Thursday, June 30, 2005
The tragic and the absurd
[originally published in The Devil's excrement]
There are two news that I fail to understand. I am reading then again and again in El Universal, El Nacional and Tal Cual and I cannot believe this is happening.
First, there is the killing, three days ago, of three engineering students. The kids were coming from a Physics exam and were giving a lift to a friend. Some members of the DIM (Direction of Military Intelligence) were apparently doing a special operation to find the assassins of one of their members. One of the DIM policemen had his face covered and carried a very large gun. The kids, thinking that they were going to be robbed accelerated the car and the masked guy and the other members of the operation ( a total of 26 policemen) went after them ending up beating and killing three male students and injuring three girls. The kids were unarmed. What revolts me, besides the absurdity of the killing, is the matter of fact explanation given by the authorities. The excuse is that there was confusion and that the masked policeman should not have worn a mask. It was a mistake. A mistake!? A MISTAKE!? Even if the kids had been trained killers, what gives the police the right to shut first? Where are the human rights established in the Venezuelan Constitution? What type of democracy is one in which unarmed kids are savagely beaten and killed by members of the Military Police?
Vicepresident Jose Vicente Rangel, declared that he considered that the government performance in this matter has been excellent, because it has been very quick in taking the necessary measures to find and charge those responsible for the massacre. That, Jose Vicente, is the least you can do. Shame on you! How dare you brag about the efficiency of your government! You should be ashamed to be leading a government for which that type of “police operatives” is candidly accepted. And yes, I want to see in six months how efficient were you after all….
Which leads me to the second absurd news about an unsolved crime that took place more than six months ago: the killing of Danilo Anderson. At that time, the government also bragged about its efficiency. They were so sure of themselves that even killed a “suspect” Antonio Lopez Castillo, a few days after Anderson’s death and found all types of weapons in the house of his parents. At the time, Interior minister Jesse Chacon declared that they were pretty close to close the first phase of the case.
Yesterday, Fiscal Isaias Rodriguez declared that the Anderson killing was really a “trial” to kill Hugo Chavez. That was really intended was the famous “magnicidio” (once again!). According to Rodriguez the plan was “ to kill the President of the Republic, but first, they had to try with other important figures”. It seems that the list started with Danilo Anderson, then the President of the TSJ, followed by the Minister of Defense and finally Isaias Rodriguez himself, right before Chavez!
That is what I call an “intelligent plot”. Someone wants to kill the President and the way to go is to “practice” first with the killing of important political figures. First the means: Danilo Anderson was killed by a bomb installed under the seat of his car. That, of course, is the best way to program the killing of a paranoid president: just put the bomb under the seat of his limousine! Piece of cake. Second the “practice” killing list: important political figures are killed one after the other and what the President and the people around him would order? To LOOSEN Presidential Security, of course!
Come on Isaias! Do you really believe that Venezuelans are so dupe that they are going to buy that story?
There are two news that I fail to understand. I am reading then again and again in El Universal, El Nacional and Tal Cual and I cannot believe this is happening.
First, there is the killing, three days ago, of three engineering students. The kids were coming from a Physics exam and were giving a lift to a friend. Some members of the DIM (Direction of Military Intelligence) were apparently doing a special operation to find the assassins of one of their members. One of the DIM policemen had his face covered and carried a very large gun. The kids, thinking that they were going to be robbed accelerated the car and the masked guy and the other members of the operation ( a total of 26 policemen) went after them ending up beating and killing three male students and injuring three girls. The kids were unarmed. What revolts me, besides the absurdity of the killing, is the matter of fact explanation given by the authorities. The excuse is that there was confusion and that the masked policeman should not have worn a mask. It was a mistake. A mistake!? A MISTAKE!? Even if the kids had been trained killers, what gives the police the right to shut first? Where are the human rights established in the Venezuelan Constitution? What type of democracy is one in which unarmed kids are savagely beaten and killed by members of the Military Police?
Vicepresident Jose Vicente Rangel, declared that he considered that the government performance in this matter has been excellent, because it has been very quick in taking the necessary measures to find and charge those responsible for the massacre. That, Jose Vicente, is the least you can do. Shame on you! How dare you brag about the efficiency of your government! You should be ashamed to be leading a government for which that type of “police operatives” is candidly accepted. And yes, I want to see in six months how efficient were you after all….
Which leads me to the second absurd news about an unsolved crime that took place more than six months ago: the killing of Danilo Anderson. At that time, the government also bragged about its efficiency. They were so sure of themselves that even killed a “suspect” Antonio Lopez Castillo, a few days after Anderson’s death and found all types of weapons in the house of his parents. At the time, Interior minister Jesse Chacon declared that they were pretty close to close the first phase of the case.
Yesterday, Fiscal Isaias Rodriguez declared that the Anderson killing was really a “trial” to kill Hugo Chavez. That was really intended was the famous “magnicidio” (once again!). According to Rodriguez the plan was “ to kill the President of the Republic, but first, they had to try with other important figures”. It seems that the list started with Danilo Anderson, then the President of the TSJ, followed by the Minister of Defense and finally Isaias Rodriguez himself, right before Chavez!
That is what I call an “intelligent plot”. Someone wants to kill the President and the way to go is to “practice” first with the killing of important political figures. First the means: Danilo Anderson was killed by a bomb installed under the seat of his car. That, of course, is the best way to program the killing of a paranoid president: just put the bomb under the seat of his limousine! Piece of cake. Second the “practice” killing list: important political figures are killed one after the other and what the President and the people around him would order? To LOOSEN Presidential Security, of course!
Come on Isaias! Do you really believe that Venezuelans are so dupe that they are going to buy that story?
# posted by jorge arena @ 11:13 PM 
