The one who fills Avenida Bolivar wins!

This thursday the opposition closed their anti-reform campaign with a big demonstration, ending up at the Avenida Bolivar in the center. I went down to see the people, get an idea of the general feeling on the streets, the response from the government and the police... and because all classes had been cancelled so that everyone could join the march.
It was a good atmosphere, lots and lots of people, very tranquil and without confrontation. Helicopters circulated above the center and everytime one passed the people everyone lifted their NO-posters up against it and shouted nooooo.

Depending on what newspaper one reads, which radiostation one listens to, or which tv-canal one watches, the story about all political events differ. Of course according to the political views of the particular media. The Chaviztas say there were only a few 10 000 people there, while the oppositional media says that there were several hundred thousand. I wouldn't be able to say that precise how many I think were present, but it is indeed interesting that even such physical fact as the number of people on the streets is reported differently according to what media that reports... I don't like that.

Yesterday the big final closing demo by the chaviztas took place, on the same place. I couldn't go since I had class. But on the late afternoon, when the people had gathered at the Avenida Bolivar Chavez spoke to the masses, and I listened to him on the radio. I must say that his way of speaking is not what I would call... somthing that make poeple enthusiastic. He seems to be a little bit full of himself. And his discourse, although I might agree with a lot of what he is saying, is very dramatic. It is like he wants to create an anger among the people, directed towards everything and everyone that is not supporting him. All of a sudden he started singing, in front of the hundreds of thousands of people. It sounded... well, quite terrible actually, but that doesn't have anything to do with anything, except that I got an inner vision of the swedish ex-prime minister, Göran Persson, singing to the people. It made me shudder. Göran wanted to project himself as the father of the country and that is exactly how it feels with Chavez, only like 100 times more. He proclaimed his love for the venezuelan people and that he has seized to exist as a person and is now the mere instrument available to el pueblo. That part I liked though, when he said that the people decide if he should stay or go.
He said: "If the people send me away to sweep the streets of Caracas for the next 50 years, I will go and I will sweep the streets of Caracas for 50 years. But if the people want me to continue to lead the revolution and the fortification of Venezuela I will do that with out rest, as I have done for the last 9 years. The people of Venezuela know that I have done everything I said I would, and I have never rested."
Then he emphasized what he has said before, that the people who vote for the reform are voting for Chavez, but the people who vote against the reform are voting against Chavez. And the he added, and are voting for George W. Bush.

Something that annoy me, is the lack of discussion among the opposition about the good things the reform is proposing. Pensionfunds for old people who never have had a registred job, reduction of the workday (6 h/day), prohibition of any form of discrimination, equal representation women/men in all political posts, etc. These issues have just been forgotten. And it is 100 % focus on what is thought of as bad. Although, sure, I get it. If I would desagree with something that will have major influence over my society I would fight against it even though it has good parts too. But, it is a shame in this case. Because the ideas about a rupture with the hegemonic order maintained by the west is indeed intersting and in my opinion neccessary. Although, de political discourse used by Chavez, to carry through the rupture is somewhat...peculiar. There is a significant element of conspiration theories flying around, not at least prompted by Chavez himself. The latest one is "Plan Tenaza", a strategy planned by the CIA which aims to destabilize the country before and after the election tomorrow, and which supports the violent groups within the opposition. If the Sí wins, they will launch a serie of actions against the government, sabotaging the electricity, the oil industry, plans to sabotage christmas, the food supply, etc., basically, plans to convert Venzuela to a chaos. But Chavez warned them, and said that the people who support the reform will answere these attempts, prepared to take the fight on the streets. Well, the problem with CIA is that its whole purpose is for noone to know what they are up to... so I don't know nothing.

Leaving the march of the opposition the other day we stumbled into a tent with people from the government. These tents are spread out all over the city and they play extremely high music with songs made especially for the "Sí-campaign", really good too! They have lots of resources, t-shirts, hats, pins, posters and so on. And as we went up to them they gave each of us a whole set. I must say it is a very effective way of winning people over to your side, to play good party music on the street. Although, trying to talk with the representatives there about the reform turned out to be a challenge since I didn't really hear what they said, also this an effect of the music. Everything has two-sides I guess.
Ok. one day to go. whhoooooo.

Counting down... 5 days to go

The votation for or against the Reform of the Venezuelan Constitution is this sunday. And the country is vibrating. It is indeed a very special feeling in the air. People are filled with... energy, anger, desperation, hope, excitement, fear... everything. The discussions about what will happen, how to respond, how to react to whatever the outcome is, are endless, and very interesting!

