[Fish out of Water]

bump

[backhoe]

Greatly appreciate the report. FYI--

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[Dialup Llama]

It would have been easy for it to go the other way, a small minority of Chavez's Bolivarian circle intimidating neighborhoods, siphoning money off the oil exports, but perhaps the people, as poor as they are, did not want to become another Cuba.

[AGreatPer]

Great report. Wowers.

Remember when a war broke out there? I forget the year. I was on a cruise ship, got off and had bullets flying over my head.

Nah, I don't want to go there anytime.

[cmsgop]

Shane ,That was Truly Moving,....Great Reporting.

[Dog Gone]

Bump for an OUTSTANDING post. This is a situation that I am watching with keen interest. The Venezuelan people are most definitely our friends, and they face a huge crisis.

They are in my thoughts and prayers.

[livius]

What a fantastic report! Although I wish it didn't include deaths -

Still, it seems to me that the Venezuelan people have been pushed about as far as they can go. I hope somebody in Washington is watching this. Had there been a little more speedy encouragement (and a plan) in April, Chavez would now be history.

This is too important for the US to just stand by and hope for the best.

Please send your report to the White House and the State Department. I know they have their own sources, but it never hurts to have an American on the ground sending them things directly.

You never know what might happen. The Venezuelan people are too good and too pro-US to be abandoned at this moment.

[July 4th]

Great post! Let's hope we see some more positive movement down there soon. And please, remind the Venezuelans that when they get rid of Chavez, they actually KILL him this time.

[mia]

Thanks for the really great post. It's truly inspirational.

[The Duke]

Fernando

Can you hear the drums Fernando?
I remember long ago another starry night like this
In the firelight Fernando
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar
I could hear the distant drums
And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar

They were closer now Fernando
Every hour every minute seemed to last eternally
I was so afraid Fernando
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die
And I'm not ashamed to say
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry

There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando

Now we're old and grey Fernando
And since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand
Can you hear the drums Fernando?
Do you still recall the frightful night we crossed the Rio Grande?
I can see it in your eyes
How proud you were to fight for freedom in this land

There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando

There was something in the air that night
The stars were bright, Fernando
They were shining there for you and me
For liberty, Fernando
Though I never thought that we could lose
There's no regret
If I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando
Yes, if I had to do the same again
I would, my friend, Fernando...

[dalereed]

What a fabulous report.

If we had to rely on our new media we would never get 2% of what you have related.

Stay safe and we will be waiting for your next report!

[IronJack]

Excellent eyewitness intell. I've always wondered how these revoluciones went down. I wonder how much of this our spooks knew beforehand.

[Numbers Guy]

Thanks for the great report.

Be careful and be safe.

[aculeus]

Many thanks. Stay safe.

[csvset]

Bump

[blam]

Great report. Thanks. (FReepers are everywhere!)

[marron]

Exciting post. I know Altamira Plaza well, including hanging around there during Chavez' coup attempt 10 years ago. Despite the gunshots going off around and about, the Vz's were out in the streets in force, so we thought, if they're not afraid, why should I be. Sipped coffee down the street from the plaza, listening to the occasional gunshots, them wandered down to the plaza, where the civilian police were maneuvering around, trying to get some paratroopers who had seized the building tops.

The crowds were out watching, the guy at the hamburger stand was doing a land-sale business, and people were entirely unafraid of being caught in a cross fire. They told me, "our soldiers would never fire at us". I said, you never heard of a stray bullet?

Still, it was a deeply depressing event. The professionals I worked with were almost in mourning, at what their country had come to. The blue collar folks were ecstatic, agressively supporting Chavez. I said, you can't be serious, asking for a military dictatorship? They said they were dead serious, nothing could be worse than what they had, (I said, oh, yes it can...) that only the military (and specifically Chavez) had the integrity to clean up the system.

Specifically, what set him off was the invitation to Shell to develop an offshore gas field, and the sale of 1/3 share of the disfunctional phone system to GTE. For that, Chavez was prepared to overthrow the constitutional order.

Since he took office, people have been crying for the military to take him out, but I have believed it was necessary for the people themselves to do it. And happily, it looks like that is exactly what is happening. They wanted him, badly, they were prepared to throw out the constitution, to hand all power over to him and his hand-picked cronies, and it is necessary that now the same people take him down.

It is interesting, as you mention, that even his cronies have turned on him. Recently he demanded that his hand-picked Supreme Court, convict one of the generals who had sided against him, and threatened to arrest them if they didn't. And, still, they acquitted the general.

When I saw that, I knew Chavez was finished.

[marktwain]

Thank you very much. I appreciat the intellegence. We simply don't get this type of information from the "olddominantliberalmedia" here.

[Eva]

Do you have any information or news about the American oil execs in Venezuela? We have friends there and are just concerned for their safety.

[Bogie]

Great report!

As soon as this thug is gone, we, here in North America, should make an effort to give a helping hand.