Students shot at anti-Chavez protest
Paging Sean Penn, Danny Glover, Kevin Spacey, and Naomi Campbell:
Gunmen opened fire on students returning from a march Wednesday in which 80,000 people denounced President Hugo Chavez’s attempts to expand his power. At least eight people were injured, including one by gunfire, officials said.
Photographers for The Associated Press saw at least two gunmen — one wearing a ski mask and another covering his face with a T-shirt — firing handguns at the anti-Chavez crowd. Terrified students ran through the campus as ambulances arrived.
National Guard troops gathered outside the Central University of Venezuela, the nation’s largest and a center for opposition to Chavez’s government. Venezuelan law bars state security forces from entering the campus, but Luis Acuna, the minister of higher education, said they could be called in if the university requests them.
Antonio Rivero, director of Venezuela’s Civil Defense agency, told local Union Radio that at least eight people were injured, including one by gunfire, and that no one had been killed. Earlier, Rivero said he had been informed that one person had died in the violence.
The violence broke out after anti-Chavez demonstrators — led by university students — marched peacefully to the Supreme Court to protest constitutional changes that Venezuelans will consider in a December referendum.
Photo here. (hat tip – commenter William A.)
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Ah, yes. “I love the smell of Chavezism in the morning.” Apocalypse Now.
With one of his former generals recently breaking with him, Chavez is digging himself a grave. There are enough responsible people in that country to rise up and throw the bum out!
So…the obvious corollary would be…that they think it would be OK if they were to be shot for being anti-Bush?
(they being those here in the US that support Chavez)
…….(crickets).
carp, this is troubling news. but its what we are not hearing about that worries me more.
What a surprise!
Must have been a gun free zone.
They have a photo of the perps I think
yahoo
Does Kent State ring a bell to any of these Hollywood loons supporting this bad person?
So where are these civil rights champions now? Sean Penn are you still in your canoe in New Orleans?
This won’t bother Sean Penn and socialist Hollywood. If you want to make an omelette you have to break a few eggs.
Slideshow Venezula
The man is a disgrace to the noble name of Chavez.
I suspect that this is only the beginning of the bloodshed.
Those thugs were not military – at least Venezuelan military.
Chavez has a bunch of Cubans handling his security. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were connected to that bunch.
Hopefully CSNY write a song about this.
I agree Tim.
I’m shocked concerning this, however, and it’s over one of two points.
Either A) This is the first, and it’s taken longer than I suspected or B) They let slip enough that news of this would get out.
I hope the AP enjoys getting kicked outta the country, because afterthis, they won’t be allowed in anymore.
We really should embargo Venezuela and anybody that does business with them. Chavez is dealing with Cuba, the Iranians, hates America, and has some sort of agenda that we can only guess at, but you can bet it won’t be pleasant for freedom-loving people anywhere. Actually, I recently read somewhere that Chavez made a deal with Russia to build a weapons factory to produce AK-47s… Wonder what he needs those for?
Here’s a link: When Hugo Met Vladimir; Venezuela and Russia are up to no good.(Hugo Chavez, Vladimir Putin)
Hugo Chavez:
Your Democrat’s Favorite Communist
Collin
http://evangelicalperspective.blogspot.com
This is a good example of why socialism is inherently anti-democratic.
Chavez and his acolytes believe that the completion of their socialist project is too important to let the will of the people interfere.
If the people of Venezuela lose their nerve and are seduced into replacing Chavez with a reactionary neaderthal, all the good work that the bolivarist chavistas did would be for naught.
So if, in the short term, the Chavez government has to violate the “bourgeois” rights of the people (free speech, free press, freedom of association, property rights, due process, right to draw breath, etc.) in order to ensure a brighter socialist future where the people will enjoy true freedom (freedom to obey the socialist state, which is the embodiment of virtue,) they won’t hesitate to do so.
The dictatorship of the proletariat is a necessary step on the path toward the communist promised land. And as someone already said, making the socialist omlete will entail breaking some eggs.
Anyone who is against Chavez is a class-enemy, so don’t expect the left to bat an eyelash if a few of them get beat up or killed.
Probably never know the truth about who the gunmen were … but I’d bet dollars to donuts they were part of Chavez little private goon squad … his group of “secret police” enforcers …
And here
is an article with a classic comment. “U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah of Philadelphia …says he doesn’t understand the objections of many congressional conservatives who feel U.S. cities should not be helping improve the image of Chavez, one of President Bush’s most strident critics.” [by taking advantage of Citgo's low-cost heating oil.]
I wonder if Fattah gets it yet.
It is so clear the disastrous path down which Venezuela is heading. Now would be a good time to step in and do something about it, before this dictator really gets himself entrenched through fear and intimidation under the guise of socialism.
