Do not miss what's happening in #Venezuela. 35 dead now in protests. President trying to rewrite constitution. A country near collapse.

[TomSea]

This is some protest, I usually don't go with tweets:

Do not miss what's happening in #Venezuela. 35 dead now in protests. President trying to rewrite constitution. A country near collapse.


- Jim Sciutto

https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/860274838468014084/photo/1

Venezuela protests rage, jailed Lopez supporters stage vigil

 By Alexandra Ulmer and Diego Oré | CARACAS

Supporters of jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez held a vigil outside his prison demanding to see him on Thursday after rumors about his health rattled the protest-hit country where the death toll from anti-government unrest rose to 36.

Lopez's wife and mother rushed to a military hospital in Caracas and then the hilltop Ramo Verde jail overnight, after a journalist tweeted Lopez had been taken to a medical center without vital signs.

President Nicolas Maduro's leftist government, facing a wave of major opposition protests since last month, later issued a short "proof of life" video in which Lopez said he was fine.

Read more and pictures at: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-idUSKBN1801OI

WSJ Paywall, beginning of story:

Venezuela Is Starving
Once Latin America’s richest country, Venezuela can no longer feed its people, hobbled by the nationalization of farms as well as price and currency controls
By Juan Forero
May 5, 2017 10:41 a.m. ET

YARE, Venezuela—Jean Pierre Planchart, a year old, has the drawn face of an old man and a cry that is little more than a whimper. His ribs show through his skin. He weighs just 11 pounds.

His mother, Maria Planchart, tried to feed him what she could find combing through the trash—scraps of chicken or potato. She finally took him to a hospital...
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https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuela-is-starving-1493995317

[XenaLee]

This is some protest, I usually don't go with tweets:

WSJ Paywall, beginning of story:

And yet.... despite the end results of socialism (communism w/a smiley face)..... which fails every time it's tried....

there are many here in the USA that are pushing for full-tilt government-run healthcare and everything else.   Many, in fact, that call themselves Republicans. 

This ^  ^  is why most conservatives, myself included, will fight tooth and nail against ANY law or policy that keeps government in our faces, much less in our healthcare.

[geronl]

Marduro and the Chavista's know they no longer have the support of the people, repression and violence was the only way they could hope to stay in power.

[geronl]

These massive protests have been going on for a few weeks now, we're talking millions of people in Caracas alone.

Here's an account of the May Day protest (pics and video included)

http://daniel-venezuela.blogspot.com/2017/05/may-first-repression-caracas.html#more

[Suppressed]

And the cry from The Left is...

1) "The problem isn't socialism; it's corruption.  Things were great under Chavez -- it's just Maduro that's the problem."

and

2) "This isn't socialism; it's 'state capitalism'."

[geronl]

And the cry from The Left is...

1) "The problem isn't socialism; it's corruption.  Things were great under Chavez -- it's just Maduro that's the problem."

These leftists didn't like Chavez either. The poor masses bought into it for a while, but not anymore. The Venezuelan left that I have read wants to have a more European kind of market socialism, they never liked the nationalizations. Sure it might have sold to the far-left masses for a while, but it's all collapsing now.

[Suppressed]

These leftists didn't like Chavez either. The poor masses bought into it for a while, but not anymore. The Venezuelan left that I have read wants to have a more European kind of market socialism, they never liked the nationalizations. Sure it might have sold to the far-left masses for a while, but it's all collapsing now.

I should have clarified...I meant "The Privileged Left"...i.e., those not actually living in Venezuela.

[geronl]

I should have clarified...I meant "The Privileged Left"...i.e., those not actually living in Venezuela.

You mean the ones who escaped because of all this? I'm sure they want to elect someone who can make it work. Of course, they can't have real elections at the present time if they ever did.

[Frank Cannon]

You get what you pay for. In the 90's the human debris wanted Utopia. Now they have it. Hope they are enjoying their leg of zoo animal if they are lucky enough to eat.

