About ten minutes later, in pitch-black darkness outside with only two candles to show us where we were, a second thing happened which I had never experienced before at our compound. It started with two or three rattling pots and kettles, and soon after most of our neighbors were rattling away, in protest and frustration over what is happening in this country. As most of my neighbors are Chavists, many of them holding a government job, it struck us.
In the pandemonium, my wife grabbed a pan as well - something which I never have seen in the seven years we are together - and started making noise too. The pandemonium of pots, pans, kettles, vuvuzelas and jeering was eerie. It lasted about two hours and stopped well after power supply was reestablished.
I grabbed a pot too, and for the first time, I was actually taking part in what was probably one of the biggest civic actions till now against the Maduro regime. I managed to unload some of the frustration and the anger by beating on the pot. It felt good. Although at the same time I felt like a little ant making a point against an enormous monster, it was a statement, for me and for my many neighbors who felt the same.
Unrests in Caracas, Barquisimeto, Merida and many other cities all over the country. Clashes in Valencia between protesters and the Guardia Nacional, wounded and burning cars on the highway. People are so tired of what is happening here. We all know - even the Chavists - that Venezuela needs a government of comprehensive action, of national unity to avert the economic catastrophe coming towards us, caused by the same irresponsible Chavist government thinking only of staying in power by giving away money to half the world, leaving almost nothing to the country itself. But Maduro, who proclaimed himself president yesterday with his back turned to half the nation, wants confrontation. I think this idiot wants blood on the streets so that it can give this wannabe ruler the excuse to start acting like a dictator. Capriles has called to the cacerolazo at 8 pm - the one we all participated in, and which was an enormous succes nation-wide - and for avoiding any confrontation with the powers of the state.
While we were walking outside, in the dark we suddenly saw a group of motorized thugs wearing Maduro shirts, looking mean and observing what was happening. In the middle of our compound. Such motorized gangs are terrorizing protesting communities at the moment, even attacking them, as it happened in many places yesterday night. We walked on, not too happy.
What happened to the vote recount? All international organizations, the EU, the US and the OAS have called for a recount of votes. As I am writing these words, the Venezuelan government is busy burning the votes. Forget the recount, forget Maduro's promises. The CNE cynically has referred the opposition to make a claim at the tribunals, of which we all know are under control of the Chavist government. We know that Capriles under these circumstances, has very little chances to achieve anything.
And so, this "government of the people" has staged a slow-time coup d'etat, stealed the elections, broken every law concerned, every article in the constitution, beat up peaceful protesters through its paid street gangs, and is quickly becoming more and more a carbon copy of the regimes of Syria, Byelorussia and Cuba. And keeping the world's conscience quiet with enormous amounts of petrodollars, while Venezuela itself is falling to pieces.
Some world we live in. I feel alone, abandoned and laughed at. While my only goal is to build up a peaceful, productive life in this country. Under Marxist parameters however, it will become impossible in the long run. And as the world looks the other way, Venezuela is applying for membership of the club of authoritarian, totalitarian governments.
Cuba, the broke island filled with jobless people with no future at all - Socialist Sea of Happiness - can sleep quietly again. Venezuelan oil will keep feeding that starved country while the Castrist elite can count on more millions of dollars coming their way, while the rest of the population rots away either in their crumbling houses or in a stinking prison cell. And we are going the same way, in Venezuela.
I am living in a Cold War nightmare.
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