I wonder if he started out with these intentions, or if the power has just gone to his head over time.
feebie,
Isn’t it ironic that Chavez is ACTUALLY DOING the things in Venezuela that Sean Penn, et al accuse of President Bush of doing? They talk about how this administration bullies, intimidates, censors, goes out of its way to polarize allies and enemies, and usurps power from the people and the government. That is exactly what Chavez has done, almost as if he were reading from both the Communist Manifesto and the transcripts of public speeches by Sarandon, Robbins, Penn, and the other great “pundits” of our time, and applying it all while laughing at how gullible US celebrities and leftists are in praising his courage to “free his people from oppression” and “protect them from the evil Imperial United States.” Maybe irony is the wrong term to describe all of this. Madness is the only other term that comes to mind.
This will speed up Hugo’s clamp down on his opposition. He will further restrict more and more freedoms and pretty soon it will be similar to North Korea, Vietnam and then there will be thousands of Hugo’s countrymen wanting to escape to the USA. Funny thing about Socialists nations you never see anyone knocking at their doors to get in. Wonder why that is?
I’m waiting for the video of Penn with his boat and shotgun, trying to get protesters out of Venezuela. Oh, never mind…
Not at all. The violence has been going on since Chavez was elected. Here are two examples:
Shooting at protest, 2003
Shootings at wake
I had friends at that first protest, one reason why I remember it. Amazing how previous examples of violence are “forgotten” whenever it happens again.
Socialism: Support socialism, or die!
Islam: Believe in Islam, or die!
I now know why the New World Order bends over for Islam. They have the same father. His name is Satan.
Who couldn’t see that coming.
Bear, you bring honor to the name. Proud to know ya!
LOL! Well said Leatherneck. Funny thing is I thought protesting students are first pick for media coverage. Where is CNN and MSNBC in regards to this? have there been ANYTHING more than sidemouthed blurbs at all?
Viva the chavezistas! AIAIAIAIAIAIAI!!!!!! Kill the Amerikan running dogs! While you’re at it, pass the quiche and champagne…….
I dunno if it’s the Father of Lies…
But it’s certainly a close relative…
Yup, nonoe can pick out a “Man of the People” and a hero like those Liberals. Here they have someone actually committing all those human rights violations they accuse Bush and Cheney of doing and instead of denouncing him, they still support and defend him.
Never let hypocrisy and stupidity get in the way of a good Liberal cause.
Maybe Sean Prnn will return to him to find out the real story since they are such good buds. That is, if he can tear himself away from being Hammas’ personal spokesman.
blockquote>Viva the chavezistas! AIAIAIAIAIAIAI!!!!!! Kill the Amerikan running dogs! While you’re at it, pass the quiche and champagne…….
heh? aside from disturbing and creepy, i believe your food and beverage references are French…not latin american.
this man is a dictator. plain and simple. socialism is a only curtain he hides behind to obtain absolute power. when this is done in Dec., Venezuela will become a little Cuba.
WE are only witnessing the beginnings. And now he is working with Iran, Cuba and Russia and has a limitless supply of oil to trade with…greeeaaaat.
it frustrates me to no end how central and south american countries seem to get into this bloody mess every 10 years or so. The kick one dictator out. The economy and country is a mess (as is expected) they get tire of it, so they turn to another devil/er, uh I mean, dictator full of promises (the same promises), just to land in the same hell hole.
Im with you, absolutely maddening.
Nicaragua is another one. Kick out the Sandanistas and about a year ago they put back in Daniel Ortiz. I’ve heard nothing about what is going on down there since…I hope it is for the better, but gut feeling tells me something is brewing.
I’ll have to talk to my little nicaraguensa gal pal to see if she’s heard anything.
I won’t even go into Argentina’s new lil’ evita diatrible only to say that she is very close to Chavez and Peron in Spain.
I pray for those countries.
Satan is indeed the father of lies according to the bible. Satan also deceives many into believing his lies with false religions that have enough respect to attract millions. Satan is indeed an all powerful enemy of the Lords Truth and satan tries to blind folks from seeing the Truth of Jesus who brings real salvation to those who believe in Him. People will never find salvation or peace in socialism or islam
Gary, seriously, lay off the sauce.
Thanks, Soap! Glad to know you too. Did i miss the news about your next generational miracle?
Venezuela’s oil reserves are vast; but it takes a well-running industry to get the stuff out of the ground.
As socialism is not so much an economic system as the lack of rational economy, it won’t be too long before Chavez starts having trouble keeping the oil flowing.
Price controls, captial flight, food shortages… trouble is already brewing.
I don’t know why, but Chavez reminds me of Mussolini. Does he make the trains run on time?
A statist praising anti-authoritarian protestors?
:: rubs eyes ::
Kent State Venezuela?
Not for Liberals.