[mountaineer]

Blasted to death at point blank range: Shocking moment a protester is fatally shot in the chest with a smoke grenade by Venezuelan riot police

    Miguel Castillo, 27, was demonstrating against Venezuelan President's reform
    A video shows the protester surrounded by officers on the side of a main road
    As officers ride away on a bike, a shot is fired which looks like a smoke grenade
    Castillo died despite being dragged to safety and rushed to hospital

By Gareth Davies For Mailonline
Published: 07:48 EDT, 11 May 2017 | Updated: 09:28 EDT, 11 May 2017



This is the shocking moment a protester was fatally blasted at point blank range with a smoke grenade by Venezuelan riot police. 

The 27-year-old man, identified as Miguel Castillo, was demonstrating against president Nicolas Maduro who had called an order to rewrite the country's constitution.

Video footage show the victim surrounded by police officers before he is left sprawling on a main road when a shot hits his chest in the residential area of Las Mercedes on the outskirts of Caracas.

The clip, recorded by one of the witnesses, show Castillo surrounded by the officers.

One of them appears to fire a smoke grenade at his chest as they are about to drive away, leaving the man face-down in the street.

After the police ride off on a motorcycle, Castillo is seen walking with difficulty along the motorway and falling to the ground while holding his chest.

Immediately, a man is seen helping him to stand up and dragging him away.   ...


More at Daily Mail

[txradioguy]

Here's hoping Madero's time as dictator is about to come to an end.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Marduro and the Chavista's know they no longer have the support of the people, repression and violence was the only way they could hope to stay in power.

They also sense, probably correctly, that they will face prison after they are out of power, so they will try anything to stay in power.

[Fishrrman]

Weird wrote:
"They also sense, probably correctly, that they will face prison after they are out of power, so they will try anything to stay in power."

When they realize they are close to being removed from power, they'll use their last loyal subordinates to escort them to a plane heading for Cuba...

[geronl]

They also sense, probably correctly, that they will face prison after they are out of power, so they will try anything to stay in power.

@Fishrrman

If they don't escape to Cuba or one of the other socialist south American nations, they definitely have prison in their futures.

[mountaineer]

Venezuelans shut down capital roads to protest government
    By The Associated Press via ABC News - video at link
CARACAS, Venezuela — May 20, 2017, 5:25 PM ET

 Masses of protesters with white shirts, homemade gas masks and flags draped around their shoulders shut down a main road in the Venezuelan capital on Saturday in a continuation of near-daily street protests.

Soldiers shut down access to the center of the city and officials closed at least 10 metro stations in anticipation of Saturday's protest.

State security forces have consistently prevented protesters from reaching the city center, home to the presidential palace, Supreme Court, and electoral authority. The political unrest has left at least 46 people dead.

President Nicolas Maduro, meanwhile, has been posting videos of himself driving with windows rolled down through various neighborhoods at night as he talks about restoring peace to the country. On Friday night, he drove past a plaza in the eastern part of the city that has become the epicenter of the opposition movement and noted how quiet the streets were.

"Look at how peaceful it is here. We're defeating the barricade-builders and violence-bringers," he said.

[sneakypete]

You mean Communism has failed AGAIN????

How can this be? I was sure it would work this time. IIRC,even the NYT reported it was going to work this time! The NYT wouldn't lie to us,would they?

[sneakypete]

And yet.... despite the end results of socialism (communism w/a smiley face)..... which fails every time it's tried....

there are many here in the USA that are pushing for full-tilt government-run healthcare and everything else.   Many, in fact, that call themselves Republicans. 

@XenaLee

Yes,and with the exception of the Trust Fund Children,they ALL KNOW IT WILL FAIL.

They are COUNTING on it failing because their goal is to see American go bankrupt so they can buy up our assets for a penny on the dollar again,just like their ancestors did during the world-wide depression of the 30's.

Yeah,they talk a good game about "heping de peep-pulls,but they have no interest in helping anyone but themselves. In FACT,for their plan to succeed,tens of millions of our citizens MUST be hurt.

They know this too,but since they care nothing about anyone but themselves,they don't give a damn.

[sneakypete]

Here's hoping Madero's time as dictator is about to come to an end.

