Is this the start of a civil war in Venezuela? (post from Vnz)

So whats the latest tosay?

And let me say, Thanks for keeping us updated from the inside

reply to post by Chickensalad


There has been quite a few developments.
The blockades are still in force. There has yet to be any developments of the opposition leader Lopez.

There has been one more death . Genesis Carmona. 22 years old. She died today , she was in hospital after being shot in the head yesterday. Thoughts go out to her friends and family.


Picture of blockade

Unbelievable he turned himself in. I hope he doesn't end up dead. Wasn't he the motivation behind this? I hope people don't give up hope if this guy disappears for good. Doesn't look good with this latest news.

Well he has not done anything wrong. He is hoping that there is still some justice remaining in the country . Here is hoping he is right.
There have been lots of issues with pro government supporters on bikes attacking students from across the country.

Just down the road from me a student got run over by a truck,(not sure of their condition) However afterwards lots of bikers turned up throwing stones
Dangerous times

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Picture of a tank on fire in Tachira state



In Tachira it is very dangerous at the moment. Tachira is located on the border with Columbia. There have been lots of student robbed and assaulted there.

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Fires on the mainland



Pictures of March to get idea of numbers

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


People shooting into the crowds in Valencia from yesterday.

This and the Ukraine violence ,if all out war results from this kind of corruption and unrest could lead to WW3.

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Newest photo from Valencia

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Video of pro government supporters . Shooting and riding on motorbikes. They are know as Tupamaros collectivos
They run the areas in the barrio where the police dont even dare to enter.
To say they are not pleasant is an understatement . They have no respect for like. They have been raiding buildings, shooting, raping and assaulting.
The police and national guard are not doing anything to stop them and instead arrest peaceful protesters.

This is happening tonight in Caracas . Tomorrow I fear there will be a lot more reported deaths.

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Another video 19/02/14 showing the gangs riding through the streets shooting.

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Another video of the gangs on bikes. Things are not looking good in Caracas.

And I thought my work day was long. If these guys are shooting the most vulnerable - running them over, beating them...they had it in them to begin with. It sounds like the thugs are also coming out to use the opportunity to rape and pillage. I really thought with the opposition leader turning himself in things would calm down as a "wait and see" moment but they are even worse. If the government is doing this to citizens I fear for him being dead or at least badly beaten by now. I love his optimism but he turned himself over to a dim future - I just don't see anything positive for him (and I mean it when I say I hope I'm wrong).

I feel the energy of this place many thousands of miles away due to the pictures you post. What this tells me is the energy is so high there this isn't going to cool down before it gets much worse. What do you see as the outcome? Where do you see this going from here? Do you think major outside interventions? Because if so - outside interventions are going to have to target government the way it appears.

This was a day ago - meaning US diplomats have likely left by now.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused the U.S. of backing the student protesters. Over the weekend, he ordered the expulsion of three U.S. diplomats whom he said were supporting opposition plots to topple his socialist government.

Ms. Psaki said the Obama administration is considering a course of action in accordance with the Vienna Conventions that guide diplomatic and consular relations.

p.washingtontimes.com...

I feel like I'm really behind on my history so I'll go and read a bit on the Vienna Convention. I know I learned about it but its one of those things that didn't stay with me. I'm glad to see the US government on your side. Not so sure what they will do to help.

What do you see as the outcome? Where do you see this going from here? Do you think major outside interventions? Because if so - outside interventions are going to have to target government the way it appears.

reply to post by Dianec


Unfortunately ,I see a lot more bloodshed happening before things change. What I would hope to see is the national guard and the police joining the protesters. That would be the ideal situation.
I dont think the protesters would want international help (ie meaning the US), they have not exactly got the best track record.
If things got really bad, I would hope the UN would step in and condone the actions of the government. This fight is for the Venezuelan people. I hope things dont get really nasty ,however at the moment it appears to be heading that way.

reply to post by Dianec


Thankyou . I read that the other day and totally forgot to post it. I am not sure if they have left the country yet . When I find out more I will post it.

This is all I find with the UN.

TextNOTES TO CORRESPONDENTS Note to correspondents in response to questions on Venezuela New York, 19 February 2014

In response to questions asked about the situation in Venezuela, the Spokesperson has the following to say: The Secretary-General has learned with concern about recent developments in Venezuela and regrets the loss of life and the incidents of violence. He takes note of the concerns expressed by the Governments of the region and hopes that an inclusive dialogue can be established among relevant stakeholders in order to peacefully address the current challenges facing the country.

www.un.org...

So the government has reached out? If they kill this opposition leader what then? More of the same rhetoric - "you should work it out"?

I hope not. It's already clear there is not going to be a peaceful resolution.

Will keep checking back as often as I can for updates. Although - I can't imagine it getting much worse than above. People are just done - clearly. Nothing to lose anymore.

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


The Colombian news channel NTN24 that has been reporting on the protests has now been blocked ,online from Venezuela .
For the rest of you here is the link to the channel www.ntn24.com...

Colombian news channel NTN24, which was taken from the grid of cable TV Venezuela, said now banned access to your website.

Johnatthan Bilancieri, director of digital platforms NTN24, TN spoke and stated that " unfortunately the site was blocked communications infrastructure that controls the government of Nicolas Maduro and users can not access within the territory of Venezuela " .

"President Nicolas Maduro went on national television to attack our channel," said Bilancieri continuous verbal attacks on journalists receiving NTN24 by the Venezuelan president.

Link

reply to post by maythetruthbeknown


Here is a link to a site reporting on the situation tonight in Caracas. It is not looking good at the moment.
Warning some graphic images.

caracaschronicles.com...

I'm not a big gun fan but this is why if guns are allowed in a Country - everyone should be able to have them. These people are defenseless.

reply to post by Dianec

A lot of people (not criminals ) do still own guns despite a ban.
All a ban did was give the criminals and the police more power. It is totally ridiculous and very easy(probably not at the moment) to get hold of a gun if one so wished.

www.bbc.co.uk...



CompareEstimated Number of Illicit Firearms
Unlawfully held guns cannot be counted, but in Venezuela there are estimated to be 1,100,000 to 2,700,0001 2

Some interesting facts and figures, here, about guns HERE . Although most are estimates and I am sure the actual figure is much higher