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  1. #101
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    Quote Originally Posted by HermantheGerman
    When will China bust a move ?
    After trump repeals the Monroe Doctrine......soon as the check clears

  2. #102
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    Opposition politicians who follow the rules are picked up by the govt and are never seen again.

    His name is WILMER AZUAJE


    Venezuela politician's 'disappearance' stirs Chavez's home state
    by Reuters
    Thursday, 15 June 2017

    By Andrew Cawthorne

    BARINAS, Venezuela, June 15 (Reuters) - He had just left his office by car and was passing a nearby church when the state security vans swooped in on Wilmer Azuaje.

    Put on a military plane hours later on May 3, the 40-year-old regional lawmaker - one of the best-known opposition figures in the rural home state of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - has not been seen since.

    "He's disappeared. They kidnapped him. There is complete silence,"
    said his mother, Carmen Cordero, who has been traveling between Barinas state and the capital, Caracas, to seek information on him at the headquarters of national intelligence service Sebin.

    There has been no official word on Azuaje's case, and requests to authorities for information went unanswered.

    Azuaje is one of more than 3,000 activists, mainly young protesters, rounded up since massive demonstrations began against President Nicolas Maduro and the ruling Socialist Party at the start of April, according to rights groups.

    Nearly half of those remain behind bars.

    Opponents of Maduro say the 54-year-old successor to Chavez has become a dictator and unleashed repression to intimidate a population fed up with economic hardship and demanding general elections.

    Maduro casts the arrests as a legitimate reaction to "armed insurrection" by violent coup-plotters following a U.S. agenda to take control of Venezuela's oil wealth. Government officials view Azuaje as a ringleader in a particularly sensitive region.

    A career politician always courting controversy, he backed Chavez in the early years of his 1999-2013 rule. But Azuaje later split with Chavez, who died in office, and accused the president's increasingly wealthy relatives of corruption in Barinas, a poor agricultural state in the Venezuelan "llanos" or plains where Chavez was born in a mud hut.

    In 2010, Azuaje was briefly put under house arrest for assaulting a policewoman in a spat over a vehicle.

    An avid swimmer and prominent member of the opposition party Justice First, he aspires to run for the Barinas governorship, currently held by a brother of Chavez.

    "He's long been a thorn in the side of the government," added Cordero, wearing a white T-shirt bearing the face of her son, before driving to Caracas on another quest to find him.

    'TERRORIST OF BARINAS'

    Friends and supporters say Azuaje, who also helps run the family restaurant and tourism business, gave energetic encouragement to anti-Maduro demonstrators throughout April.

    He was often the only mainstream politician at the scene of protests, broadcasting live via social media, they say.

    Officials and government supporters accused Azuaje of fomenting and financing violence, and urged an investigation.

    On social media, some dubbed him "the Terrorist of Barinas" and "Captain Criminal," showing photos of him beside alleged gang members, some in masks.

    "He's no angel that man, he's behind all of this, so he has to pay," said Maduro supporter Leonardo Gonzalez, 33, wearing a red T-shirt with Chavez's image, in the scruffy state capital, also called Barinas.

    The city, in the middle of rural plains, has seen the single worst bout of unrest in 2-1/2 months of often violent protests across Venezuela. Seven people were killed in the city and hundreds of stores looted in one 36-hour spate of clashes on May 22 and 23.

    Nearly 70 people have died nationwide.

    Azuaje was last seen being bundled onto a National Guard plane in the middle of the night after being arrested and taken to local Sebin headquarters with his assistant the day before.

    Friends and relatives yelled his name from the perimeter fence. "Seeing the person you love treated like that is terrible," said his wife, Kelly Garcia, cuddling their two baby girls at her home. "Wilmer's only crime is to dream and work for a better Venezuela."

    Venezuela politician's 'disappearance' stirs Chavez's home ...

  3. #103
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    Just watched Geopolitis, a Swiss document (non-propaganda) about current situation in Venezuela. Goldman Sachs buying a huge stock of bonds.

    Venezuela, révolution dans l’impasse



    (« Geopolitis » is a programme which presents what are often complex international situations in a clear, precise and concise manner.)
    Every Fri on TV5, with En subtitles.
    https://asie.tv5monde.com/Schedule?lang=en-US

    Similar non-propaganda document about North Korea by a Swiss documentarist few weeks ago. Quite different pictures from people who had spent some time there...


  4. #104
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke
    Venezuela, révolution dans l’impasse

    They look interesting...shame i don't parlez vous

  5. #105
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    Thank you Klondyke.

    I understand most of it.

  6. #106
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    Quote Originally Posted by fred flintstone View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke
    Venezuela, révolution dans l’impasse

    They look interesting...shame i don't parlez vous
    If you do not parlez, watch it on TV5, they give almost all of their broadcast with English subtitles. Their documentary is quite interesting and not so dry (and not staged).

