Lights out on the Chávez era

Revolution lights up the world

On the heels of a massive blackout that left Havana, one of Cubazuela’s largest cities, without electricity, I went on Twitter to see what the electricity situation in Venezuela was.

In just the last day, there are reported blackouts in:

  • Naguanagua, Valencia, and Puerto Cabello, with some sectors reporting more than 14 hours in the dark;
  • Barquisimeto, for more than three hours;
  • El Hatillo and la Lagunita;
  • Maracaibo, where the thermometer hit 45 degrees yesterday;
  • Aragua;
  • Mérida; and
  • Maturín, where the lights have been out for more than six hours.

How is this not a bigger campaign issue?

If there is one thing we can point to, one causality we can easily make, it’s that right after the government nationalized the electricity industry, blackouts began. Is there any clearer evidence of chavista mismanagement than this?

Estatización = apagones. Chávez = apagones. Simple, ¿no?

But no, the government insists we discuss a supposed “neoliberal” package, or its latest meme, that Capriles uses “sexist” language.
And we fall for it!

Go on offense guys. The potato is peeled for you.

29 thoughts on “Lights out on the Chávez era

  1. did you know that chiabe called fidel very worried about his cubapagon? like boccanegra asks himself in tal cual today “why call fidel and not the governors of all the states without power? easy,he would have to be all day “pegado” al telefono” en fin… such is life in the tropics

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  2. “El Pantaletazo” en Maturín.
    What’s that naming convention all about, Juan? I’m not talking about the name of the city.
    This is the first time I read about it.

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      • Well, it would be good to find out, don’t you think? I mean, if the Capriles command called their next efforts “El Supensor” (not sure if that’s the name for jockstrap), you’d be on it.
        What’s next: “El Sostenazo”?

        Esta observación es una pequeñéz. Pero vale la pena mencionarlo. Porque me extraña de parte de tipos que no pelan una oportunidad para venerar a la Virgen X, en público. Por ello, se les pide que también respeten un poco a la mujer de carne y hueso, y sus prendas interiores. No te parece?

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        • If you do a Google search on “El Pantaletazo,” the only thing that shows up in the first five pages are references to PSUV or Chávez-related websites and news items.

          Seems to me like this term is a made-up moniker from chavistas and that the event was not officially named that way, unless I’m missing something.

          BTW … I fail to see how that is offensive. Vulgar, perhaps. Crude, a little. But offensive?

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          • Venezuelans are not really politically correct people to be offended by an event being called the pantaletazo (if it was really the name of the event), so the Eekhout outrage about this is funny because it sounds so … American. And the reference to pantaletas can even be a positive one, the expression “una mujer con las pantaletas bien puestas” means a brave woman

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              • Funny they come with that after “el Comandante Presidente” find that disgusting…
                but I would have liked “fosforito” to make these claims, somehow more appropriate, don’t you think?
                I think they look like amargadas for the common people.

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          • I don’t think el pantaletazo is offensive, or vulgar, or crude. I just think that naming a campaign stop, using a female undergarment as inspiration reminds me of a 12-year-old-schoolboy’s silliness (tee-hee) or a US freshman’s stupidity. And I’d like to think that Capriles (and his team) is above that nonsense.

            But it looks as though it has nothing to do with Capriles, but rather, some infantile female members of the MUD, making their demands heard. Assuming this silly little story is even true, then Eekhout is providing a Pavlovian response to the storm in a teacup, created by none other than … you guessed it: Eva Golinger, who carries on her back a first-world tendency to stoke the coals of female outrage.

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    • This may shed some light for you, but it’s still not clear what it was about.

      http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/125425/hernandez-responde-a-eekhout-%e2%80%9ca-capriles-las-mujeres-no-solo-lo-queremos-sino-que-lo-necesitamos%e2%80%9d/

      Apparently “El Flaco” Capriles is inspiring Rock Star behavior amongst a certain set of femaledom, that causes them to throw their (hopefully unused) panties at him.

      I wonder what they have in store for him in El TIgre? Cougar convention?

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      • Excellent response from Soraya Hernández to Eekhout!

        Cougar convention :-)) . Hasta las que mascan agua. Bienvenidas sean — toítas!

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    • But did you have one yesterday? ‘Cause I was looking only at what was reported in the last 24 hours, and Margarita didn’t show up. If we widen the net, the whole country has suffered blackouts for months now.