It is getting so that the DUmmies at DU are even having a hard time defending Chavez. Ah yes. Just when we can all appreciate the fact that Castro has one foot in the grave Chavez is fast becoming his replacement on the world stage.
Well at least we have our next Nobel Peace Prize winner.
I just don’t understand how moonbats can look at Venezuela and honestly think it’s a shining example of human rights and freedoms. It boggles my mind that they are lauding people like Chavez or Putin but condemning Musharraf and the Burmese gov’t. They’re all trying to do the same thing – absolute power through corruption, murder, and exploitation. You know, all those things they accuse Bush of.
He does kind of remind one of Mussolini with the way he likes to posture, but so far I think his only contribution to Venezuela’s economy has been to drastically reduce the oil production capacity thanks to his medaling in his countries number one industry. Like all socialist the minute they meddle with the free market economy productivity and growth shrink significantly.
Michelle, you should add Jimmy Carter to that list, as he was the one who went down there and rubber-stamped the Chavez grab for power: vcrisis.com
I understand Chavez is diverting money away from Venezuela’s oil industry, which will insure declining production in the future. Iran is already suffering from that sort of thing.
CIA Factbook:
Bad news is, Venezuela is one of the countries we do buy oil from
Yet another example of what happens when the government has all of the guns and the people have none.
Thank God for the NRA!
What a great argument for our sacred second amendment. Thanks Hugo!
What a surprise. Socialism really works as a nice cover story for dictatorships, doesn’t it? USSR and Cuba come to mind with that.
@#16 No offense to you but maybe Chavez want’s them to improve his nations limited and largely US equiped defense and offensive military arm thats now sanctioned. Besides small arms are hardly a threat to any modern Military since the 1918’s-1940’s. Around then we got something called “tanks” with “Armor”. Even 100,000 AK’s won’t stop one M1A2 Abrams.
And yes Chavez is nothing more than a dictator, but saddly he has the support of his massive poor population who have been ignored. That I might add the said above AK’s are being given to, to form a state militia trained in non-conventual tactics. So even IF he were ousted he would return eventually, even if it was on a human wave. OR at the least lose in a very bloody civil war.
You seem to think Democracy is the best form of goverment. Socailism, and Communisim clearly are not. But what makes democracy so grand? Look at Holland, Drugs, prostitution, and even a party for paraphilia is compleatly legal. Everyone gets an opinion, and quite frankly, our own extream leftist and Rightist have shown the faults with that!
If the truth is that only democratic goverment is good is true, then what of the Roman Empire, the Mongols, and others whose names and effects have lasted over the era’s? We all need and deserve basic human civil rights, but at times limits are needed. Personally, the “Peace protesters” we have here should be arrested, or worse for sabatoge and aiding the enemy. At times I wish we had a more Meritism system of rule.
Remember Democracy in its true form is rule of the people, and the people can be lazy, condensending, and quickly the will of the people can become whats popular. Not whats right. One only needs to look at history for truth to this.
Pedophilia I ment in the case of Holland. And sorry about the seemingly anti democratic rant, I just see the Fualts in said system, and as directed at number #16, even in school I never got a good anwser to that question.
TK-421: Democracy isn’t perfect. It’s just better than the alternatives.
And that’s my cliche of the day!!!
I think we all recognize that there should be limits on what the people can will the government to do.
Democracy can be potentially as despotic as any other form of government. There are, and should be, limits on what fifty-one percent of the people can demand of the government.
That’s where the Constitution comes in.
The Bill of Rights prevents the will of the people, as expressed through its elected representatives, from using the apparatus of coersion (government) to trample on the God-given rights of individuals in the name of majority rule.
Don’t expect too much of Hugo’s Hollyweird groupies, Michelle. Obviously, they aren’t too bright or they couldn’t be schmoozed by him so easily.
I’m sure Sean and company have been on the phone with Hugo and he has assured them that he has nothing to do with it. And, I would bet that Sean and company buy into it.
Can we say Constitutional Republic?
macerenn said:
Sounds nice but not feasible. Their main export is oil, a fungible commodity. Add to that, my vehicle gets ~20mpg in the city. How about yours? Until GM comes out with its Chevy Volt, and we unseat enough Dhimmi-crats that are preventing us from drilling in our own waters, we will be continuously dependent on the likes of “Che” Chavez and the Mideast Jihadi oil sheiks.
DesertLover said:
Without a doubt. Afterall:
Create enough violence and the military will be invited in to quell it. And once in, you won’t be able to get them out.
