, Gabriel Valles, and Gerardo Carrero are in a Cuban-style prison in the capital city of Venezuela.According to their parents, who are the only people allowed to visit them, these young men are kept isolated from each other. They are kept in a small cells, painted all in white, with a cement bed and extremely cold temperatures. They have not had access to sunlight in months and are becoming more and more ill from cold and isolation.
The Maduro regime accuses them of being part of “violent protests” which took place four years ago. Last year the three young men who were under house arrest, escaped to Colombia seeking refuge.  In a shameful move, the Colombian  government deported  them and returned then to the abuses and tortures that come with political imprisonment and dictatorship in Venezuela. Lorent Gomez Saleh,Gabiriel Valles and Gerardo Carrero are standing firm with their convictions and are asking the Venezuelan people to stand firm with them for freedom and democracy in Venezuela. 

Monday, February 9, 2015

LATIN AMERICA UNITED AGAINST DICTATORS?


The recent visit to Venezuela from three former Presidents, Colombian Andres Pastrana, Mexican Felipe Calderon, and Chilean Sebastian Piñeda brought a new glimpse of hope to Venezuela. During the past 14 years of the Chavez regime, Latin American countries were reluctant to criticize the abuses imposed by the late Hugo Chavez to the Venezuelan opposition, the private sector, and the media.

The decline of the Venezuelan economy, lack of food and other essential products, physical abuses, tortures and human right violations have turned the tide for the Maduro regime. Nicolas Maduro took office in 2014, less than a year ago after the passing of Hugo Chavez.
During the early years of the Chavez regime many Latin American countries, including Brazil, were initially turned off by the Chavez socialist rhetoric, but when Venezuelan oil bonanza kicked in, only a few countries stood against Chavez.  The majority of  Venezuela’s neighboring countries embarked on position of complacent silence. In the 15th year of  Chavismo power, and after  $250 billion of oil bonanza income, Venezuela has nothing to show. Those billions were pilfered or stolen - leaving the Country with a huge debt, poverty, hunger, and destruction behind.
Very different than what happened in Dubai, with their high oil revenues. They built large ports, a financial center, and a robust Tourist industry. Furthermore, Dubai, thinking about the future, plans to reduce their 55% oil revenue dependency to 33% by diversifying its economy.

Even during the United States’ Gold Rush that lasted a similar period of time, the Government helped towns grow by encouraging settlement and expanding the Country’s infrastructure, the Railroad.
It is our hope that more Latin American leaders make a bold move like Pastrana, Piñeda, and Calderon, and categorically denounce the abuses and human right violations taking pace in Venezuela.







Populism -


Tuesday, February 3, 2015

A Dictatorship in Venezuela

Diosdado Cabello, President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, threatens to take action against the Opposition if they protest. "If  they go out and protest they will regret it the rest of their life,” said Cabello. 
The question to Diosdado Cabello is: Why the threats, when the people of Venezuela just want to exercise their right to protest as stated in Article 68 of the Venezuelan Constitution?

In addition to Diosdado Cabello erratic threats, he also accuses the Opposition of trying to do an economic coup d'etat, masterminded by the United States.  Like Hugo Chavez did, Diosdado Cabello and Nicolas Maduro spent a lot of their time fantasizing with an attack from the United States instead of solving the basic food needs of the country.

The Chavez/Maduro/Diosdado Cabello clan ruined the economy of a rich oil producing country, destroyed its infrastructure, and changed its history.  Now they tell Venezuelan's to refrain from complaining, or they will pay with their lives. A real dictatorship.






Monday, February 2, 2015

The Legalization to Murder Protesters in Venezuela

The January 27th, 2015 resolution by the Minister of Defense, General Vladimir Padrino López, is a declaration to murder Venezuelan protesters. This resolution supports the use of firearms and other weapons against “immediate aggressions” according with the Minister. This goes against Article 68 of the Venezuelan Constitution. In this Article, the use of firearms and toxic substance to control peaceful protests is prohibited.
Protests in Venezuela have emerged against the regime’s inability to solve the country's economic and security crisis. The economic chaos of Venezuela, today is reflected in the frequent long lines to obtain food and products.
It is pretty clear that this new resolution is a desperate move by the Maduro regime to oppress dissidents. Nicolas Maduro is again focusing his attention on oppression and human rights violations instead of solving the Venezuelan immediate economic problems.