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| Photo: VTV |
This morning, over a million people poured into Caracas for the Gran Marcha En Apoyo de la Reforma Constucional! (The Great March in support of Constitutional Reform). The march began at 10 am and its numbers are only exceeded by the powerful, high spirited support of “El Pueblo” for the reforms. As far as the eye can see, they are garbed in red, many waving the majestic Venezuelan flag, dancing, marching and singing, punctuated with high wire actors, juggling and other street performers.
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| Photo: VTV |
A few minutes ago television screens across the nation were emblazoned with:
“EL PUEBLO RECIBE AL COMANDANTE HUGO CHAVEZ FRIAS, MILITANTE DEL PARTIDO SOCILISTA UNIDO DE VENEZ (PSUV)
GRAN MARCHA EN APOYO DE LA REFORMA CONSTITUTINAL."
As President Chavez joins the march on Avenida Bolivar, standing atop a truck traveling through the crowds the people are going wild, jumping up and down, cheering and screaming support of a head of state who is respected worldwide for his union with the people of Venezuela, Latin America and the world.
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This massive support stands in contrast with the students organized by the minority opposition and funded by Washington over the last few weeks. Those protests were carried out by a few students in comparison with the flood of people we see here today. Those protests were also marred by student violence and destruction of property in the face of an incredibly patience, well-trained police and National Guard who exercised tremendous restraint. During the week past a white SUV drove by protesting students in the State of Zulia and opened fire. A number of students were shot; one woman and one man were shot fatally and 4 remain in the hospital in critical condition. One of the shooters left the vehicle momentarily to shoot the woman repeatedly to ensure her death. These shootings have all the marks of an organized "hit" and motivation lies at the heart of the investigation. This attack reminds us of April 11, 2002 in the coup attempt when opposition leaders shot down their own people in Caracas and blamed the government for the shootings. In his speech today, President Chavez confirmed that these shootings were committed by terrorists. One must remember that the Zulia state lies just across the border from Colombia where the macabre work of the AUC and other death-squad paramilitaries have been directly linked to President Uribe, a close personal friend of George W. Bush.
On October 26, we published a report by Jesús Moreno, Caracas, on a meeting of members of the U.S. State Department in Prague where strategies to disrupt Venezuela's December vote for reforms was discussed. Paul Wolfowitz, Madeleine Albright met with members of Venezuelan opposition party, the Action Democratic party to formulate and finalize their tactics. Their work included a plan to "Trigger a military coup with all possible means, using Columbian paramilitary forces infiltrated in Venezuela." See:
Senior US Officials give go-ahead for sabotage operations against constitutional reform in Venezuela
Axis of Logic, October 26, 2007
Between now and December 2, we can expect more acts of violence fomented by the opposition in league with Washington. Last Friday, in front of the National Assembly the opposition students literally attacked police who stood on the back of a military vehicle. They hit a number of police with steel barricades, knocking them off the back of a flatbed truck and still, the police did not respond with arrests or any physical violence. I could not help but think what would happen if the police were attacked by anti-war protestors in the United States.
Today’s demonstration of support for the government by the people has been a totally peaceful march through the city with no signs of violence. However, signs of opposition media manipulations are ever present and can be expected in the future. On live coverage by VTV, TVES and ANTV of President Chavez' speech today the amazing breadth and length of the audience can be clearly seen. On the other hand, when one switches the channel to Globovision, nearly empty streets are shown while broadcasting the voice of Chavez. These petty antics may please the minority opposition and set up their December 2 arguments that the vote for reforms has been rigged, just as they did in the 2006 presidential elections. But the vast majority are fully aware based upon their learning and past experiences with the lies of the opposition.
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| (Vive TV archive photo) |
Overwhelming support from the National Federation of Venezuelan Students brings a powerful answer to the few students who protested violently last week and received wide coverage by Globovision and other private media here and in the West. Hundreds of thousands of students are in the street today to show the country and the world that the majority of University students in Venezuela stand with the government and for the Constitutional Reforms.
Now the entire screaming crowd falls silent as Jose Vincente Rangel, Vice President introduces Chavez who is about to address the crowd. Chavez breaks out in song with the national anthem and a million people join him by repeating each line:
— Coro — Gloria al bravo pueblo que el yugo lanzó, — I — ¡Abajo cadenas! — II — Gritemos con brio
Unida con lazos |
— Chorus — Glory to the brave people “Down with the chains!” — II — Let’s cry out aloud — III — United by bonds |
The silence of the crowd is only interrupted by outbreaks of applause and cheers as they punctuate their President's words of affirmation, solidarity and commitment of his administration to all Venezulanos. There are no words to capture the events of this day. But we can rest assured that the people of Venezuela are empowered like no other people on earth in what is truly a democratic society.
We will publish this speech on Axis of Logic as soon as it has been translated into English.
Return to this report when you see "updated" in the title of the article in the future for more photographs and the Engllsh text of President Chavez' speech.
To read what all the excitement is about here today see:
Constitutional reforms in Venezuela
Embassy of Venezuela in Washington with Axis of Logic commentary
© Copyright 2007 by AxisofLogic.com
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