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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Crowds surge into the streets to demand recall of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro |
| 2016-09-02 |
| [LATIMES] Nothing was going to stop Nelson Rivas from joining the Taking Caracas demonstration on Thursday -- not his wheelchair, not the six-mile distance over uneven pavement, not the whiffs of tear gas, not the ominous threats of arrests from President Nicolas Maduro. "I came to demand that the recall election take place according to the constitution," said Rivas, 35. "Whatever your point of view, the condition of the country is the worst." Crowds surge into the streets to demand recall of Venezuela President Nicolas Maduroled Francisco de Miranda Avenue, one of three main streets in the capital brimming with thousands and thousands of protesters, mostly dressed in white. Surrounding him were people carrying posters reading "No more socialism," "Maduro Out," and "Venezuela wants a recall." Marchers such as Rivas said life in Venezuela has become a daily ordeal of standing in endless lines for food, for government services, for medical care. The demonstration, aimed at speeding up a recall campaign against the 53-year-old president, was also a forceful repudiation of the leftist politics that are falling out of favor across Latin America. At its peak in 2008, the left held the presidencies of eight of the 10 most populous countries in South and Central America. But those regimes have lost popularity as steep drops in commodity prices badly damaged their economies and left less money to spend on the poor. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 The problem is that graft, theft and corruption wile always present with socialism they are also present in every other system... The de-linking of production to reward ("Socialism", at its core) is part and parcel to masking the theft and corruption. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2016-09-02 17:39 |
| #10 First story on Venezuela at NPR that I've ever heard. It's called "salvaging one's journalistic credentials." Apparently the reek has gotten too noticeable for the turtleneck-wearing liberal set to ignore. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2016-09-02 16:34 |
| #9 The problem is that graft, theft and corruption wile always present with socialism they are also present in every other system and can be used by the socialists as targets. It's the power of the politicians that is the graft engine. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2016-09-02 15:51 |
| #8 Its not just "socialism" that is the problem. No condemnation of socialism is complete unless it includes the point that *graft* and outright *theft* accompanies socialism at its every appearance. To those who pull the strings, the graft and theft are features of socialism, not bugs. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2016-09-02 11:39 |
| #7 Protests going on in Brazil too. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2016-09-02 11:30 |
| #6 Heard a long piece on National People's Radio (NPR) yesterday talking about the riots in Caracas. First story on Venezuela at NPR that I've ever heard. Talked about food shortage, insane inflation rate, and 'coup' to get rid of Maduro, but *no* mention of socialism or how Venezuela used to be one of the richest countries in S. America. Just bad luck, I guess. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2016-09-02 11:03 |
| #5 Hunger will do that. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2016-09-02 10:19 |
| #4 "No more socialism," These people woke up. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2016-09-02 09:51 |
| #3 Fausta has photos |
| Posted by: Frank G 2016-09-02 09:46 |
| #2 Constitution? WHAT Constitution? We don't need no stinking badges. |
| Posted by: Guillibaldo Snotle3363 2016-09-02 07:38 |
| #1 Where are all the displays of solidarity from the Bernie Bros? Shouldn't they be down there supporting their boy Nick? Where are all the Hollywood socialists? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2016-09-02 07:38 |