I spoke with my only friend who is not completely against the reform and Chavez and he wanted me to join a demo with the "Sí"-block, that is the poeople who are in favor of the reform. To see how that is. And my god, I could really need another point of view of all that is happening, of the articles in the reform and what possible good they might bring. I think I have a quite good idea about the critique of the reform, but not at all about the other side.

So tomorrow (thursday) is the final big big march by the opposition. All students at my university are going, all teachers and everyone who is voting NO this sunday. This photo is from the preparations. They made hundreds and thousends of these t-shirts. I guess you can figure out what they are for.
All classes have been cancelled and the semester has been prolonged one week. Instead of going on holidays on the 7th, we have class until the 15th. Very bad for me, since I will have visitors coming. But as I have always said, I am never so charming and nice to be around as when I am a stressed out savage with red sleepless eyes and absolutely now time to spare!!

Well, two days ago the students at my uni went out on the road passing by the exitgate. It was like a demo, but with the aim to make the people passing by aware of what they think is bad with the reform. They handed out leaflets with info and took up half the road, which of course created a cue of cars. The police came and the situation got ugly. I wasn´t there when it all began but according to students I spoke with when I arrived it was the police who in cut off the road and then pushed the students back into the university area. When I got there the police were standing outside and throwing teargas bombs, over the fence and among the students. They answered by throwing stones. Who began the throwing is still highly unclear.
In the end of the photo is the exitgate, the smoke comes from the tear gas bombs. Everyone had smeared toothpaste in their faces to be able to stand the gas. They were also prepared with bottles of vinegar, it helps neutralizing the effect of the bombs if you breath vinegar.
I had mixed feelings about the incident this afternoon. On one hand it was indeed an exaggerated response by the police, and further a clear offense of the autonomy status that the university has. But speaking with some of the students throwing stones at the police I got a feeling that they enjoyed the mere fact that the situation had gotten out of hand.
The excitement shone threw their young boy-eyes and I could hear the adrenaline pumping through their body. But these people you find everywhere, and oh, did I say they are young boys... ok.

In this photo two students were studying the shells from the tear gas bombs being thrown in. I have manipulated the photo so you can't identify the people, as you should, being a good professional...


The vice-head master then went out together with the students representative to speak with the police and reach an agreement. After a lot of mediating the students were finally permitted to return to the street and carry on with the leaflet-out-handing activity. This is when I hitched hiked home. Apparently though, things got worse again after that and the throwing of things-process started all over again.



Mediation going on... the color of the University of Simón Bolívar is yellow.







...after the students had been allowed to once again enter the street and hand out leaflets to the by-passing cars.

Ok, what will happen tomorrow no one knows. On friday the Chaviztas will march. Both blocks have permission to carry out their marches, but that hasn´t prevented violence from ocurring in earlier demos.
And then the big question... what will happen after this sunday. In the case of a NO, as well as in the case of a SÍ??

Excursion

Ok.
This Monday and Tuesday I went on an excursion with my marine ecology class. It was a very nice trip and we spent a lot of time in the water taking samples of the sediment and of the seagrass Thalassia, and took measures of the abundance, density and coverage of Thalassia. Later that evening we measured the length and width of the leaves and went through 15 sediment samples searching for microscopic animals. I liked it. Although my seriously lacking knowledge about everything that has to do with naming living things is indeed striking. I just don’t know what I am looking at. Same thing apply in Sweden. How does an asp look like… well, I don’t know. I remember a twoday course I took in februray 2006 with the swedish nature conservation organisation, it was about moss and the other green stuff that can grow on trees and rocks… well, when everyone was busy studying the little leaves of these things I found my self being more fascinated by the rock they were attached to. I saw some quite nice magmatic stone formations, but I do not remember one single name of all the different types of mosses and that other thing that we saw.
But anyhow, this doesn´t mean that I don’t keep believing that I one day will be an awesome all-knower and be able to identify every plant or animal that catches my eye! For those who are interested I can send you photos of some of the animals we saw with the proper text explaining what it is. To give one example:
This is a seastar! For some reason this particular name seem to be easier to remember than others. I guess I am progressing, soon soon I will rock!

During the 3 hour trip in the back of a small van we past one of Venezuelas 3-4 big refineries. It is an impressing aparatus, mixed feelings indeed. It is the source of income for all of Venezuela, at the same time it is oil!! Bad bad bad. And further... this very often used expression was printed on the wall.
"Patria, socialismo o muerte" =
native land, socialism or death
Sweet!

