It's has been 35 days since the start of the Venezuelan Opposition Civil Insurrection on 2014, which started on what was a 200th bicentennial of Youth Day. Barricades called Guarimbas, maintained by Gurarimbos littered the streets of middle and upper class neighborhoods in urban and suburban areas of Venezuela, including Eastern Caracas, disrupting the lives of not only their own opposition neighbors but even those apolitical folk unable to work, go to school, perform business, or enjoy their lives. Stores, malls ,supermarkets, businesses, public transport ,government buildings, community media stations looted or vandalized, or even burned in acts of arson. Food, goods, and supplies are unable to be transported because of the blockades or worse hijacked by violent opposition groups to be burned.
The original goal of the protests was a perceived economic crisis, insecurity, food shortages, many of the made worse by the ongoing economic war. However, the protests was co-opted by two hard-line members of the Venezuelan Opposition, Leopoldo López for Popular Will and María Corina Machado (a independent National Assemblywoman),by a campaign called the "the Salida" or "The Exit".
Whatever protests they have originally been before that time, it has been forgotten
"The Salida" ultimate goal is to dispose the constitutional government via a rolling coup. Their tactic is a mix of peaceful demonstrators with a shock troop of violent opposition groups that has wrecked havoc on the nation and paralyzed society. But as soon as it started, it has slowly burned itself out.
Days after the attack on the Public Ministry's HQ in Caracas, they sought out a arrest warrant for Leopoldo López for inciting lawless action and arson. Lopez refused to surrender himself to police until he found out from his family by the Venezuelan security intelligence (SEBIN) on a plan to assassinate him to create a civil war. He eventually surrendered himself to the National Guard after a speech, sent to a nearby courthouse for arraignment, and due to the threat of his life he was remanded to a military prison outside of Caracas.
But the mainstream corporate media has been pushing lies after lies from the start. The Venezuelan Opposition using their connections with like-minded people, created a modern propaganda campaign using international and domestic media while screaming "censorship". In with the power of social media and streaming media they are able to spread a narrative, a false narrative of Venezuela being a authoritarian government, controlled by Cuba, not having real democracy.
The City of Chacao in Greater Caracas, and more specifically Altmaria square has been a focal point of the insurrection with violent protesters attacking the National Guard and National Police barricades in a attempt to advance to a near by highway, while the other side protecting the highway from being blockaded. Recently as of 3/17/2014, the Square has been occupied by National Guard to cease this campaign, and things has slowly gotten back to normal.
Most of the protesters are upper-middle class to upper class, with a growing amount of them from criminal gangs and paramilitaries.
The Venezuelan Government made headways to containing the insurrection. President Maduro called for a peace conference between the economic elite, media elite, and the social elite, this same conference has been actively boycotted by the Democratic Unity Rountable. And the security forces are actually winning by letting the protests burn itself out instead of actively disbursing them. The result of this is that now only five areas of Venezuela are actively violent.
But for the great majority of the Venezuelas who are lower-middle class, working class, or lower-class. They refused to let insurrection control their lives. They're taking back their lives, they're becoming more stronger than ever. Even the apolitical and opposition are sick of the protests and want it to end.
It is clear that the Venezuelan government is doing, by any means legally necessary, to protect civil and constitutional order.
28 people have now died in the conflict, most of them innocent people or supporters of the ruling party.
Starting this week, Venezuela Watch will detail the origins of the Insurrection,how they did it, who were the players in it, why are they did it, who were the real victims, and what needs to be done to prevent another insurrection.
And as the Venezuelan Government liberates the remaining areas under civil insurrection we will be there to report it.
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