"It boasts a stronger social safety net than any of its neighbors and is making progress on its promise to deliver free health care and higher education to all its citizens. It is a model of social mobility and a magnet for immigrants from across Latin America and Europe.
"The second country is one of Latin America’s most impoverished nations and its newest dictatorship. Its schools lie half deserted. The health system has been devastated by decades of underinvestment, corruption, and neglect; long-vanquished diseases, such as malaria and measles, have returned. Only a tiny elite can afford enough to eat. An epidemic of violence has made it one of the most murderous countries in the world. [sic]
"It boasts a stronger social safety net than any of its neighbors and is making progress on its promise to deliver free health care and higher education to all its citizens. It is a model of social mobility and a magnet for immigrants from across Latin America and Europe."The press is free, and the political system is open; opposing parties compete fiercely in elections and regularly alternate power peacefully. It sidestepped the wave of military juntas that mired some Latin American countries in dictatorship. Thanks to a long political alliance and deep trade and investment ties with the United States, it serves as the Latin American headquarters for a slew of multinational corporations. It has the best infrastructure in South America. It is still unmistakably a developing country, with its share of corruption, injustice, and dysfunction, but it is well ahead of other poor countries by almost any measure...
"The second country is one of Latin America’s most impoverished nations and its newest dictatorship. Its schools lie half deserted. The health system has been devastated by decades of underinvestment, corruption, and neglect; long-vanquished diseases, such as malaria and measles, have returned. Only a tiny elite can afford enough to eat. An epidemic of violence has made it one of the most murderous countries in the world. [sic]"It is the source of Latin America’s largest refugee migration in a generation, with millions of citizens fleeing in the last few years alone. Hardly anyone (aside from other autocratic governments) recognizes its sham elections, and the small portion of the media not under direct state control still follows the official line for fear of reprisals. By the end of 2018, its economy will have shrunk by about half in the last five years. It is a major cocaine-trafficking hub, and key power brokers in its political elite have been indicted in the United States on drug charges. Prices double every 25 days. The main airport is largely deserted, used by just a handful of holdout airlines bringing few passengers to and from the outside world."
"CNE had given us a month to collect 197,978 signatures to begin the recall process. Many multiples of that have come out to sign, handily exceeding the target in all 24 states. How many? The Wall Street Journal says 1.1 million by the end of day one. We understand the tally by the end of day two is substantially higher than that, but we haven’t been able to confirm a number."
"CNE had given us a month to collect 197,978 signatures to begin the recall process. Many multiples of that have come out to sign, handily exceeding the target in all 24 states. How many? The Wall Street Journal says 1.1 million by the end of day one. We understand the tally by the end of day two is substantially higher than that, but we haven’t been able to confirm a number.""Know Hope"; "Nobody - not in the government, not in the opposition - was expecting the avalanche of people we've seen yesterday and today signing to request Maduro's recall" say Caracas Chronicles.
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| Nick Ripe indicates which way he should have gone... |
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| Nick Ripe indicates which way he should have gone... |
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| Basically bankrupt [Link] |
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| Basically bankrupt [Link] |
"Llamo al despertar nacional, al despertar colectivo, del pueblo frente a la oligarquía. Llamo a un despertar nacional de la conciencia popular (…) vencer la guerra económica es la tarea de todos, o lo hacemos entre todos o prepárense para que el imperialismo tome el control del país, prepárense para que venga la masacre del 27 de febrero, y allí la conocerán en vivo, no la conocerán por un video, prepárense para un tiempo de masacre y de muerte si fracasa la revolución bolivariana, pónganse las pilas todos o vamos a ver qué pasa con esta patria, a despertar, he venido a tocar un ‘campanazo’ de despertar desde la Ciudad Socialista Belén."
"Llamo al despertar nacional, al despertar colectivo, del pueblo frente a la oligarquía. Llamo a un despertar nacional de la conciencia popular (…) vencer la guerra económica es la tarea de todos, o lo hacemos entre todos o prepárense para que el imperialismo tome el control del país, prepárense para que venga la masacre del 27 de febrero, y allí la conocerán en vivo, no la conocerán por un video, prepárense para un tiempo de masacre y de muerte si fracasa la revolución bolivariana, pónganse las pilas todos o vamos a ver qué pasa con esta patria, a despertar, he venido a tocar un ‘campanazo’ de despertar desde la Ciudad Socialista Belén."Rough Ows translated (edited after reading exactly what he said; it's worse. The title there re 'Papa' refers to a meeting of Maduro with the Pope that should have taken place today.): "I call for a national awakening, a collective awakening: the people against the oligarchy. I call a national awakening of the popular consciousness... ...to win the economic war is the task of everyone. We do it all between us or get ready for imperialism to take control of the country; get ready for the slaughter of February 27, and there you will see it live, not on video. Get ready for a time of slaughter and death if the Bolivarian revolution fails, everyone sharpen up or when you wake up you will see what happens to this country. I come to sound the alarm bell from the Socialist Bethlehem City." [The February 27th he refers to is the "Caracazo"].
