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Posted FRIDAY before the rally:

Friday, October 06, 2006

Atrevete!

While I am not thrilled with some of Rosales’ economic proposals, I can’t help but be fully behind his candidacy, for the simple reason that Manuel Rosales’ principles and values are much, very much closer to mine than those of the militaristic, autocratic, egotistical, intolerant and divisive man that has been our President for the last eight years. In fact, have nothing in common with the autocrat at all levels.

--To begin with, Rosales is a family man. He not only has a family, but has a proven track record that he really and truly cares about people the poor and those without resources. While our current President talks about the kids on the streets, Manuel Rosales has adopted three of them so far, for a total of ten kids, including just as a curiosity, triplets.

--Rosales is running to be President of all Venezuelans, without the sectarism of the current President and his party MVR. As Mayor of Maracaibo and Governor of Zulia he has proven this is the case. He is a true democrat, respecting others and talking to everyone. People have forgotten how well Governor Arias Cardenas got along with Rosales, working as a team to make a difference in Zulia.

--Rosales has handled his candidacy and unified the opposition with exquisite timing and ability, managing to do what no leader of the opposition has done in years. You don’t hear bickering and infighting and the people that I have contacted that work with him, talk about openness and reachability (If this word exists)

--Rosales has made fighting crime and security one of his main priorities, while the current Government ignores the problem in the face of absolute failure to fight it. Militaristic solutions to the crime problem don’t work as the last eight years have shown.

--Rosales is the only President in modern Venezuelan history to talk mainly about elementary education as his main priority in the educational field. Yes, he has plans for the other sectors but he seems to understand the problem better than many of the educators that have gone through the Ministry of Education and have typically emphasized or paid attention to higher education.

--Rosales has promised to establish nutritional programs aimed at pregnant women and kids under six and basic education kids by reestablishing and expanding the milk and school lunch’s programs that this Government canned when he got to power.

--Rosales has made contact and has on board the country’s best experts on social programs and problems. He believes in knowledge and know how and not the trial and error and intuition that has destroyed Venezuela and its infrastructure in the last eight years.

--Rosales has an ambitious US$ 40 billion program for infrastructure, housing and barrio refurbishing, including electricity, water, sewage and water treatment. I have not seen the details, but I imagine, he is reviving the program generated informally by a bunch of planners and architects from Central University.

--Rosales said he will revive and pass the pension system that was shelved by this Government and had been approved in 1998 by Congress. This project creates pension funds and makes retirement uniform in ages and requirements.

--From what I have heard from Rosales he understands the need to create employment for all and how the Government can not do it alone and needs to attract investment.

--Yes, I do not like Mi Negra. I find it populist, hard to finance, cyclical and a concern. Given the distortions in the economy, there will be a need for devaluations in the next three years, no matter who wins. What happens then to the amount given to people through Mi Negra? If they stay the same, it just does not help. We have to tie up the politicians hands, eliminate the Bolivar. Create a basket of hard currencies to back the circulation of the US$ in Venezuela. That way, Government’s will have to hold spending if oil prices drop and the purchasing power of poor people will never go down.

--It is clear Rosales does not want to antagonize the military but he has clearly stated that he will cut spending on new military equipment other than that needed for internal security.

--Finally, as Governor Rosales has been effective, efficient and practical, a Governor appreciated and loved in his own state of Zulia.

That is why tomorrow I will go to the Rosales “Avalancha”, we need to mobilize people to get the autocrat out of power in December, restore democracy in Venezuela and have a Government that cares for all Venezuelans.

Atrevete! Go tomorrow!

http://blogs.salon.com/0001330/

Caracas throws its weight behind Manuel Rosales
By Aleksander Boyd

Caracas 07.10.06 | Just got back from the rally folks and believe you me it was huge. But before anything else let me start by saying that I was in a priviledged position and as such what follows is an example of what the official TV channel, Venezolana de Television (VTV), ought to be doing instead of spreading lies and propaganda. It is hard to imagine who are they trying to dupe having seen, filmed and recorded -helicopter and all- the whole thing, but in any case I will happily engage in what I do best, which is to debunk the bullshit coming from the Chavez regime and set the record straight.

