Tuesday, March 02, 2004

Riots continue in Venezuela - CNE again postpones announcement

It must mean that the council has decided to announce that the recall vote will not be held, as the referendum supporters have failed to meet the legal qualifications for one.

Venezuela's election authorities have again postpone an announcement on a decision on a revocatory recall petition against President Hugo Chavez Frias. As National Guard (GN) and violent opposition elements clashed, Monday, as National Elections Council (CNE) director Jorge Rodriguez told reporters that the council had decided to postpone the decision for the second day in the hope that it would allow Venezuela to "move away from violence."
  VHeadline article

Still, it's pretty obvious that postponing the announcement isn't going to calm things down. They are hoping that things will settle down now that the international press has gone home after the G-15 summit. Maybe they're still waiting on some plan to deal with the all-stops-pulled coup the opposition has threatened if a recall doesn't take Chavez out. I don't know, but it looks like the CNE are between the proverbial rock and hard place.

And it's not going to get easier.

And I have a feeling it's going to get very deadly.

Meanwhile the US Embassy has advised its citizens to "limit travel in Caracas" with the footnote that they should not attempt to force their way through opposition erected barricades. As usual, the unfortunate wording is being seen as further support for anti-Chavez forces inasmuch as the US Embassy has shown no condemnation of the opposition having erected them in the first place.


....but hey, don't spoil my trip.

(You can see I think the world should revolve around my plans. Why not? It's not doing such a great job on its own these days. Or, I guess, I should remember that the anarchists are probably pleased with it.)

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