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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Protest Disbanded by Tear Gas Marks Venezuela Holiday Start |
| 2014-02-28 |
| [BUSINESSWEEK] Several thousand anti-government demonstrators marched in Caracas today after President Nicolas Maduro tried to defuse two weeks of protests by granting Venezuelans an unexpected six-day holiday. In the eastern Caracas municipality Chacao, an opposition stronghold, demonstrators held banners urging Venezuelans to ignore the holidays and continue protesting against crime, inflation and shortages of goods. As they attempted to block the city's main east-west highway, the National Guard broke up the march with tear gas and water cannons. Two U.S. senators proposed a resolution threatening sanctions for "violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Venezuela." Maduro this week expanded the annual Carnival festivities by decreeing today and tomorrow national holidays, in addition to the scheduled days off on March 3-4. At least 14 people were killed in the past two weeks in the biggest demonstrations against the government since the former bus driver won presidential elections in April. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 I'll remember that the next time I'm stuck in traffic there. (I still remember the last time, and it was Nineteen Seventy Something). |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2014-02-28 16:19 |
| #6 They're pretty damn fond of Washington D.C. tho, it's the real deal affection wise. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2014-02-28 16:05 |
| #5 My point being, in response to the idiotic "Why don't they care about Venezuela the way they care about Ukraine" propaganda above, Jim, was that The Idiots don't care about Ukraine, or Venezuela, any more than they really care about Israel. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2014-02-28 13:10 |
| #4 there's some Dumb Square Senator reading some prepared statement. You mean Kerry? You should. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2014-02-28 10:31 |
| #3 You're right to be concerned. Take a look at this video: Start at the 4:00 mark for Kerry's statement; before that there's some Dumb Square Senator reading some prepared statement. I wish they cared about the _people_ in Ukraine or the _people_ in Venezuela the way they care about Israel. And no, I don't know why. But I haven't seen a statement half as strong about Venezuela or Ukraine as they regularly make about Israel. Maybe Kerry and Obama and Netanyahu are all Secretly Fond Of Each Other, to borrow a phrase from Willie Nelson. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2014-02-28 08:51 |
| #2 Cause for the Permanent Party Propaganda Machine, Latin America is the dark side of the moon as amply demonstrated by the Rant's continuing coverage of the Drug War in Mexico in the absence of 'professional journalists' who's world view is that from NYC or DC. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-02-28 08:23 |
| #1 How come nobody (UN/EU/DC/NYT) is "alarmed about the violence" in Venezuela? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-02-28 01:50 |