Why Venezuela's protests show Maduro is no Hugo Ch谩vez
鈥�听David Smilde is the moderator of WOLA's blog:听.听The views expressed are the author's own.
In the early morning hours [Monday], the听 the Plaza Altamira and other parts of the Chacao Municipality (watch state television coverage ). This followed on Saturday for protestors to leave the plaza.
It is interesting to think how different this is from Hugo Ch谩vez鈥檚 approach to the same plaza 11-12 years ago. Starting in late 2002 it was declared a 鈥渓iberated zone鈥� by dissenting military officers and served as the center of the opposition movement for months on end. [The political opposition] had monuments, a stage, and even held daily mass there.
People close to the Ch谩vez government tell that when cabinet members suggested he remove the protesters by force he responded that they would instead let them 鈥渃ook in their own sauce.鈥� The story might be apocryphal, but former President Ch谩vez in fact did not seek to dislodge the occupation and simply let it burn out.
However, Venezuela has been experiencing a over the past year, and during the past month has denied permits and repressed protests in a way it rarely did a decade ago (see, for example, human rights group Provea鈥檚 of the government鈥檚 respect for the right to protest in 2004, the first time 鈥済uarimba鈥� tactics were used).
As the government struggles to keep the Chavista project on track 鈥� not only because of President Maduro鈥檚 lack of charisma, but because of the inherent flaws of the economic and political model it inherited 鈥� it seems to be more willing to address protest with force.
Incredibly, the Maduro government tends to frame its actions . When Maduro gave his ultimatum to protesters on Saturday he did so to the tune of John Lennon鈥檚 Give Peace a Chance. One the occupation of Chacao would allow it to be declared a 鈥渢erritory of peace.鈥� The National Guard officer heading up the operation said it amounted to 鈥渁 call for humanistic dialogue.鈥�
鈥� 听David Smilde is the moderator of WOLA's blog:听.听