    Also their movies, nearly every day evening 8pm. Unfortunately, their stories do not include FBI, CIA, or other "stories of ordinary people" as shown preferably on Hollywood channels.

  7. #107
    Thailand Expat OhOh's Avatar
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    Many thanks for another news source.

  8. #108
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    Meanwhile in Venezuela.....the poor are realizing that socialism is a failure when you expropriate many things for the 'public good' but then fail to do basic maintenance. Poor now turning against Maduro.

    Venezuela’s Poor Rebel, Roiling Maduro’s Socialist Strongholds
    By Fabiola Zerpa and Andrew Rosati
    July 3, 2017

    In western Caracas, fury erupts when food program falters
    ‘People protest when there are no other options. It’s madness’

    For most of Venezuela’s two-decade socialist experiment,
    the city’s wealthier, whiter east has been the hotbed of anti-government sentiment. Now, noisy protests are erupting in poorer-but-calmer western neighborhoods that were strongholds for embattled President Nicolas Maduro as crime explodes and medicine and food are scarce and expensive.


    Residents in neighborhoods like La Candelaria, blocks from the presidential Miraflores Palace, erect barricades and yell slogans against Maduro’s government, banging pots and pans from inside their homes. They’re increasingly demanding a change in government, infuriated by mismanagement and Maduro’s proposed constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution -- and perhaps seize total control.

    “Everyone protests, without differences, because the hunger of the stomach and the hunger for democracy have been united,” said Carlos Julio Rojas, a La Candelaria activist who has been menaced by pro-government militants called colectivos. He said that opposition activists have been joined at protests by government supporters, public employees, housewives and the unemployed.

    Crumbling Foundation

    The spread of unrest across the nation’s capital poses a new and heightened threat to a regime under siege. Anti-government protesters have taken to the streets of Caracas and other major cities for three months denouncing Maduro for wrecking the economy and establishing what they call a dictatorship. Almost 80 people have died in near-daily clashes between protesters and security forces.

    Venezuelans last mounted extended anti-government protests in 2014, demanding Maduro’s ouster, yet ultimately they fizzled with nothing to show. This time, the opposition has gained significant international support. And inside the nation, key defections from the ruling party and the west-side unrest show that Maduro may be losing elements of the base that has sustained the socialist ideology in the face of poverty and condemnation.

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...st-strongholds

  9. #109
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    denouncing Maduro for wrecking the economy
    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    This time, the opposition has gained significant international support
    Bloomberg and probably the "international supporters" have a different plan. it wouldn't surprise me. It's been going on for centuries.

  10. #110
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    shits be gettin real down there


  11. #111
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    Fugitive Venezuelan Pilot Makes Brazen Public Appearance

    Venezuelan authorities have been hunting for Óscar Pérez since late last month after he claimed that he had been involved in a brazen — and bizarre — attack on two government buildings in Caracas, the capital.

    On Thursday night, Mr. Pérez, a former police officer who said he had piloted a stolen helicopter used in the attack, made an audacious public appearance at an opposition rally in the capital, surrounded by a small number of masked supporters.

    “It’s time for this narco-government to fall on July 18,” Mr. Pérez said in a brief interview.

    He then urged Venezuelans to vote on Sunday in a symbolic referendum organized by the opposition-led National Assembly in response to President Nicolás Maduro’s plans to change the country’s Constitution.

    “We will be on the streets defending the people,” he said at the rally, which honored the more than 90 people who died during the anti-government protests that have gripped the country since April.

    Then, Mr. Pérez raised his fist in the air, shouted the word “freedom” and sped off on the back of a motorcycle, with a group of masked supporters following behind.
    http://https://www.nytimes.com/2017/...ppearance.html

  12. #112
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    Quote Originally Posted by fred flintstone View Post
    shits be gettin real down there
    I hope so....real as in a change will happen.


    JULY 16, 2017
    Venezuela opposition votes against Maduro, woman shot dead
    Alexandra Ulmer and Andreina Aponte


    CARACAS (Reuters) - Gunmen in Venezuela shot into a crowd of voters on Sunday, activists said, killing one woman and wounding three others during an unofficial referendum organized by the opposition to push for an end to two decades of socialist rule.

    Graphic: Venezuela's dark days: http - //tmsnrt.rs/2pPJdRb

    The opposition Democratic Unity coalition said a pro-government "paramilitary" gang opened fire in Caracas' poor neighborhood of Catia, where thousands were participating in the opposition event. Video footage showed people scattering as gunshots rang out, many taking sanctuary inside a church.

    "The day was stained by the killing of a Venezuelan woman who protesting and exercising her rights,"
    said opposition leader Freddy Guevara of the killing of Xiomara Escot. "But violence cannot hide what has happened. The people are not afraid and are clear in their decision."

