Introduction

The violent counter-revolution taking place in Venezuela since February 12rd continues but has been drawn down by the effective management by the government led by President Nicolas Maduro. Following the spirit and policies of former President Chavez, the government has dealt with each act of violence with exceptional restraint by the police and national guard but with appropriate force in identifying and arresting the fascists. In this report we provide 4 of the latest news stories published by SiBCi, the Ministry of Communication and Information and VTV along with photographic and videotaped evidence of the acts of violence and the government's response.

The following February 23 reports include news of:

The arrest warrant issued for a former general who left the armed forces a few years ago to lead an insurrection against the government. Ex-General Angel Vivas used his Twitter account to promote the use of wire stretched across streets “In order to neutralise criminal hordes on motorbikes, one must place nylon string or galvanised wire across the street, at a height of 1.2 metres”.

Vivas also tweeted, “to render armoured vehicles of the dictatorship useless, Molotov cocktails should be thrown under the motor, to burn belts and hoses, they become inoperative”. Venezuela Analysis reports, "Other tweeters responded to his tweet about decapitating motorbike riders with further advice for the violent blockades, including suggesting that “a lot of oil be used in the streets, it is good for two things, they fall off, and it can set [things] alight. The collectives are the ones in the vehicles”.
An announcement by Diosdado Cabello, President of the National Assembly of a large weapons cache discovered by police in Carababo State, 2 hours west of Caracas. Photos and a video of the weapons are included with the report.
Mercenaries entering from the Middle East for introducing car bombs into Venezuela. One has been captured and authorities are on the trail of others.
A march of about 40,000 women in Caracas for peace and against violence, joined by thousands more who demonstrated and marched in support of the government in a number of other states yesterday.

One of the many government successes in gaining control of the coup attempt took place in the past week on the autopista. National Police and National Guard intercepted a gang of 150 motorcyclists running the autopista toward East Caracas. The men jumped and ran, leaving their motorcycles behind. These are expensive high-powered machines such as Streamliners which are capable of speeds up to 160 mph. The government is tracing the ownership of these motorcycles and the source of their funding. Earlier this week we reported on an taped audio discussion between an opposition sociologist and an ex-military general in which they outlined plans for the coup. They indicated that the opposition has a fund in the amount of 120 Billion bolivars (US$19 Billion dollars) available and stated that 3,000 bolivars per day should be paid to the motorcyclists to do their work. Armed marauding gangs like the one busted in Caracas is are central to the violence and mayhem. Step by step and everyday, the police and national guard are arresting those committing violence along with some of the intellectual authors of this attempt to overthrow the government.

Former General Angel Vivas is a leader among the right-wing fascists against the government. The photos below show him barricaded in his home in wealthy East Caracas wearing a flak jacket, armed with pistols and an assault rifle, threatening his neighbors from his balcony. A warrant was issued for his arrest for "promoting the training of violent opposition fascist groups" including his call for fascists to place wire across streets and roads as barricades in Caracas and other cities in the country.

Two people died as a result of striking the wires, a man in Caracas and a 37 year old woman in Merida. A wire cut the throat of 29 year old Elvis Rafael Durán, as he rode motorbike home from work and later died in the hospital. Minister of Justice Miguel Rodriguez said,

"He didn’t see the wire. Murderers who put the wire there with the intention of causing the death of human beings have to be put in prison.”

Ed. Note: As of 10:30 pm, Feb. 24, one of the men charged with the murder of of Elvis Rafael Durán has been captured. - lmb

In other violent actions this week, 50 new Metro buses in Maracay were set ablaze or badly damaged with rocks and weapons, passengers ordered off the buses and some drivers beaten by the thugs. Also, one of the problems the government has been dealing with over the past year is the smuggling of gasoline and subsidized food from Venezuelans into Colombia and sold at much higher prices for profit. Earlier this week one of the smuggler's trucks was stopped at the border loaded with 45 tons of Mercal food. Subsidized food trucks for Mission Mercal and Pdval were also destroyed by the fascists.

Yesterday President Maduro told the Women for Peace that those who fixed the wire cables across streets have already been "identified and will be arrested”. He also denounced the burning of the Metro buses and said they will be replaced with part of the 900 new buses that have recently arrived from China. The President of the Republic also said that violent groups lit afire a Bicentenario food market which also sells subsidized food.

Former General Angel Vivas, armed to the teeth and barracaded in his home in East Caracas.

Three Reports from SiBCI (translated by Axis of Logic)

President ordered arrest of General Angel Vivas for inciting the placement of guayas in the streets.

The president of the Republic, Nicolas Maduro, ordered the arrest of the retired general Angel Vivas, for inciting the fascist groups, linked to the right, to fit guayas in different areas of the capital and other cities of the country where they have generated hotbeds of violence.

