Crickets from White House as Venezuelans Risk All to Throw Out the Chavistas

PJ Media ^ | 2-15-2014 | Bridget Johnson

[sheikdetailfeather]

Florida lawmakers are trying to turn the Obama administration’s attention toward two weeks of escalating deadly protests in Venezuela, where protesters frustrated with the socialist government have taken to the streets to demand a better country.

The late Hugo Chavez’s Bolivarian experiment, continued by his handpicked successor Nicolas Maduro, has resulted in an economy in tatters, sky-high crime, and massive government corruption.

Maduro has put the world on “alert” that he’s “facing a developing coup plan against the democracy and the government that I preside over, orchestrated by a small group of irresponsible leaders, violent, full of hatred and personal ambitions.” Protesters have demanded he resign.

“So we are deeply concerned by rising tensions, by the violence surrounding these February 12th protests, and by the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. We join the Secretary General of the OAS in condemning the violence and calling on authorities to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of peaceful protestors. We also call on the Venezuelan government to release the 19 detained protestors and urge all parties to work to restore calm and refrain from violence,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said at Friday’s press briefing.

[DoughtyOne]

Yep...

[sheikdetailfeather]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/15/us-venezuela-protests-idUSBREA1E0W320140215

(excerpt)

On Saturday, supporters of the opposition gathered again to sing and chant slogans in the square. Many then set off to block a major highway, as they had done briefly the night before.

“They say we’re rich kids, but I’m from a humble family,” said Joseph Sandoval, a 24-year-old student. “I represent the majority of Venezuelans who are sick of seeing our country sinking like this.”