I was in a makeshift platform some 8 meters above the stage from where Rosales was going to address the crowd. To my right there was the camera of Globovision. To my left the one that was sending images to VTV. Pay special attention to the size of the crowd behind me and the angle of the camera on my left. This picture was taken well before Rosales started talking.

The reporter from VTV was on stage too -note how close he was to Rosales- could it be possible that he was seeing something different? When was the last time the caudillo allowed a reporter critical of his regime to get so close? Instead of doing what journalists are meant to do this chap, together with the cameraman, were filming Rosales from above -same angle as mine- focusing on notes that he had and criticising him for drinking gatorade. Needless to say that they refused to report accurately what was truly going on:

Last I saw a march this size the mood was somewhat sad. Not today though for Caraqueños came out in full force with a party-like attitude so I guess at this hour a group of people must be getting a bitching from one deranged fellow that believes that he is the only one capable of 'governing' this country. The regime had a rally planned for tomorrow in Avenida Bolivar, which is not far from where we were. The idea was to measure forces and crowds, however for some reason -could it be the size of Rosales' rally?- they have just decided to cancel the gig and postpone it for next Sunday. I guess the regime just can't materialise thousands of people on the streets of Caracas any longer...

Update @ 8:10pm: I have just been informed that Hugo has decided to have his march tomorrow. People are already concentrating in Puente Llaguno.

http://vcrisis.com/index.php?content=letters/200610071705

La Avalancha: Rosales takes Caracas
FINAL UPDATE: So it was a big success. The last images from VTV were of Rosales during his speech (they are obliged as Globovision passes Chavez campaign speeches) but on the half images from "the march" which were in fact images from distant spots from where some of the marches started, NOT AT ALL where Rosales and thousands of people were gathered. One was from the San Bernardino elevado, at least a mile from the grand stand, away from major movement AND STILL showing activity! I suppose if you are a naive chavista from the provinces you might get fooled that few people attended or paid attention, but if you are from Caracas, chavista or not, YOU KNOW exactly the manipulation. That you might want to acknowledge it is another matter. Has Chavez already given up on Caracas to play with such crass and silly TV tactics? Not to mention that it allows further freedom to Globovision to become more partisan if wished for...

Anyway, for now let's savor the real images from Globovision and that Rosales now commands the streets of Caracas. I doubt that even if all provincial Pullmans are drafted Chavez could fill up the Libertador the way Rosales just did. The electoral campaign has just shifted a gear today, and the consequences will show quickly. By the size of the rally, comparable or larger to the ones of opposition heydays of 2002-2004, we did see a real opinion poll and the opposition with Rosales is now at least at its 2004 "CNE official number" of 40%. Or more. Chavismo has taken its third big hit in a week!

UPDATE 8: Ooops! Rosales just arrived! With his family around, including the latest baby. He is starting his discourse. "The union of East and West of Caracas". El Ejemplo que Caracas dio. Etc... It is going to be good! The provincial Maracucho gaining over sifrino Caracas. From Yaracuy, well, I love it!

OK, now lunch.

UPDATE 7: Rosales has not arrived yet. Apparently he is coming walking through the crowds, not Carnival Queen style on a chariot as some others have been doing lately. Hence the delay .

Globovison shows a helicopter of the police stationned above the march. Of course, as usual, the opposition is not allowed to fly its own helicopter, only chavismo can show images of its marches from the sky (which they rarely do anyway, you know, not as great as they would have us beleive they are). Nothing new here, same chavismo unfair advantage as usual. But that is fine, the crowds filmed on the ground leave no doubt as the big hit in Caracas. I am not even bothering with VTV anymore.

Break time for lunch. Hey! I am not at the march and I see no reason to starve and dehydrate.

UPDATE 6: Now they have a cumbia on the grandstand, which evolves into Amparito. These guys know what they are doing!

UPDATE 5: Gaitas on the stand, Maracaibo15!!!! Rosales is about to arrive. The images of Globovision are now spectacular!

