Four minutes with the students

/ March 18, 2014

If the students’ goal was to summarize their case, their rage, their energy, and their determination in four brief minutes in a Youtube video … mission accomplished.

I don’t agree with all of the things in this video (particularly the stuff about the Russian military bases), but I still find it incredibly compelling. The voices are diverse, the message is comprehensive, and though I don’t care for the ominous soundtrack, it’s par for the course in Venezuela. Well done.

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24 thoughts on “Four minutes with the students”

  1. Juan, your comments are spot on. I was also surprised by the Russian bases comment, but my sister mentioned a report in the El Universal archives referring to it last year. She also mentioned a YouTube version of the students video with English captions for those interested.

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  2. China embargoed Venezuela?!?!

    Also, they show video clips of a clash with the GN that even a post on this blog admitted was initiated by the students.

    I don’t see this video convincing anyone new to join the cause

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    • Mention of the China ‘Embargo’ is really to the Chinese ‘Mortgage’ referring to the fact that basically all loans from China are securitized by a mortage on the price of future Pdvsa oil shipments which when paid by Pdvsa customers have to be directly entered into a chinese bank which then uses it (i) to pay any outstanding loans (ii) provide a buffer guarantee should there be a shortfall in Venezuelas future oil income and (iii) only gives Pdvsa about 40% of the ‘left over’ price received from the customer to meet all its costs, royalty charges and taxes . Because this 40% is insufficient , the BCV has to print money to allow Pdvsa to cover this shortfall in its income . The misuse of the word embargo (instead of morgage) shows that its a home made movie prepared without any help from lawyers. .

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    • “China embargoed Venezuela?!?!”
      Go on, take a look on how much cold, hard cash Venezuela owes to China today.

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  3. The mentioning of a Russian base and the Chinese “embargo” kinda bugs me too. But other than that, these brave young lads have done a fine job of declaring their cause and making themselves heard throughout the world, despite the oppression of the government.

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  4. I think the “embargado” is a popular but wrongly used verb for “we have been pawned”
    He should have said and certainly meant “vivimos de dar en empeño a China” or something similar.

    I think students need to reduce or take off the soundtracks they keep adding. I know it is the normal thing to do in Venezuela (the government uses worse soundtracks, like a mixture of the Lord of the Rings and a telenovela), but outside Venezuela this doesn’t work like that.

    Other than that, the video was good.

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    • They would have gotten a complete different picture should have gone to Barrio La Línea in Petare, or Los Flores in Catia, or to Barrio El Saladillo en Maracaibo, or to El Trigal en Los Teques. Anyway, I am sure you got the idea.

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  6. Good video. Better comments than what I hear from most politicians when interviewed. They’re asked a question and go on with stuff that nobody cares about and that’s irrelevant and then run out of time.

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  7. Notice that the video is produced by the JPEP faction of the student movement, which no longer identify themself as “Movimeinto Estudiantil”. This split is reflection of the general political environment in the oppo camp. The students leadership is now deep fractured between “colaborationists” and “radicals”. Not good, if you ask me

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  8. I have a different cut. Their movement is emcompasing a broader range of social actors as for example the Venezuelan youth, so they might want to present themselves as more than only students. As a reminder, Basil and Robert, who were killed on February 12th by government’s dead squads, were not university students.

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  9. Why do you take umbrage with the students mentioning russian military base expansion.? feb, 2014 http://beforeitsnews.com/r2/?url=http://faustasblog.com/2014/02/venezuela-cuba-nicaragua-russia-to-add-military-bases-overseas/
    AFP 14 feb 2014″Cuba has been seen as one of the last outposts of communism in the Western hemisphere and has been considered instrumental in exporting its brand of communist-socialism to Venezuela under Chavista rule. With the rising tide of unrest in Venezuela more international attention has been placed on the two Latin American countries, while the stronger presence of Russia on the island could mean stronger economic and financial ties between the three.”

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