The latest in politics... Chavez has gone out and said that voting against the reform is the same as voting against him, and that he will have to reconsider his position as a President if it doesn´t go through at the election on the 2 dec. The opposition is trying hard to separate the two things: still wanting Chavez as president and support the revolution, and voting for or agaisnt the reform.
There are reports every day from the different polls being made and they all say different things. Sí is leading with 14 % or the exact opposite... difficult things these polls. Have never trusted them. I think they are more of a political instrument than a real thermometer of the people.

En bussresa som andra...

Men kanske jag är helt konstig...
Stiger man på en buss eller metron och det inte finns sittplatser så ställer sig genast nån man gentilt upp och erbjuder sin plats, med ett älskvärt "Varsågod señorita!" Fan, som en förolämpning. Vilket svin tänker jag. Vadå, ser jag liksom svag ut eller vad? Då tittar jag på honom med en lätt ögonutstående blick och försöker lite generat säga... hehe, nej nej, och liksom med en svepande handrörelse (samtidigt som jag spänner armmusklerna lite extra) visa att, sitt du, jag har faktiskt tillräckligt mycket fysisk kapacitet att jag klarar av att färdas de 2o minutrarna, ståendes!!
Ja, det är inte lätt, man får stå ut med mycket. Men ok, saken är den att jag inte riktigt vet hur jag ska förhålla mig till dylika gester. För det är ju inte som att jag tycker att det är något fel i sig, att erbjuda någon annan sin sittplats. Det som stör mig är bara att det sker uteslutande till kvinnor, oavsett om man är i behov av det eller inte. Fast man kan ju tänka sig kaoset som skulle infall ifall det inte gjordes en sådan uppdelning efter kön... inga bussar skulle troligtvis behöva sittplatser i den bakre änden eftersom alla hela tiden skulle erbjuda varandra sina sittplatser och till slut skulle alla som inte var gamla, handikappade eller sjuka stå vart dom än skulle. Men tänk å andra sidan vad många fler som skulle få plats...

Men sen är du ju också det att de flesta kvinnor accepterar denna ständiga företrädes-försvagande-förlamande identifieringen.

Well.
Kanske ni hört och sett när den spanska kungen bad Chavez att hålla tyst på Iberico-americano-samarbetsmötet i Chile i förra veckan efter att han kallat den förre spanske premiärministern Aznar för fascist. "Porqué no te callas?" har nu blivit oppositionens självklara slagord och alla jublade över händelsen. Chavez själv tycker att han förtjänar en ursäkt och menar på att det latinamerikanska folket inte längre står tysta och undertryckta gentemot Europa utan nu är en maktfaktor att räkna med. Ja, den politiska karusellen fortsätter oavbrutet och det är lika förvirrande som vanligt.
Två ekologilektioner i rad har läraren istället för föreläsning om ekosystem uppmuntrat de väldigt engagerade studenterna att diskutera det som händer istället. Otroligt intressant att få vara med och lyssna på det de säger. Många av dom är väldigt aktiva i studentrörelsen, som till största del är emot reformen, och är därför också väl insatta i det som händer. Det mest spännnade var när det kom till diskussionen om våld-icke våld. Hur ska man bemöta sina motståndare, speciellt när motståndaren har en armé till sitt förfogande och inte visat sig ovillig att använda den gentemot demonstranter förut. Studentmöte på universitetet.
Det utvecklades till en högljudd och mycket känslosam argumentutväxling där det refererades till Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mandela och gänget. Det som också är otroligt fascinerande är hur extremt laddat detta är, hela den politiska situationen, mycket mer än jag trodde från början. Så många av dessa människor som alla går under benämningen oppoistionen är helt förtvivlade över det som händer. De är övertygade om att det enda som väntar landet är en fullfjädrad diktatur. Av 20 studenter så var det bara en som inte planerade att lämna landet på ett eller annat sätt så fort de tagit examen. De känner sig helt hopplösa. Men samtidigt är det såklart många som kämpar emot.
Det finns mycket att säga om den sk oppositionen, och grejen är att den är så divers att det är omöjligt att egentligen tyda någon homogenitet alls. Förutom just det väldigt viktiga och uppenbara att det främst är folk som generellt har det bättre ställt. Men det går inte heller att utifrån detta dra några vidare djupa slutsatser, det är lite för komplicerat för att förenkla hela reformprocessen till att röra sig om: De rika vill inte tillåta reformen för att de inte vill släppa på sin ekonomiska maktposition.

Jag har diskuterat och läst och lyssnat kring vad reformen säger och kommer att innebära. Det som skrämmer folk mest är den maktkoncentration till Chavez som många artiklar verkar antyda, mer eller mindre uttalat, samt många otydligheter kring hur den nya maktdistributionen egentligen kommer att genomföras och sedan fungera i praktiken. Det lämnas många frågetecken som anses vara en strategi av Chavez att ytterligare binda makten närmare presidenten. Men sen är det ju också just dessa artiklar som enligt Chavez är dem som ger mer makt till folket. Ja jisses!

