Live-blogging Maria Corina’s day

/ December 3, 2014

Opposition legislator Maria Corina Machado will go to the Prosecutor’s Office today to be charged with attempting to kill Nicolás Maduro. She may be imprisoned today. We’ll be live blogging the events as they unfold.

Three quick things to start:

Check back for updates as they come in.

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9:28 AM – Just thought I’d let you know Caracas Chronicles is on the scene. Here is a poster of support for Machado.

9:51 AM: El Universal is now covering the story. Readers have complained about me being too harsh on Henrique Capriles – perhaps, but he still hasn’t said anything, and it’s strange. Oh, and Maria Corina has arrived at the Prosecutor’s office.

9:54 AM: Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma weighs in.

Ledezma

 

10:20 AM: El Hatillo mayor (and my new friend, but more on that in a later post) David Smolansky is accompanying Maria Corina as well. Apparently, so are some of the MUD’s bigwigs, including Chúo Torrealba and Freddy Guevara – apologies to those I fail to mention.

10:36 AM: Henrique Capriles has tweeted his support. I take back my criticism of him.

10:39 AM: Other people present at the Prosecutor’s Office: Ismael García, Laureano Márquez, Soledad Bravo, Gaby Arellano, Carlos Berrizbeitia, Luis Barragán, Freddy Marcano, Eduardo Gómez Sigala, Juan Carlos Caldera, Ángel Medina, Antonio Ecarri, Roberto Enríquez … and lots of men with guns – the National Guard.

10:41 AM: Fair to say the opposition is united in condemning this outrage. First show of unity in months. Silver lining?

12:04 PM: Chavista paramilitary-gang-slash-TV-show Zurda Konducta is in the house! Tension outside the Prosecutor’s Office. Maria Corina has been inside with her attorneys only for two hours.

12:05 PM: Foreigners are starting to weigh in. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, who gave Machado an award this year, says they are “deeply concerned with Machado’s safety as she faces unfounded charges of conspiracy to murder President Maduro.” They add, “[n]o evidence has been disclosed against Machado and she is an important voice for freedom and democracy in her native Venezuela.”

12:27 PM: Supporters outside the Prosecutor’s Office are surrounded by the National Guard … for protection? #ExcesivamenteNormal

photo (2)12:50 PM: Maria Corina is allegedly on her way out. No idea what this means, though.

12:57 PM: She’s out. Not sure what it means yet.

1:24 PM: She is being charged for “conspiracy,” but will apparently remain free for now. She thanks her supporters, the Catholic Church (special mention to Cardinal Urosa), as well as the political leaders that accompanied her.

1:28 PM: In a pretty one-sided note, El Universal doesn’t quote Machado, but instead goes into extensive detail as to what the law says about the crime of conspiracy. Apparently, you can be charged with conspiring for “defaming” the President, or “threatened the peace.”

1:30 PM: Wait, the prosecutor charging Maria Corina is named … Katherine Harrington?! Wasn’t she a character on Dynasty back in the ’80s? #SeMeCayóLaCedula

1:31 PM: I guess the government saw that “threatening to kill the President” was a laughable charge. Instead, they aer undusting the old “conspiracy” charge, which basically says that you go to jail if you speak ill of the President or the country’s diplomats. Whatever, chavistas…

1:34 PM: Here is Venezuela’s Penal Code. Article 132 is what the prosecution is clinging to.

1:35 PM: Thanks to El Universal, a.k.a. Luisa Ortega’s Press Office, for breaking this down for us!

2:36 PM: That’s all for now. Maria Corina remains a relatively free woman, subjected to the whims of a selectively repressive regime. Nice show of unity from the opposition today, by the way.

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72 thoughts on “Live-blogging Maria Corina’s day”

  1. JC, my understanding about Henrique Capriles and his opinions regarding MCM, LL and all others is that he believes that when/if he mentions their names, they are worst off. Plain and simple.

    Believe it if you want to, but please stop piling on HCR as if he had any say in any of these “judicial decisions”.

    Have you ever heard of this: When you assume, you make an ASS of U and ME…

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  4. They will obviously go after Capriles after they finish MCM.

    Maduro et caterva will neutralize all opposition leaders who may represent a “threat” to the status quo in the dark days that are coming of ever-deteriorating economic outlook due to extremely low oil prices.

    The government is being so hostile not because they feel strong, but because they are feeling vulnerable. And a leaderless and confused opposition is everything they need.

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    • It is obvious that the electoral path is going to wear thin very soon so they have to change it in their favor.

      If they don’t eliminate the multipartisan electoral system in venezuela they are going to lose sooner or later.

      Their objetive is the irreversibility

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  6. This is a very interesting conundrum for Chavismo. Jailing MCM, albeit on trumped-up unsubstantiated charges, is not a win-win for them. She is a woman, for which there is sympathy in Venezuelan culture. The Opposition, even most Ni-Ni’s, will be strongly against this, as well as virtually all unbiased international opinion. And, what is gained?–Surely not the elimination of a possible anti-Govt. street leader, but only of a very vocal anti-Govt. Oppo member without a massive following. .