The head of State, during the great gathering of Women for Peace and Life that took place in El Calvario, Central Caracas, reported that they have identified those responsible for placing the wires as in Avenida Rómulo Gallegos in opposition controlled Sucre municipality, an action that ended the life of 29 year old Elvis Rafael Durán, a young Venezuelan worker, almost beheading him. Maduro lamented the young man's death,

"I regret the death of this Venezuelan, a chavista, who was on his way home after working as a supermarket warehouse operative, on his motorcycle.. He was slain by a Guayaquil that had been placed by terrorist groups which have been maintained to capsize some sectors of the country's capital."

Ex-General Vivas urged the violent groups that remain on the streets of some towns to place "nylon ropes or galvanized wire" to "neutralize hordes motorized criminals".

Source: SiBCI

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Seized in Carabobo: 360 molotov cocktails 16 kilos of gunpowder, petrol and tires.

The president of the National Assembly and National Coordinator of the Command Antigolpe, deputy Diosdado Cabello reported that have been seized, in the state of Carabobo, a total of 360 molotov cocktails; 16 kilograms of gunpowder, 420 miguelitos; 200 liters of petrol in plastic containers and 32 tires to continue promoting fascist actions in the country. "These actions only respond to a plan orchestrated by the US imperialists", ratified Cabello, in a telephone contact to Globovision from the airbase La Carlota.

Hair denounced the destabilizing campaign that used the private media, publishing images, to generate an array of opinion in destabilizing the country. "We want peace and we will do whatever it takes to imposed by the well-being of the nation. We will continue working for peace," said Diosdado Cabello.

"What more do they want to prepare, who remain the imperialist inside?" Cabello pointed out Mayor of Baruta Municipality, Gerardo Blyde, for his alleged involvement in supplying masks to be used against tear gas bombs.

SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE

The imperial government of the United States, the extreme right and the Venezuelan bourgeoisie, unite against the Bolivarian Revolution for the coup d'état and recall the election of April 2012. "I ask you to strengthen unity, peace, culture and coexistence, we are sons of Nicolas Maduro, a president who wants to peace to prevail in Latin America".

(In Spanish with photos of more weapons confiscated in the arrest of two fascists)

PART OF THE SEIZED MATERIAL:

Guayaquils with a homemade hand grenade loaded with nails.

Guayaquils placed on the roads and streets to disable vehicles and crash motorcycles. It was one of these that killed 29 year old chavista Santiago Enrique Pedroza Lobo while on is way home from work.

Gasoline packaged in plastic containers for making molotov cocktails

Molotov cocktails loaded and ready for use.

Source: SiBCI

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Report from VTV. Government Captured a Mercenary from the Middle East today, preparing to place car bombs. On the trail of others already in the country.

During a meeting today with the Bolivarian Group of Motorcyclists, President Maduro announced that mercenaries from the Middle East have entered the country and they are actively involved with developing car bombs. On National Public Television Maduro stated, "Today, we captured a mercenary brought from the Middle East, in Aragua state and captured 11 international phones." He said that "those we've captured are moving into upper middle class urbanisations in Maracay" and the mercenaries are "studying the placement of car bombs to fill our country with violence and to try to lead us to the same end as Libya or to what they brought to some cities in Syria".

The Head of State called these men terrorists and said they were brought into Venezuela by foreign contractors. He pointed out that authorities have already captured one of them and are on the trail of several others who are already in the country. He said that Diosdado Cabello, President of the National Assembly will present evidence of this today on Venezuela's ANTV channel which broadcasts from the assembly, similar to C-Span in the U.S.

Here's President Maduro's announcement of the mercenaries in the country today:

Source: VTV

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As of today, February 24, 13 people have been killed and 149 injured or wounded by gunfire since the attacks began the first week of February.

Ref: Sibci ‏@Sibci 4h

Violencia fascista ha dejado 149 lesionados y 13 fallecidos en todo el país. http://bit.ly/NsmiYR

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Women in various states of the country raised their voices for peace and life

Women opened their revolutionary front against fascism yesterday with masses coming together with a message of love and peace to all Venezuelans.

Faces of revolutionary women filled the streets this Saturday for the states of Merida and Trujillo, Aragua, Vargas and Zulia, to raise messages of love, unity, and work to continue building the Bolivarian nation.

About 40 thousand women gathered at Plaza Morelos in the early morning hours of Saturday, February 22 and marched through Central Caracas "saying yes to peace and life and no to violence and fascism. They filled plazas like Morelos in cities across Venezuela with messages of love and hope for all Venezuelans "without ideological distinction."

In addition, to saying yes to peace and to life, they said no to violence and those right-wing groups that seek to create chaos in the country.

Andreína Tarazón, Minister of Women and Gender Equality speaks to Venezuelan women at their rally yesterday in Caracas.

This day, which was multiplied throughout the whole country, marked by the joy of the revolutionaries with flags and slogans in support of revolutionary Government, enjoying live music and varied expressions of and culture and sports events.