Och mitt i det sitter jag, och ska försöka vara lite objektiv... men fan, det är svårt. Har fortfarande inte lyckats hooka upp med nån som är för reformen, och det finns uppenbarligen många såna också!!!! Det verkar dock vara ett uppenbart kommunikationsproblem vad gäller många av artiklarna. Det finns en hel del missförstånd kring innebörden av olika artiklar som basuneras ut som sanningar och som regeringen sedan får gå ut och försöka dementera och förklara. Media är lurigt. Vem tro på?

Sopsortering i mitt bostadsområde...

Demo

Last thursday students marched against the reform, it was a big march and there were confrontations between students and people that came to in support of the reform, and between students and the police. People were hurt and a girl in Zulia (another state where the university also marched) was killed by some unknown person. I never went to this demo since me and a friend decided to go on a trip instead.

We went to the state Sucre, about 8 hours east of Caracas. We spent one day up in the mountains in a small town called Caripe, saw a huge cave and bathed in rivers. The other day we went to a national park by the coast, went for an interesting walk along the beach and even took a swim in the big blue. Beauuutiful scenery!

Yesterday there was another student march, this time they had called for everyone againt the reform to join. The student councils of each university in Caracas (there are about 4-5) work together in deciding what and how to respond to the situation and to make sure that everyone gets the message about what will happen. Often they go out on the television to announce the marches and make their statement. The student movement is slightly more active here compared to Sweden, that is only my personal observation.

Many teachers cancel the classes to support the marches and so that the student who want to participate don't lose out on anything. Yesterday there were no classes for no one and all exams this week have been postponed to next week. I had decided to go down to the march to observe, not participate. The students gatherd first at Plaza Venezuela, in the center of Caracas, and after about 1.5 h the march began. Once everyone started to walk I walked too and therefore I guess one could say that I did participate in the march. Even though I didn't chant along in any of their chants "Quienes somos? - Estudiantes! Qúe queremos? - Libertad!".
The purpose of the march was to go to the Tribunal Supremo de Justica (like the supreme court) and hand in a document saying that the date when to vote for or against the reform (2 december) should be postponed till february, to give the people a chance to read the reform and make an informed deciscion, but also point out that the reform is breaking against the prevailing consistution in the way it has been proposed and also in some of the articles.

The total number of articles to be reformed is about 60-70 and I have tried to read them. But it is a very complicated language and even if I do understand the words the meaning of the text is very complex, as all law-texts. But there are enough people and analysts who have interpreted the articles and criticize their significance.

Well, the march went very well. It was all very peaceful and the atmosphere was good. The other marches that have suffered confrontations almost provoked Chavez to forbid all further marches. That is marches by the opposition, since it this sunday was a march by the Chaviztas, in favour of the "Sí", Yes to the reform. No confrontations took place during this march. The police let them through everywhere. There were a lot of people on that march, all dressed in the same shirt and hat (all red) which they are given by the government. It is said that everyone employed by the government are obliged to participate in the marches, that there even is a list you have to sign your name on to prove that you were actually at the march. Anyhow a lot of people came from all over Venezuela and it looked like a big fiesta on the streets, with music and all.
Two days after the "prohibition" of further marches Chavez changed the formulation so that it still is ok, but with some restraints.

So, we reached the supreme court, a group of students representatives went inside and talked to the poeple there and handed in the document. The police had hardly been visible at all until this point. They stood as a wall between the students and a group of Chaviztas that had turned up to demonstrate infavour of the reform. But nothing happened, no confrontations. So after the student representatives came out, everyone went back together and then everyone went home. We went and had something to eat and then we went home too.
But we were quite shocked when we heard later that the students from the Universidad Central went to the university they were met by an unknown group of people which started to shoot against them. The reason is still not known, nor who they were. I have seen photos and videos and the show masked people pointing guns at unarmed students. Nine hurt, but no one killed. I will go up to my uni later today and hopefully get some more info.

Next week I will sit down with two friends, very involved in the student movement, and we will try to work through the reform, and understand what it means. Well, my contribution will probably be restrained to "Hm..., huuh?, huuum" but it will be very interesting anyways!

Ok, in a few hours I have a presentation on an article about environmental factors controlling macrofauna comminities on sandy beaches on the northern coast of Spain, so I leave you here...


This last photo is also taken on the march. It was a man standing there holding it up... It says:
"Socialism is the filosophy of failure, a creed of ignorance and it preeches for envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal distribution of misery."

Well. Quite harsch I must say...