From: michael a. lebowitz (mlebowit@SFU.CA)
Date: Mon Dec 04 2006 - 13:15:37 EST
Here's a little background on that speech. A number of Rosales
supporters were looking to go immediately into the streets crying
fraud (and indeed had black t-shirts produced in advance saying this,
posters, etc). At the election headquarters, they tried to rally the
troops around the call, 'to the streets' with a few incendiary
speeches. Rosales and Petkoff and a few other leaders were battling
against them, calling for cool and even talking about the cooperation
they'd had from the army in correcting some problems that emerged
yesterday. The hots were against Rosales using the word 'concede', so
his concession speech was really a delicate dance between two
factions of the opposition--- there was something there for all. What
was really significant, it seemed from here, was his declaration that
he was now the leader of the opposition--- ie., the old parties out
and him as the only unifying force. How this plays out will be
interesting. BTW, one of the leaders behind the plan to reproduce the
Ukraine model flew off to Miami right before the election.
michael
At 11:10 04/12/2006, jerry wrote:
>The right-wing candidate, Manuel Rosales, in his concession
>speech has already given an indication of what the "Plan B"
>(or maybe I should say "Plan C" or "Plan D" or ...) tactic will
>be:
>
> > The opposition candidate told supporters that he will remain in the
> > streets, "struggling for the people of Venezuela."
> > "I want to announce to the people of Venezuela that today we
> > are beginning the struggle for the construction of a new
>time for
> > Venezuela. and I won't stop there, from today on I will be in the
> > streets," said Rosales to huge applause.
> > "The results of the CNE are not the what they say they are,"
> > continued Rosales, "The margin of difference is smaller,
>so I'm going to > continue in the streets, struggling for
>the people of Venezuela,
> > struggling for democracy, with liberty which we present."
> > "The truth is that even with a closer margin, we recognize
> > that today they defeated us, but we will stay in the struggle, in the
> > fight, we will stay in the streets," said Rosales
>
>Oh, btw, he also said the right-wing will stay in the streets.
>
>This strikes me as more ominous than innocent. I am reminded of
>the street demonstrations -- coordinated and paid for by the CIA --
>which preceded the 1973 coup in Chile.
>
>Or is it just bluster, the last reactionary exhale of an increasingly
>marginalized bourgeois politician?
>
>In solidarity, Jerry
Michael A. Lebowitz
Professor Emeritus
Economics Department
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, B.C., Canada V5A 1S6
Currently based in Venezuela.
NOTE NEW PHONE NUMBERS
Can be reached at
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Departamento 601
Parque Central, Zona Postal 1010, Oficina 1
Caracas, Venezuela
(58-212) 573-6333, 571-1520, 571-3820 (or hotel cell: 0412-200-7540)
fax: (58-212) 573-7724
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