Actually, you and the opposition probably just don’t care!
<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Friday, March 28, 2003 By: Oscar Heck
VHeadline.com commentarist Oscar Heck writes: After having spent 88 days traveling throughout about half of Venezuela between mid-December 2002 and mid-March 2003, I must give my opinion about Gustavo Coronel’s recent article: “The Venezuelan Referendum: urgent and indispensable.”
Gustavo Coronel, as many pro-opposition and anti-Chavez people, are and have been living in a dream world … a dream world where they, the “haves,” have over many years either exploited or conveniently neglected the “have-nots.” They are just now waking up now from a 40-year dream to face reality.
In their dream, it did not matter if they abused others or if they used the expression “That’s the way it is done here in Venezuela.” In that dream, it was ok to pay the minimum wage (and blame the government for the fact that the wage is too low ú but of course, they will not pay more!). In that dream it is a well-known fact that they were considered “wise” when finding creative ways to steal, and that the “wise” poor person was considered a “thief.”
(El que es mas vivo, vive major! ú The one who is the most resourceful lives better.)
(El rico que roba es vivo y el pobre es un ladron. When a rich person steals he is considered resourceful but when a poor person steals, he is considered a thief.)
There is much more to this dream ... but I will stop here.
The reality that most of the opposition people (the 20%), are awakening to, must seem like a nightmare to them, as it appears to Gustavo Coronel. They have been in a comfortable coma. They fell asleep 40 years ago, along with the laws and customs of the time. Suddenly, Gustavo Coronel and party find themselves in a new world where the 80% no longer accept being called “monos” (monkeys) or “negros” (black). Welcome to reality!
Gustavo, you have often expressed that the non-black Venezuelans use the description “monos” in an affectionate ways, and that the “monos” do not take offence. Not true, Gustavo Coronel. The “monos” were in no position to argue or express their views, much less their feelings! And you know that!
This leads to one of the comments that you make in the above-mentioned article:
“Ideological conflict has not been good for our country ... it has done little more than hardening the resolve of the adversaries and putting hate in many hearts. The house is divided and the house is falling.”
Guess what? Your house is falling. The house has always been divided … but you could not see it because you were living in a dream.
You also state, “The state of the Venezuelan nation is chaotic. Unemployment is nearing 30%, while under-employment (street vendors and occasional workers) is about 50%. Only 20% of the working population are receiving some sort of regular income, largely minimum wage ($130 per month at the current official rate of exchange and about $100 on the black market).”
Who created the increase in unemployment? Chavez? No way. It was the opposition, and you and all your opposition supporters know it. The problem is that you are too proud to admit that you guys really messed up … royally!
“Food price controls have been established, often below production costs, already producing severe shortages, as no one can be obliged to sell below cost.”
Sorry, what you state here cannot be true (except perhaps in very rare cases). If you believe your statement then you either don’t know how to count very well (but I suspect you do), or you are simply quoting lies that others have been propagating! How can a small can of sardines (say about 400 grams) be sold at Bs.1000 ($0.63) when the processor pays the fishermen less than $0.04 per kilo (1000 grams)? This means that the amount of sardine contained in the can is in the vicinity of $0.01.
This happens because this is the typical way in which most wealthy Venezuelans have always operated. (The Venezuelan way?) You cannot state that the food price controls are often below cost! They are often below “standard profit levels.” All one has to do is to include increased “executive salaries” within the expenses, thus “assuring” loss of profit!
You should know that, so why do you support such illogical and false comments?
You state, “The oil industry is severely crippled.” Don’t you mean that the oil industry “was” severely crippled by the opposition’s sabotage? When I left Venezuela in mid-March, 2003, the gasoline situation was completely normal.
You state, “Venezuela is essentially paralyzed.” This is an exaggeration. During the 88 days of travel, I could confirm that most of the country was operating almost as normal, except for gasoline, cooking gas, beer, harina PAN flour and soda shortages. The place that was most severely affected was the eastern part of Caracas, that is, Altamira, Chuao, Chacao, Las Mercedes, etc. Of course, this was also the area where the opposition supporters “hung out,” blocked streets and where crews filmed for international propaganda purposes.
You state: “How to install an education revolution (yes, here the word applies) to create skilled workers in two year programs and, at the same time, create good citizens, instead of a parasitic population.”
