Followers stay loyal despite Venezuela crisis - Clashes between supporters, critics rage in Caracas

CARACAS - The neighborhood called January 23d has massive apartment blocks with faded, flaking paint, high unemployment, poverty, and violence - and tremendous support for President Hugo Chavez, on whose watch the lives of many residents have become more difficult.

Chavez Marks Election Anniversary with Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement neighborhood committees***At a political rally Thursday, Chavez inaugurated the leaders of the new Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement, an organization composed of thousands of neighborhood committees aimed at maintaining ties between citizens and the government. Some analysts say the new movement is aimed at counterbalancing Chavez's Fifth Republic Movement political party, some of whose members have adopted dissenting positions in Congress.***

Chávez's school plans ignite furor in Venezuela ***New history texts for fourth- and sixth-graders published in 1999 praised Chávez's coup attempt and branded as ``corrupt oligarchies'' the two parties that ruledVenezuela since the late 1950s, Democratic Action and COPEI.

Chávez has also greatly expanded a system of paramilitary classes in public high schools that had long been on the books but were seldom held, portraying them as ``the founding stones of the new Venezuelan man.'' ``He is promoting militarism, infecting texts with viruses that foster class hatreds ... and speak against globalization and privatization,'' Raffalli said in an interview.

Chávez recently signed a deal with Cuba under which Havana will train Venezuelan teachers and provide educational materials, and Education Minister Hector Navarro last year approved a nationwide essay competition on the life of Argentine-born Cuban revolutionary Ernesto ``Ché'' Guevara. Most of the Cuban aid is going to some 500 ``Bolivarian Schools'' established around the nation of 24 million people for the poorest of the poor, offering three meals a day and on-site medical care.***

All, For anybody who missed it, Venezuela Military Opposition-to-Chavez web site is also going up today in english. Main page will be here at...
http://www.militaresdemocraticos.com/en/index.html.

And, already translated, the impressive list/photos of all the top Generals and other senior officers with their comments on why they've left Chavez over the past 2 months, now in english, is here...
http://www.militaresdemocraticos.com/en/oficiales.html.

-Shane (My recent eye-witness report here)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.