Carolina Meneses, a militant of the youth of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (JPsuv) in the state of Merida declared,

"With this mobilization for peace and the life we move the love, solidarity, the hope, faith and patriotism. Women from Merida have always been peaceful, hardworking and fighters and that is why we are here happy to defend our homeland with all the teachings of our maximum historical leader, Hugo Chavez. I think that violence can only bring dismal results, as the case of Delia Lobo from Merida, who died as a result of a trap for motorcycles positioned in the street by fascist groups and that this an 'aberration' that must be rejected by every woman, without ideological distinction."

Yenisei Barrolleta de Inces, a worker and student of languages at the University of the Andes (ULA), rejected the actions of radical groups that want to impose the violence in this Andean entity.

With slogans such as: The streets are of the people! The people are not violent!, the women of Trujillo showed their support for the president of the Republic, Nicolas Maduro this Saturday.

"Today shook the cities of Valera, shook Trujillo, because we went through the city to concentrate on behalf of peace," said Henry Rangel Silva, regional coordinator of the PSUV.

Karen Andrade, from the municipality Pampán, stated that women modeled and demostrated the great force of love they represent. She added,

"As mothers we do not feel emotionally upset about fighting for peace, so that our children will have a better country that has been building the Bolivarian Revolution."

The chairperson of the Legislative Council in the state of Zulia, Magdely Valbuena, joined this mobilization in Maracaibo and stressed that the revolutionaries are people of peace.

"Women Workers, housewives, women that what we love most are our children, we want a country where peace, coexistence and tolerance is what would prevail."

Magdely Valbuena, Chairperson of the Legislative Council
in Zulia State addressing the addressing the women there.

Aragua Caimaneras (Street Sports)

The areas of Avenida Las Delicias in Maracay, Aragua state, served as the setting for the sporting exchange, where young people and adults took the opportunity to play a Caimanera with fútbol and volleyball, as a sample of the healthy coexistence and a meeting point in the divergence.

Reinaldo Hidalgo, secretary for the Mission to the entire life Aragua, said that this concentration of women for peace is a further demonstration of the power of the people to defend the democratic system.

"Seeing these young people playing Caimanera fútbol it is a further demonstration that the Venezuelan people want to live in peace and you want reconciliation. The Government of President Nicolas Maduro is the full guarantee of a true coexistence and peace."

Source: SiBCI (Systema Bolivariano de Comunicación e Información)

An Aporrea TVI video showing fascist youth placing wire and starting fires in Altamira, the most wealthy area of Caracas.

Conclusion

While there is still much more work to be done, things seem to be calming down here as the government, together with the people, have been putting down Venezuela's second coup attempt in 12 years. There is abundant evidence that this one was planned as in 2002 by the US, partnered with factions of the Colombian government and the opposition in Venezuela. As Arturo Rosales wrote today in The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Déjà vu - History tends to repeat itself.

"Now that the violent street protests are gradually fading, the Venezuelan government must be on alert for any possible escalation by this US funded destabilization campaign.

"The Bolivarian Revolution is facing yet another challenge to overthrow it by international fascist forces using the same script as has been used in Syria and Ukraine.

"The sense of déjà vu cannot be dismissed and as we envisage history repeating itself this will prove to be yet another fruitless adventure for the US imperialists and their hired fascist killers. These paid assassins are still on the ground in the 18 opposition controlled municipalities out of the 335 that make up the country."

I end this lengthy report with an anecdote and brief comment.

This morning a friend of mine, a middle class medical doctor left her home in her car in East Caracas to obtain some medicine. All the roads were blocked by young kids using various barricades and she returned to her home. Later this morning she decided to walk to obtain the medicine and on her way back, a young woman with her child were attempting to enter an alley leading to her home. The kids stood around with passage to her home blocked by debris. The young women got out of her car, moving the debris and returned to her car. The kids blocked her car again and she got out of her car the second time telling them they can't keep her from entering her own home. At this point my friend was passing by and heard the woman say, "What's the matter with you people! You can't overthrow a government by stopping people from entering their own homes!" The young man replied, "Why don't you go live in Cuba!" At this point the young "protestor" became more aggressive and looked like he was about to attack the woman with the child. My friend doctor stepped up and asked him, "This isn't protesting - this is abuse. Why don't you go to Cuba and face real men instead of hitting a woman ... or go up to Barrio 23rd of January and try to attack the men up there and see what happens!”

Yesterday, President Maduro used maps to show where the remaining sites of violence are located and said they have been reduced to only 5 percent of the municipalities and only 8 percent of the geographical area of the country. He reassured the people that justice will be served through the judiciary to those responsible and peace will prevail.

The whip of the counter-revolution is strengthening chavista unity and resolve. Spearheaded by the people's chavista majority, it will ultimately and ironically drive the Bolivarian Revolution forward to defeat international fascism in Venezuela.

(SiBCI Reports translated by Axis of Logic)

Biography, Essays and Poetry by Les Blough