TK-421 said:
Democracy comes in many flavors, and some not so palatable. The Netherlands is a Proportional Representative Parliamentary Democracy (and constitutional monarchy) that has its own problems. While generally keeping the government weak (and thus peaceful and less of a threat to its neighbors), it allows extremist voices a place in the government. And they often must be accommodated to form ruling coalitions. This is very different from the U.S. “winner take all” plurality voting system for selecting representatives. In a plurality system, the politician must appeal to a majority of the electorate, so that often dampens out the influence of the extreme fringes that might be offensive to the centrist majority. Witness the Dems and their candidates unwillingness to take on Bush and the war against Islamofascism and their willingness to dis the fringe Code-Pinkers and nit-wit Trufers.
TK-421, why aren’t you at your post?
Feebie, seriously not on the sauce but you have to realize that lies do come from some source and the bible has been around lot longer then someone’es modern philosophy. Anyway things will not improve in Hugo’s land for a long, long time I fear
@57 This is why, hell escaped the Death Star attack and got sent to this galaxy. And the Emperor Lives….. j/k wonderd how long till someone noticed that
And yes I know its been better so far in the short term than others. All I’m saying is just because it’s better doesn’t mean it’s best and to stop trying. Corruption works it’s way in. Be it Communisim, Monarcy, or even Democracy. I’ve just seen to many laws passed in the so called Western world that are just Madness.
I just think a bit of Meritism would not hurt our leadership, too many corrupt incomputants are making it to the Election table, thanks to the dollar value thats been forced on our elections.
TK-421,
Upgrading his military’s infantry rifle is fine, I’ve got no problem with that. How many AK-103’s does the Ven. Army need? 100K ?, a half mil? For that amount you just buy them. You don’t set up a licensing deal and build your own factory unless you plan on needing alot, ALOT more than that! Chavez sells and gives small arms to terrorist groups like the FARC, ELN, shining path, and others. Currently, he has to buy them from somebody, which can be traced. But if he makes them himself, he can outfit whomever he wants, like Cuba, Iran, N. Korea, Hizbullah, Hamas, Abu Sayyaf, ETA, Al-Q, Taliban, Sudan, etc…Is someone from the Brady Center or the U.N. going to be down there checking the paperwork on every gun made?
O/T It took me awhile. I was looking at your name thinking, “What do I know that from?” Almost embarrassed that I didn’t pick it up sooner.
Thats true. However it’s mainly rifles. Which as I said to a mondern military force isn’t much of a threat. On the other hand if the Russians allowed him to produce At-14’s or the Igla-s along side those rifles, armor or large numbers of aircraft, then I would be VERY concerned. But the facts of it being rifles alone shows its Russian postering.
Our infantry weapons largely don’t preform as well as the Soviet/Russian copy’s. So it gives a headache to any offense/defense plan in built up terrian as far as infantry forces go. Russia is a bit upset over the West’s moving into the Soviet/Russian block, area’s under Russian Control well before Soviet Times. As a state department worker once put it, we are just surrounding Russia with friendly democracy’s.
The fact is they said Surround would worry me if I were Russian. What would American reaction be to a socialist/communist revolution in Canada and Mexico be if we were told by the USSR or China that we are only being surrounded by peaceful socialist republics? Least thats my take, China or Russia could make matters far worse for us in the South American Region, if they wanted.
Rifles aren’t much of a threat??? Have you been drinking? Our soldiers can ride in armored vehicles all day, but when they get to where they’re going, they have to get out. And when they do, bad guys shoot at them, with rifles. Trust me; been there, done that.
Also, you completely missed the point of my post…I don’t care how many AK’s Hugo has. I care who he gives them to. And he will.
Rifles are a threat to infantry alone. Maybe our commanders have became very incomputant, or your one of those that think shotguns and rifles alone, with no other weapons can take back our nation. But small arms alone will not win a war. Maybe make a mess of lightly trianed and equiped troops.
Well unless you have Millions of people to throw in the line, like China did in Korea, and the political will to loss most of them. Chavez has the will maybe, not the numbers. Lately the Rifle in massed hands seems a good weapon, but only as our response has been limited, after all we are the “good” guys. Though in war there is no good, till one side is defeated, or victorious. The victorious side is always good historically.
Last I heard the US used a tactic called Combined Arms. Kinda hard to kill our infantrymen if an AH-64 and M1A1, with Artillery and Airsupport is constantly keeping the rifleman pinned. Or if a heavy Machinegun is re-creating WW1 on them, given the Machine guns reach and power versus a rifle, much less an assualt rifle. In fact WW2-1 Era battle rifles have better range and hitting power than todays assualt rifle.
If a commander and modern Army can’t deal with that, well thats a clear case of incomputance. And in the case of third world nations, a million Assualt rifles don’t mean a thing if you only do light training. Iraq, and others in the ME proved that many times now. The Russian Tanks, and Surface to Air systems are great, however even an M1A1 will go down fast in the hands of incompetence.
As to what I drink, Water, Ginger ale, you?
Awh, Cindy Sheehan the “peace mom” must be so proud of her little dictator friend.