LA PIEDRITA - Pro-Chavez Lynch Mobs

La Piedrita Militants in front of a Pro-FARC banner (Click on picture for closer look)

Never can an authoritarian regime subsist without a lynch mob. In Panama it was the "Batallones de la Dignidad" directed by nowadays Panamanian Public Works Minister Benjamin Colamarco. (This link is a documentary by Al Jazeera, not CNN, not MSNBC, its Al Jazeera). In Zimbabwe for example, its just necessary to take a look at their last fake election to see how important they were for Robert Mugabe.

But Venezuela, yeah Venezuela's benevolent social revolution also has theirs. They are called La Piedrita, this is of course besides the regular bolivarian lynch mobs . By the way, take a look a the latest mob lynching by Pro Chavez supporters. The pictures shown is how was the city Hall of Caracas left after a grave defacing of the building's facade and interior of the offices. This happened the night before Antonio Ledezma, Caracas mayor-elect (opposed to Chavez) was to take posession. But this is just a visual lynching that is far more subtle to the real sabotage that happened institutionally by executive edict of Hugo Chavez, relieving the majorship of Caracas of its authority over the police force starting the day of Ledezma assumption of office. I will post more information on this regarding the far more serious situation at a gubernatorial level (Miranda's goverment property sabotage by loser Diosdallo Cabello was just unbelievable).

Lots of spray paint huh? well that's fine because it could be worse. La Piedrita, is up in arms against Mayor Ledezma, here is their latest death threat to him made public in the "23 de enero" municipality. This flier(see below) was also found outside the city hall. If you can't read spanish I can sum it up for you. They announce that they are assuming a military offensive against him and making the headquarters of globovision a military objective. "We assume a state of absolute war.." Globovision was recently attacked with Tear Gas by unknown militants, and the government did not condemn the attack until it became undeniable; When it happened it rather accused the opposition of making it up. On the other hand, the Committee to Protect Journalists - a group that is cited by New York City Chavista Radio Station Democracy Now - wrote a letter to Chavez condemning the incident - Check out the letter.

La Piedrita of course, doesn't only function at the level of the public space but also at an institutional level. Recently La Piedrita took over clerical positions at the national library under the auspice Library Director Fernando Baez. Articles in aporrea.org confirm the institutional presence of La Piedrita in the Library's activity. aporrea.org is a chavista website that among many authors they feature include Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez translated to spanish. The government of Venezuela website also confirms their institutional role in the National Library. Among the actitivities cited by aporrea.org are a children's day called "checkmate to imperialism" where children are illustrated on US invervention in Latin America and Venezuela. At the end of the day La Piedrita holds an "ideological talk about Chavez" and express their intent to be "an idelogical support in the revolutionary, guevarista, bolivarian message with the objective of them to become the trasmitters of this line of thought and ideological framers starting in the National Library."

To the left is another leaflet outside the National library by La Piedrita. Most of it is Chavista garbage, until the end where it reads: "... we would like to salute with rebellion the director Fernando Baez, our solidarity.." But this solidarity is of course necessary when you are being sanctioned by the government. In the picture published by opposition journalist Patricia Poleo shows a military truck outside the National Library with the inscription "Committee for the Revolutionary Defense, La Piedrita." Check the picture to the left underneath the militancy leaflet. La Piedrita members have been accussed for allegedly conducting a campaign of intimidation against other Librarians who do not share their beliefs. Below is also a picture of a series of boards outside the entrance of the National Library. Among the messages written are: "Guerrilla Zone: La Piedrita, 'Country or Death" '.. " "Here La Piedrita commands and the government follows" What would be the reaction by serious academics in the US if the New York Public Library was run by a bunch of radical christians holding Jesus day at the Library grounds and intimidating anybody who didn't like it? Can academic development make progress under ideological intimidation? We know the answers to these questions.. But hey we might get Chavez until 2021.

Military Truck painted with La Piedrita slogan and La Piedrita banners outside the Library (Click on picture for closer look)