Now that we’ve been reminded that the Venezuelan Border Controversy ain’t going nowhere – (surely you didn’t think, Dear Reader, that Argyle “solved” anything, did you?) – your Eyewitness thinks we gotta start paying more attention to what’s happening west of the border! Your Eyewitness has already been stressing the unique position of their armed forces over there. That they have a role in Government ain’t just a Mad Maduro manoeuvre to stay in power – but actually authorised by the 1999 constitution that Chavez foisted on Venezuela!! An integral part of the Chavismo ideology is that the armed forces are the main vehicle to transmit the policies of the Government to the “people”. Sounds familiar??
While most young folks mightn’t know about Burnham’s “cooperative socialism” – those who do remember would remember he also used the “Disciplined Forces” for the same purpose. Burnham felt that Guyanese weren’t disciplined enough to create the Guyana he had in mind, so he created several different military units to do the job: the GDF, GNS, People’s Militia, the YSM, the WRSM, and not to forget: kick down the door bandits!! Well, over in Venezuela, all these are alive and well in their Spanish incarnations!! Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans are marching up and down to “defend the Bolivarian revolution”!!
Ah yes…the Bolivarian Revolution, can’t forget that, can we?!! It wasn’t just throwing out the old oligarchy that used to run Venezuela – but rejecting all they stood for!! Chavismo policies include nationalisation, social welfare programmes and opposition to neoliberalism – particularly the policies of the IMF and the World Bank. Don’t forget Burnham dubbed the IMF as “International Mother F**ker”!! Your Eyewitness ain’t sure they go around calling each other “comrade”, but you get the idea, don’t you?? We’re all equal…which translates in today’s Venezuela – and yesterday’s Burnham’s Guyana – as “equally miserable”, with severe food shortages, skyrocketing poverty and rampant violence!! We can’t say Chavez and Burnham didn’t achieve their goal!
And just like in Burnham’s Guyana, El President Mad Maduro has all sorts of powers he claims from directly representing “the people”. That referendum to annex our Essequibo wasn’t unusual: in these “peoples’ democracies”, they’re tools through which the people speak and which the Big Man (Caudillo) executes!! And that’s why we just can’t dismiss the “mandate” Mad Maduro claims he’s got. If he doesn’t follow through, he’s be cutting not just the limb he’s sitting on – but the entire goddamn tree!!
So on that “election” due next year, let’s not forget that the last (2018) elections was just like one of Burnham’s classics – “more crooked than barbed wire”!! They just rigged the damn thing!! Even the US’ Opp leader Guaidó couldn’t do a thing!!
The more things change….!
…Venezuela’s democracy
We shouldn’t forget that Mad Maduro – like Burnham – is very proud that he’s a “democratic” leader!! And that’s why he goes through all the trouble to rig elections!! He pretends that the almost eight million Venezuelans who’ve fled his (mis)rule haven’t voted with their feet! So, yes…that election due next year!! The Venezuelan Opposition parties held their primaries earlier this year and one Opposition Leader, María Corina Machado came out on top!! But a small hitch – uh, uh: she was immediately disqualified by a Mad Maduro henchman, because she supported US sanctions against Mad Maduro after his 2018 stunt!!
Well, after insisting for months that she wasn’t appealing that decision, because she hadn’t done anything wrong – she’s just reversed her stance and submitted a last-minute appeal to the Supreme Court. This was first revealed by the US Embassy in Caracas – implying that they agree with – if not initiated – the move. In Venezuela, this would be tantamount to trying the Devil in Hell!!
Maybe the US knows something??
…the Venezuelan melting pot
When Mad Maduro’s delegation deplaned at Argyle, did you wonder how come all of them were so…well…white?? What happened to the million plus Venezuelans of African ancestry? The policy of blanqueamiento, or “whitening” erases them??