    Sunday's symbolic poll, which asked voters' opinion on President Nicolas Maduro's plan for a controversial new congress, was aimed at denting his legitimacy further amid a crippling economic crisis and months of anti-government protests in which some 100 people have been killed.

    Maduro, 54, has denounced the plebiscite as illegal and meaningless. Instead, the former bus driver and union leader is campaigning for an official July 30 vote in support of the proposed new assembly, which would have the power to rewrite the constitution and dissolve state institutions.

    Venezuela opposition votes against Maduro, woman shot dead | Reuters

  13. #113
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    7million voted; 98% sided with the opposition.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/16/w...en-maduro.html

  14. #114
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    Quote Originally Posted by fred flintstone View Post
    7million voted; 98% sided with the opposition.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/16/w...en-maduro.html
    Will Maduro & Company realize they ain't wanted at the helm?

    Well, they do realize that but they don't care and want to continue ruling.

  15. #115
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    What went wrong with Sanders' model socialist society?

  16. #116
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabir View Post
    What went wrong with Sanders' model socialist society?

    Since when did Sanders propose any government without checks and balances?

  17. #117
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    From the Guardian below, noting the Venezuelan disapora. Socialism really attracts people. Where are the lefties and socialists?
    It's pretty quiet here....



    Venezuela

    'At home, we couldn’t get by': more Venezuelans flee as crisis deepens


    As Venezuela falls further into turmoil, more of its citizens are leaving a country that once served as a haven for economic migrants and political refugees

    Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá, Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro, Dan Collyns in Lima and Uki Gońi in Buenos Aires

    Monday 17 July 2017 08.00

    There are no luxuries in the four-room house in southern Bogotá, where 12 recently arrived Venezuelans huddle on thin mattresses under even thinner blankets to ward off the Andean mountain chill. They have no hot water, and what few furnishings they have were salvaged from a nearby dump.

    They work 12-hour shifts at car washes or kitchens, earning between $6.50 and $13 a day. Because most do not have work permits, they are under constant threat of deportation.

    But life here is better than what they left back home in Venezuela’s Zulia state,
    said Paola González, 21, who arrived in Bogotá in mid-June. “At least now a day of work allows us enough to eat and even send some money back home,” she says. “In Venezuela, we couldn’t get by.”

    As Venezuela falls further into a humanitarian disaster of economic collapse and political repression, more of its citizens are fleeing a country which once served as a haven for economic migrants and political refugees from around the world.

    In the past, many Venezuelans headed to rich countries like US and Spain, but the latest wave of émigrés are increasingly choosing to stay in Latin America – often putting pressure social services that are unprepared to accommodate an increase of migrants.

    “For the first time, Venezuela is producing rather than receiving migrants,”
    said Tomás Páez, a Caracas-based sociologist who in 2015 published a study on the Venezuelan diaspora in which he estimated that 7% of Venezuela’s native population of 31 million lived outside the country.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...s-leaving-home

  18. #118
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    Venezuela is failing because of corruption and cronyism not because of Socialism.

    Top 10 Most Socialist Countries in the World

    The term socialist has been thrown around quite a bit in the past few years. Not since the cold war has the term garnered so much attention in the press and from politicians. But when you look at countries who actually have a socialist economic structure, you can see some similarities to the United States – but there are some really stark differences.

    Below, you will see some of the most socialistic nations in the world today:
    • China
    • Denmark
    • Finland
    • Netherlands
    • Canada
    • Sweden
    • Norway
    • Ireland
    • New Zealand
    • Belgium
    Despite popular myths, there is very little connection between economic performance and welfare expenditure. Many of the countries on this list are proof of that, such as Denmark and Finland. Even though both countries are more socialistic than America, the workforce remains stronger.


    Top 10 Most Socialist Countries in the World - Peerform BlogPeerform | Peer to Peer Lending Blog

  19. #119
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    Quote Originally Posted by bsnub View Post
    Venezuela is failing because of corruption and cronyism not because of Socialism.

    Top 10 Most Socialist Countries in the World

    The term socialist has been thrown around quite a bit in the past few years. Not since the cold war has the term garnered so much attention in the press and from politicians. But when you look at countries who actually have a socialist economic structure, you can see some similarities to the United States – but there are some really stark differences.

    Below, you will see some of the most socialistic nations in the world today:
    • China
    • Denmark
    • Finland
    • Netherlands
    • Canada
    • Sweden
    • Norway
    • Ireland
    • New Zealand
    • Belgium
    Despite popular myths, there is very little connection between economic performance and welfare expenditure. Many of the countries on this list are proof of that, such as Denmark and Finland. Even though both countries are more socialistic than America, the workforce remains stronger.