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      • For anybody who wants to have a good laugh here is the FaceBook page of Cortolec Nueva Esparta where they have allowed open comments on the same page they are announcing rationing. Ha, ha. Of course the people are very kind in their comments.
        http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corpoelec-Nueva-Esparta/314770891155

        We have been suffering through this for 2 years. Every couple of months they make a grand announcement that all is cured & Margarita will have sufficient electricity. What a crock! Everything has been just band aids & then when the tourists come as they have been doing every year for the 25 years I’ve been here then it’s always a great surprise. Oh look, there’s more demand then we planned for. What a surprise.

        Here’s today’s announced cuts:
        02:30 pm A 04:00 pm
        MANEIRO
        Urb. Maneiro, Res. Los Geranios, Res. Florestamar, Res. Marbella 1 y 2, Res. La Orquídea, Res. Palma 1 y 2, Res. Perla, Res. Caribe Resort, Res. El Retiro, Brisa Marina, Res. Bellamar, Central Madeirense, CC Jorge Coll, Margarita Sol, Res. Margarita.
        DÍAZ
        Las Guevaras, Agua de Paloma, Urb. Virgen del Valle, Villa Guevara, Las Villarroeles, entrada de la Guardia, Planta de Asfalto, Ambulatorio La Guardia, Ambulatorio Las Guevaras, Centro de Educación Inicial Inés Mercedes Salazar, Sector El Progreso.
        GARCÍA
        Sidetur, Sector 80 de san Antonio, Urb. Pedro Luis Briceño, Cotsco de Margarita, Cementerio de San Antonio, Urb. Villas de San Antonio, Urb. 28 de mayo.
        MARIÑO
        Calle Charaima, Coral Tower, Galería Fente, Casino Las Vegas, Banco Bicentenario, Inces Porlamar, Genovés, Edif. Torre Mayo, Res. Villamar, Res. Las Margaritas, Calle Narváez, Hotel Águila Inn, Super K La Karibeña, Funeraria Profacol, Banco Banesco.
        MARCANO
        Los Millanes, Pedregales, Guiriguire, Las Cabreras, Sector Chorochoro, San Martín, Urb. Pozo Blanco, El Palito, Boca de Monte, Las Piedras, Pueblos de Margarita, Sector Punda de Pedregales, EB Francisco Risquez, EB Rafael Masa, EB Juana Méndez de Penoht.

        06:30 pm A 08:00 pm
        MARIÑO
        Av. Bolívar, Porlamar Suites, Hotel La Isla, Resd. Remanso, Villas Internacional Resort, Lake Plaza, Laguna Suites 1 y 2, Campomar, Av. Bolívar, Bella Vista, Ruiz Pineda, Los Delfines, CC JUMBO, Calle Ortega, Campos, Vista Bella, Res. Sol y Mar, Kia.
        GARCIA
        Internado Judicial, Friomar, Bazar Belune, Res. Villa Mar, PDV Comunal, E/S Villa Rosa, Bloques de Villa Rosa, Villa Juana, Villa Esperanza, Distribuidora Marbella, Galpón Avelino Molina, Protección Civil.
        GÓMEZ
        Bahía de Plata, Costa Caribe, Altagracia, Urb. Los Peñeros, Blanco Lugar, Pueblo Nuevo, La Valla, El Estanque, Sector Los Moriquites de Altagracia, Módulo Policial de Altagracia, Ambulatorio de Altagracia, Ambulatorio de Pedro Gonzalez, E.B. José Cortez.

        08:00 pm A 09:30 pm
        ARISMENDI
        Crucero de Guacuco, Mi Jugote, Palosano, La Conga, Laberinto Tropical, Atamo Sur, Urb. Villas Colonial, UPEL, Instituto Educacional Espacial Nueva Esparta, dispensario Atamo Sur, U.E. Juan Bautista Arismendi, CDI sector Camoruco, Camoruco, Urb. Las huertas.
        GÓMEZ
        Bahía de Juangriego, Vista Alegre, La Sabaneta, Margarita Bahía, Res. Juan El Griego, Calle La Marina de Juangriego, Oficina Comercial Juangriego CORPOELEC, Pasaje ISA, El Palito, Museo Pueblos de Margarita, Ranchos Pescadería Taguantar, INNTT de Juan Griego.
        MANEIRO
        Piedras Blancas, El Calvario, Centro Artesanal de Los Robles, Banco Guayana, Dispensario de Los Robles, Cementerio de Los Robles, Casa de la Cultura de Los Robles, Res. Costa Esmeralda, La Fundación Margarita, San Fernando, Caney de Felo, Oasis de Los Robles.