I have some vicarious living through my cell phone constant ringing from my assorted folks and friends at the march. They all want to know what I see on TV. none of them can reach the Libertador... Shit! I wish I were there.

UPDATE 4: There was something that did not fit in what I am watching on TV. And it hit me: not as many Venezuelan flags as usual. This time many, a lot of people in fact, came with the colors of their political organization. So you see lots of green(surprising!) ,more orange than expected, many yellow/black, a decent sprinkiling of red, and a lot of blue but not an overwhelming amount of it. In other words, quite a political rainbow. White I did not see much but I suspect that they are covered by the blue :)

UPDATE 3: Second good line of the day. Referring to Bernal that managed not to give the Bolivar Avenue for the rally, from somebody on the stand: "Now we need the Bolivar Avenue. Not for the rally but as an annex for this one".

UPDATE 2: And what is VTV showing? Well, they are at Maiquetia, interviewing the high level commission leaving for La Paragua. Now that Rosales has said publicly that the miners have been abandoned, that not a single important public servant, not even the governor of the state came to check the area after the army related assassination of half a dozen miners (at least), so now the government reacts and the ministers of Labor and Environment are interviewed separately, alone, only by VTV at the airport. Now what is amazing is the wooden technocratic language they use. Amazingly they are going there to "bring" solutions, we do not hear of any commission set to "listen" to the natives. We hear all the code words, cooperativism, defense of the environnement, union of the people, progress of Latin America, socialism of the people, community work, education projects, etc, etc, but not a single consolation word! It is simply astounding to see how detached, how out of touch with the political moment these ministers are!

Of course they also must cover the march. So what do they do? From the Centro Lido they report AFTER the march left. The stupid reporter states that "in 17 minutes everyone was gone". Showing that she is either stupid, has never reported from a march, or is just manipulating the information (or all of the above). And not realizing that if the march is gone, judging by the numbers of laggards it was an impressive group even if they left in 17 minutes, military style... Cada ladrón juzga por su condición.

They also have cameras. They comment on the rally but filming side streets where groups of people are marching towards the Libertador. Thus the naive chavista can feel comforted in thinking that the rally has a poor attendance. Of course the lower level of the Libertador is closed to traffic and they linger lovingly on its empty expanse while the people walk in dense groups on the higher level, but, oh, so conveniently hidden by a group of large trees. VTV sure spent a lot of time picking its angles to minimize everything as much as possible. The silliness of it all it is quite amusing, you know.

Ah! And I was forgetting! They keep patting themselves on the back as to how fair their coverage is!!!!!

UPDATE 1: It seems to be a success, a large success at that. My favorite line so far: "We are so happy, it smells like sulfur everywhere!". So much for Chavez UN speech effect on the self esteem of Venezuelans....

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Today Rosales is checking if he has appeal in Caracas. His campaign has been, wisely, oriented to the Venezuelan provinces as is fitting for the governor of the largest Venezuelan state. But eventually he had to check out if fancy and chevere Caraqueños will support him since their two candidates, Borges and Petkoff had to withdraw in favor of Rosales.

The initial reaction as seen on TV is good. Globovision is showing lots of people gathering, and no buses. Not that it matters, there would be not enough buses to carry what I see on TV. But even more telling, VTV, the state network prefers to stay silent which speaks volume. They probably are either trying to find the march with less people to film (there are 4 marches, see map below) or they have decided to ignore it altogether. VTV less and less restrained partisanship is, by the way, allowing Globovision to show more partiality too, each side probably preferring to accept the facts and have one completely dedicated TV media dedicated to their cause. Not ethical, of course, but at least more honest.

There are thus 4 ways to gather in Avenida Libertador where the meeting will take place (which, by the way, can hold more people than the Bolivar avenue if less prestigious or spectacular, but the government managed to trump the use of the Bolivar this time). Everyone that I know in Caracas and can make it is going to the march. Just as in the good old days of El Paro Civico of 12/2002. Globovision is having a field day so far.

More later.

PS: It seems that wherever Rosales is, I am not. When he was in Yaracuy I was in Caracas. when he is in Caracas I am back at home. Oh well...

http://daniel-venezuela.blogspot.com/