Your comment here is typical of the “elite” and of most of the opposition supporters. They, as you, have a misconception etched into the inside of your skulls … as if it were an inborn natural trademark. What is the misconception? It is, that all (or most) poor Venezuelans are poor because they want to be poor. I think I will write a book about this. You know as well as I, and as well as the opposition, that there are few “real” jobs for what you call “los negritos” or “los monitos”. You know that most servants are “negritas and monitas.” You “allow” the government to dictate to you what the minimum wage should be, and pay them thus … never bothering to question yourselves, “How can they survive on this wage?”
Actually, you and the opposition probably just don’t care!
Are you suggesting that technical schools should flourish so that you can hire technically trained “negritos and monitas” at a minimum wage dictated by a government?
That would be really convenient, Gustavo, and you know as well as I, that most, if not all the opposition people, would go for that! Another guise to bury the shameless action?
You state, “Venezuela, I have said before, is a country of bulky and numerous laws...”
This is a complete lie. Numerous laws compared to what? Have you ever seen the size of Canadian or USA civil and criminal laws and penal codes? Volumes and volumes worth compared to the few small booklets that Venezuela had before Chavez (now there are a few more booklets, at the disadvantage of the pro-opposition elite!).
Then you state, “But the law is something that is born from within your heart and depends on your level of civilization. The more civilized we can build our society the less laws we will need.”
Yeah sure! From what I can see, the opposition in completely uncivilized (blocking streets, sabotaging, treason, sedition, etc.) and thus Venezuela requires a greater amount of laws and penal codes. In addition, if Venezuela were to depend on what comes from the “hearts” of opposition people, Venezuela would be in complete ruin … as witnessed by us all after the opposition’s failed attempt to paralyze Venezuela (December 2, 2002 to the end of February, 2003). “Civilized”? Sure. That is what the opposition calls itself, “civilized.”
You state, “We have to go to the polls to conserve our racial and religious harmony.”
I see where you are coming from, as most opposition people. You probably want to conserve the capacity for the 20% to continue their bad habits. “Racial harmony.” What is that? Is racial harmony the ability to continue calling fellow Venezuelan have-nots, “negritos and monitas” and expecting them to smile when you make such remarks? (Oh, and not to forget that “los monitos” live in the “serros”, but people who are not “monitos” live in “las Colinas”. Ever noticed that?).
NOTE: “Los serros” means “the hills”, and is a derogatory way to categorize “where you come from”. “Los serros” often refers to the slum areas, which are found of these “hills”. If you come from “Las Colinas” ú which means “the slopes” ú then you are not from the poor classes, and you are considered more “worthy” and “educated.”
You state, “Honest Venezuelans from all political sides will have to accept that voting is urgently required.“
Is August too far away? The opposition, with their criminal tactics (and you support them Gustavo) had promised “all Venezuelans” that Chavez would be out by December 2002. Where is Chavez now? It is the opposition that is in a hurry … and by inference, you are portraying them as “honest”. May I suppose then, that you would consider acts of sabotage and sedition as “honest”? What if elections were held and Chavez wins again (which I believe he will), will the opposition continue with what they call “civilized and democratic” action to oust Chavez? In an “honest” way?
You state, “All those who love our country should support the Referendum and work to make it happen as soon as possible...”
Hasn’t the opposition learned anything? You consider yourselves so “civilized” and “educated.” Why not act thus? Why do you people continue the path of sedition? Out of desperation I suspect?
As I have mentioned before, I am against the opposition because of the without-conscience actions that they have been sponsoring and participating in over the last many months. I say without-conscience because their actions have negatively affected the poorer Venezuelans, that is, the vast majority … and this, without ever a word of compassion or mercy from the opposition. Instead, the opposition rhetoric was (and still is, but less now) inundated with calls for sedition, treason, sabotage and vandalism.
I also believe that the opposition is planning something for April 8, 2003. I do not know what it is, but there appears to be a violent group of people getting organized to act out some of their fantasies for that date.
There is a message circulating on the net calling for an “attack” on Miraflores (the Presidential Palace), saying, “… HOMBRES DISPUESTOS AL FRENTE … DE TI DEPENDE … ES AHORA O NUNCA …"
Translated: “… men ready to fight … it will depend on you … it is now or never…”
Oscar Heck oscar@vheadline.com