El Libertario' newsroom
[Note by El Libertario: given
the demand for alternative information on the current situation in Venezuela in
English, are the two texts that follow.]
::Twelve F.A.Q. about what is happening in Venezuela
El Libertario newspaper
1) Are the protests in Venezuela led by opposition parties on the right?
- No. The current wave of
protests began in the city of San Cristobal (Tachira) on Feb. 4 when students
denouncing security issues on the university campus were met with repression
and several were jailed. The consequent protests focused on liberating the
detained students, spread to other cities and were also met with repression,
intensifying student unrest. It was in this context that a faction of the
opposition launched a proposal for street demonstrations dubbed “La Salida” to
demand President Maduro’s resignation, while another faction opposed the idea
of street demonstrations focused on this larger, single demand. Despite the
arrest of the conservative politician Leopoldo Lopez, the widespread protests
all over the country have overwhelmed and “surpassed on the left” the
opposition political parties.
2) Are the protests in Venezuela part of a coup against Maduro’s
government?
- In Venezuela, a country with a history of military coups, there is
always some possibility that events will take that turn. However, the current
situation is very different from 2002 when Hugo Chavez was temporarily taken
out of power by a coup. After that date, the armed forces were politically
cleansed at high and middle ranks; those who filled the open positions were
ideologically committed to the government and further secured by receiving a
free charter to control various country businesses. The most likely source of a coup today in
Venezuela is one Chavista faction or another. Their aim would be to ensure the
country’s governability so that the military along with energy transnationals
may continue to operate successfully in the country.
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