Today on January 19, 2009 Pro Chavez Paramilitary groups, likely "La Piedrita" although not confirmed, have occupied the Caracas City Hall and at this hour remain in the area. According to Opposition newspaper El Universal, the militants entered the City Hall last night minutes after the local police retreated from the area. The irregular armed group took hostage 2 security guards by cuffing them and later released them at 5:00 AM on january 19 and they are staying in the building indefinitely without any resistance from the police or the military.
No particular group has claimed responsibility for the event. Pro-Chavez website, aporrea.org, emitted a communique promoting active mobilization against the City Hall of Caracas, led by newly elected Mayor, Antonio Ledezma. Even Chavista bloggers in disbelief are recognizing the acts to be so despicable that they are attributing it to a conspiracy by the opposition itself (Ledezma et al) and calling for the Chavista government to repudiate them. This is testament to the undoubtedly criminal behavior Ledezma is being subjected to (or for anyone who wishes to believe it, inflicting upon himself).
Ledezma, was also impeded of entering the City Hall the morning of the 18 of January by Pro Chavez demonstrators. According to Talcualdigital.com the militants arrived in Military Trucks carrying t-shits and flags in favor of the upcoming February 15 referendum ammendment on term limits for all elected positions in the country. The police and National Guard retreated from the area as soon as the groups arrived.
According to Ledezma, the irregular group has invaded the City Hall property in order to intimidate him and all the other opposition elected official from carrying out their governmental responsibilities. Ledezma also claims that in particular, the takeover of the city hall was intended to retrieve documents that incriminated Juan Barretto the latest Pro-Chavez Caracas Mayor. Showing the documents that the groups were allegedly looking for, Ledezma declared(translated from El Nacional newspaper):
"Here are the documents they were looking for last night" said Ledezma, who enumerated the projects that were fully paid but never executed. Among these he emphasized in the payment of 6 thousand 532 millions of Bolivares Fuertes for the adquisition of Ambulances. "These ambulances have dissappeared." He also highlighted the payment of 16 thousand 999 millions of Bolivares Fuertes to a company that was going to complete a technological project. "This money is now being enjoyed by this company."
A few days ago, Chavez gave a speech on the recent rioting carried by student groups opposed to his regime. Besides accussing them of being the "children of the wealthy" he encouraged the police force and army to "gas them" any time they block out major avenues since either "his regime will govern or not." The series of sit downs on major public avenues have become a real headache for the proper functioning of the city, and its understandable that Chavez, as the head of state, is talking about taking drastic measures to stop this. But Chavez is not willing to do the same when armed groups are taking over actual state institutions that happen to antagonize him.
Chavez is clear about something: his government will either govern or not, but those who will be governed and guaranteed basic rights of justice are only the people who support him, rich, poor or middle class. This is the truth about this regime and is now evident at the electoral plane, where the poorest Favela of Caracas voted in favor of Doctor Antonio Ledezma and not a Chavez supporter. Like in any pest or plague, great figures will arise to oppose it and later erradicate them. The Chavista regime will keep cohercing and intimidating its opposition as far as their eroding values allow them, even as Ledezma keeps calling him to unite in the effort to solve the deep problems of the city of Caracas. Their fire turns against them blown away by the wind of virtue and coherency that Ledezma brings to the table and this, they can't stand.
Student demonstrators last week staging a sit-down against a term limits amendment slated for feb. 15, 2009. The Students are qualified by Chavez as "the children of the wealthy"