        09:30 pm A 11:00 pm
        MARIÑO Y GARCÍA
        Ciudad Cartón, Calle San Nicolás, Sigo La Proveeduría, Ciudad Traki, Cemex Venezuela, Toyota Margarita, Hielos Margarita, Almacenadora Margarita, Ice tours, PDVAL, Automotores Oriental C.A.
        MANEIRO
        Laguna Mar, Agua de Vaca, El Conchal, Parcelamiento Victoria, Parcelamiento Vista Mar, El Hato, Planta de Tratamiento Agua de Vaca, Apostadero, Urb. Vista Caribe, Instituto Autónomo Policial del Municipio Maneiro, Urb. Casas de Campo, Ambulatorio Agua de Vaca.
        MARIÑO Y MANEIRO
        Urb. Sabanamar, Av. 4 de Mayo, IUTIRLA, Banvalor, Bco. Bicentenario, Tiffany Palace, Circunscripción Militar, Sitio de Encuentro, AV. Terranova, Protección Civil, Hotel Puertas del Sol.
        GARCIA
        Cruz del Pastel, Valle Verde, Las Marites, La Capilla, Cruz Roja, Conjunto Res. La Isleta 2, Urb. Las Marites, Doña Elisa, Villa Caribe, Urb. Marisal, Nueva Esparta, Nueva Segovia, Nueva Venezia, Los Tejados, Club del Campo, Urb. Nueva Delphia, Mercal.

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  3. I repeat the post on the prior on blackouts:
    “Question: Can the voting machines run on steam? In the event of widespread power cuts (already here anyway) would that provide relief to authorities charged with a ‘timely’ announcement of results of any elections that may in the offing? Or, lights-offing, if you will? Any creative revolutionary ought to be able to work tactical electoral wonders with a manifestly dodgy power supply nationwide.

    And, would an ill-intentioned individual even go as far as to broach the possibility of blackouts in electoral run-up periods as being compatible with a purposeful plan for dark doings and jiggery-pokery “on the day”?”

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  4. JC: Blackouts are an issue on the streets, but not in the media landscape. The reason is simple: As I said in an earlier post, comunicational hegemony has done its job. However, as you said in another post, the absence of Chavez of the campaign trail has benefited HCR, as he’s the only candidate 100 % active, compensating to the abusive mediatic overload by Chavismo.

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  5. Anyone who believes what is written in Twitter by people complaining about electricity blackouts is also naive enough to believe that Cpariles will win the election. Not one of you has mentioned that there is an orchestrated campaign of sabotage against Corpoelec.

    Your comment, Gustavo about communicational hegemony and the blackouts not being reported is so stupid it is unbeliveable. Most of the FM stations in Venezuela are private. Most of the local press is private. Globo, Televen and venvision are still out there. The regional TV stations are antiChavez – so WTF are you talking about.

    There are few reports since there are few blackoputsd and the truth is that you are grasping at straws for a campiagn issue.- once again.

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    • Orchestrated by iguanas and rabipelaos right?

      The thing Arturo, what it is fundamental about media, is that private media can choose to have any editorial line, because it is their investor moneys. Public media on the other can’t be biased. Because, ehem, it is financed with everyone’s money. Do you see that?

      And saying that “most” of the local press is private, it is not true since VTV (paid by my taxes and my corresponding oil income) has way more access than all of the above. The same with AM radio.

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      • AM or FM the opposition has most radio staions despite the community radio network. So bright spark Rodrigo, why does the privare media not report the multiple blackouts as it did three years ago when there was a real problem? Simple – because there are very few. It0s like saying there are food shortages in Venezuela when there is a real obesity prtoblem developing.

        Interesting as well that your intellectual leaders sucha s Marcel Granier have been saying for years that VTV has 3% of audience. Now Gustavo is saying that is communicational hegemony. Make your minds up.

        However, if the SNMP is all pervading then so much the better as far as I am concerned. Thanks for paying your taxes to help the socialist communication effort.

        All media is biased as it represents different interests so don’t try and make out that private media is not biased. Look what ahappened in 2002 and 2003 – or were you living in Miami then?

        I hope you enjoy lsoing on October 7th.Then you will ahve to wait until 2018 for the next presidential elections.

        Chávez corazón de la Patria. Capriles titere de la oligarquía.

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        • Yes…. private media is biased… but they are biased with their own money… not with the money that should go towards schools and hospital. Do you see this fundamental difference? Or have you be castrated of all reason and sense of justice?

          And as far as blackouts being reported, they just happen to be so common now that they don;t make the news. This is the saddest part.

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