@txradioguy

I am sure he has already made plans to steal a few billion and escape to Spain,Portugal,or NYC,where Spanish is spoken and he can live in exile like the Commissar of his dreams.

[sneakypete]

They also sense, probably correctly, that they will face prison after they are out of power, so they will try anything to stay in power.

@Weird Tolkienish Figure

"PRISON"?  Revolutions don't work that way. Maybe a holding cell while he is waiting to get backed up against a wall for the firing squad,but that's only if he is unlucky enough to not be executed on the spot.

I can guarantee you he has already wired money out of the country,and he had an escape route and bogus passports already sitting in his safe or on his person.

[TomSea]

Venezuela protests: Man set alight as death toll rises

Warning: This article contains images that readers might find disturbing.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused opposition protesters of setting alight a government supporter in Caracas on the 50th day of protests.

Orlando José Figuera suffered burns to 80% of his body after he was engulfed in flames. Officials said he was also stabbed in Saturday's protests.

Witnesses said the crowd had accused the man of being a thief.

On the same day, an opposition activist was shot dead, bringing the total number killed in recent protests to 48.

The attorney general's office said gunmen allegedly opened fire on the demonstrators in the western city of Valera.

Continued: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39994965

The man has burns on 80% of his body, pictures at the link. How strange.

[geronl]

They are averaging an assassination per day according to a blog I read.

[rangerrebew]

JOYS OF SOCIALISM: Venezuelan General Orders Sniper Fire on Starving Protesters

Jim Hoft May 22nd, 2017 10:20 am 58 Comments
A secret recording was leaked to the media in Venezuela where a top general issues orders to prepare snipers to shoot protesters.

Venezuela is currently suffering through a Socialist economic collapse.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/joys-socialism-venezuelan-general-orders-sniper-fire-starving-protesters/

[XenaLee]

JOYS OF SOCIALISM: Venezuelan General Orders Sniper Fire on Starving Protesters

Jim Hoft May 22nd, 2017 10:20 am 58 Comments
A secret recording was leaked to the media in Venezuela where a top general issues orders to prepare snipers to shoot protesters.

Venezuela is currently suffering through a Socialist economic collapse.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/joys-socialism-venezuelan-general-orders-sniper-fire-starving-protesters/

That's what happens (end result) when you allow government to take away your ability to defend yourself from a radical, fascist, rogue government.  Every single time its tried.

[Free Vulcan]

And this is why you never give up your guns.

[mountaineer]

What Venezuela Can Teach Young Socialists
Marian L. Tupy
Monday, May 22, 2017
FEE (Foundation for Economic Education) - excerpted; click on link for entire article

Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet dictator between 1953 and 1964, allegedly said that when “the world is socialist, Switzerland will have to remain capitalist, so that it can tell us the price of everything.”

Just as it was important that the Communist world be continuously exposed to at least one country that got its economics right, such as Switzerland, so it is instructive for the capitalist world to be continuously exposed to at least one country that gets its economics wrong, such as Venezuela. ...

In a capitalist economy, nobody sets the prices of goods and services (unless, of course, one considers heavily regulated parts of the economy such as the American healthcare system under Obamacare). Prices emerge “spontaneously”, depending on supply and demand. Socialist countries, in contrast, employ thousands of bureaucrats who try to estimate future supply and demand, and incorporate those estimates into Soviet five-year plans.  ...

Conversely, it is useful for people in free-market democracies to be constantly reminded of the consequences of alternative economic and political arrangements, such as those in contemporary Venezuela.

The country’s attempt to build 21st-century socialism has run into predictable problems, including rising infant mortality rates, triple-digit inflation, widespread food shortages, a collapsing healthcare system and failing rule of law, and the growing repression of the opposition by the state.

As I have argued before, all socialist countries eventually come to experience similar economic and political problems. And, just as surely, there will always be those in the West who will jump to socialism’s defense. Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet state, called such people “useful idiots”.  ...

Aside from oil exports, Venezuela does not have or make anything that anyone in the world wants to buy. Thus, when the oil price collapsed from $140 to less than $50 a barrel, the country lost most of the foreign exchange it needed to purchase food and consumer goods abroad. Shortages ensued.  ...