    Top 10 Most Socialist Countries in the World - Peerform BlogPeerform | Peer to Peer Lending Blog
    Snub,

    Yes, corruption and cronyism is a part of the Venezuelan collapse but also it is the failure of socialist policies.

    Chavez and Maduro did widespread "expropration" - taking / stealing private enterprises for the "public good."

    Many industries.

    The Chavez people in charge of managing oil platforms they "expropriated" did not even do basic maintenance properly and machinery went bad. Chavez made many grave mistakes.

    Collectivization of farming: farmers stopped growing basic crops because the socialist would take their harvest and leave them a little for themselves.

    An egg - that comes from a chicken - costs $150 USD.

    Socialism has failed once again.

    As for Scandinavia - where I have relatives - Scandinavia is a unique area where people in general work, pursue education and yes, are less corrupt and more efficient.

    Are they socialist? I would call them Democratic Socialist - which is Venezuela is NOT. Latin America and the USA will never be able to do what Scandinavia does.

    The Scandinavian model is often looked upon as an example of "successful" socialism, but its not their form of Democratic Socialism that makes it successful it's the way the culture is on many levels.

    In Scandinavia a bus driver would never become a dictator, which is what Maduro is.

    In Venezuela, the media is controlled by the state and if you criticize the Venezuelan govt. you end up in prison.

  20. #120
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    Chavez and Maduro did widespread "expropration" - taking / stealing private enterprises for the "public good."

    Many industries.

    The Chavez people in charge of managing oil platforms they "expropriated" did not even do basic maintenance properly and machinery went bad. Chavez made many grave mistakes.
    Collectivization of farming: farmers stopped growing basic crops because the socialist would take their harvest and leave them a little for themselves.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    Socialism has failed once again.
    A corrupt and incompetent gov't failed again.

  21. #121
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    Trump's response....

    U.S. President Donald Trump threatened “strong and swift economic actions” against President Nicolas Maduro’s government if it proceeds with plans for a July 30 election to choose an assembly to retool the constitution. Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the European Union have also come out against the assembly.

    “The United States will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles,” Trump said in a strongly worded statement, adding that in that country “courageous actions continue to be ignored by a bad leader who dreams of becoming a dictator.”
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...286_story.html

  22. #122
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    Quote Originally Posted by bsnub View Post
    Venezuela is failing because of corruption and cronyism not because of Socialism.

    Top 10 Most Socialist Countries in the World

    The term socialist has been thrown around quite a bit in the past few years. Not since the cold war has the term garnered so much attention in the press and from politicians. But when you look at countries who actually have a socialist economic structure, you can see some similarities to the United States – but there are some really stark differences.

    Below, you will see some of the most socialistic nations in the world today:
    • China
    • Denmark
    • Finland
    • Netherlands
    • Canada
    • Sweden
    • Norway
    • Ireland
    • New Zealand
    • Belgium
    Despite popular myths, there is very little connection between economic performance and welfare expenditure. Many of the countries on this list are proof of that, such as Denmark and Finland. Even though both countries are more socialistic than America, the workforce remains stronger.


    Top 10 Most Socialist Countries in the World - Peerform BlogPeerform | Peer to Peer Lending Blog
    I don't see the EU on that list, but to be fair it does refer to countries not groups.

  23. #123
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    Quote Originally Posted by fred flintstone View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    Chavez and Maduro did widespread "expropration" - taking / stealing private enterprises for the "public good."

    Many industries.

    The Chavez people in charge of managing oil platforms they "expropriated" did not even do basic maintenance properly and machinery went bad. Chavez made many grave mistakes.
    Collectivization of farming: farmers stopped growing basic crops because the socialist would take their harvest and leave them a little for themselves.
    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    Socialism has failed once again.
    A corrupt and incompetent gov't failed again.
    Correct, Fred.

    But you forgot to add the word "Socialism."

    Venezuela imports products they used to produce - this is the result of failed socialism.

  24. #124
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    Venezuela imports products they used to produce - this is the result of failed socialism.
    Socialism isn't a problem in rich countries. With the natural resources Venezuela has, they could be operating as smoothly as any northern European country if there were a decent gov't in place. Not a socialism problem, just bad leadership.

  25. #125
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    Quote Originally Posted by fred flintstone View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Cold Pizza
    Venezuela imports products they used to produce - this is the result of failed socialism.
    Socialism isn't a problem in rich countries. With the natural resources Venezuela has, they could be operating as smoothly as any northern European country if there were a decent gov't in place. Not a socialism problem, just bad leadership.
    Venezuelan socialism means bureaucrats with no business experience are managing large operations.

    Farmers stop growing food - this is directly related to failed socialism.

    Expropriations.

    Chavez solely focused on oil revenue which is putting all of the eggs in one basket. So, yes, he conducted very bad leadership and Maduro, has no economic common sense.

    Chavez hand picked Maduro to succeed him.

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