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    • “…only of a very vocal anti-Govt. Oppo member without a massive following.”
      I believe that the fact that Capriles won the prime elections in 2012 is no excuse to treat the other candidates as “radical wackos who nobody will listen”, that’s as absurd as trying to use the election’s results like Capriles himself once did against Diego Arria to try to counter his arguments, claiming that “every opposition voter voted for me in the last elections, and nobody voted for you, so I’m right and you’re wrong”

      “…a possible anti-Govt. street leader…”
      LL and her showed their support to the massive (And maligned) street protests this year, and she’s been “kicking streets (pateando calle)” for some time until now, so I have to disagree with you in trying to pin her as another “speech warrior” who doesn’t bother to go take the message “door to door”.

      I see this more as a precise strike to neutralize her, be it through intimidation or if they feel really desperate, imprisoning her, after all, a good chunk of chavista base are actually that stupid that they believe she was directly guilty for the Amuay refinery tragedy (which the corpse mocked by saying “the show must go on”).

      “She is a woman, for which there is sympathy in Venezuelan culture”
      Venezuelan culture is roughly half of the people sympathetic towards women, while the other half are as chauvinist as fucking talibans, and would be more than pleased to see that the “stupid hysterical dick-craving-slut” would be finally “getting what she deserves for defying the macho vernáculo chavismo”

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      • Ralph, you obviously don’t live in Venezuela, and, if you did, your ridiculous comments/arguments, which do not merit a response, would be even more ridiculous.

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        • Seems like I touched a nerve there.

          “…you obviously don’t live in Venezuela”
          Typical absurd response that tries to “nullify” what I said without even thinking an argument, I DO live in Venezuela, in fact, I haven’t been outside Venezuela not even for a single minute in my entire life, if that bothers you.

          “…your ridiculous comments/arguments, which do not merit a response, would be even more ridiculous.”
          Care to explain? ‘Cause if you wanna put me in the same sack that every hysterical blind chavista, you’ve got to have a reason to reach that conclusion.

          Which part of what I said hurt your pride, huh? Saying that Capriles used the “I got more votes than you” excuse to dismiss Arria’s arguments? Or was when I said that MCM has actually tried to take a message directly to people, even risking her life in the process, debunking your fallacy about that “nobody follows her”? Or did it hurt you so much when I stated that this is merely a “bill pass” because chavistas are childish assholes who can only think in screwing someone else to feel better about their own lives? Or maybe it was reading that there exist machistas in Venezuela that could put talibans to shame in terms of sheer stupidity, that just want to get payback at MCM because she’s a woman?

          ¿Te la pongo en español para que lo entiendas mejor?

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    • Against it or not, what can anyone do? Everyone is scared of the GNB. There is no justice for anyone. If not for Lopez and Machado, what do you think will happen to the regular person in the street….. and they are trying to boost tourism?

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  8. The regime threat against MCM appears to have backfired in the sense thats its rallied the whole opposition arround her in a very direct and conspicous way , its had important press coverage and the evidence is bound to be so flimsy or transparently made up that international voices are bound to make her case a world class scandal . Does the govt really win anything by doing this !! maybe the threat is meant to impress the regimes own followers on how vigilant and aggresive it is, perhaps in order to offset some regime concession elsewhere or to distract attention fromn some other worsening news .

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    • This regime has proven to be chess player type.

      No action is taken without thinking though scenarios and alternatives.
      Timing is also key. Weeks before the Christmas spell kicks in and people go into increased avoidance levels, they play this move.

      MC has upped the ante by staying the course and raising the stakes,

      The regime now has to weight in to take her in and risk the price (international pressure only IMO), or back down, spin the prepared script (yada, yada, yada, we are keeping an eye on all the motherland traitors….) and wait.

      God knows what kind of threats and psychological attacks MCM and crew maybe suffering at this time in closed doors!

      Mujer Valiente carajo.
      Mi admiracion, carino y respeto por ella y su equipo/causa.

      LuisF

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  9. Reuters is reporting that she was indicted.

    Released pending trial? I figure what they really want is for her to leave Venezuela. Maybe the strategy is let her free and then give the Chavistas free reign to harass her until she throws in the towel and leaves…?

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  11. International support will come from everyone but the current presidents of the south, and sadly, that could really send a message to Maduro.
    But they didn’t do it with Leopoldo, and they won’t do it with MCM. Even now with the oil prices hitting low and with the probability that less barrels will be gifted to them, they’ll be mum on the subject.
    Maduro won’t lose any sleep over NGOs, the UN, and the US denouncing her incarceration. It’ll just give him another opportunity to say it’s further proof that MCM is the empire’s pawn.
    Quico and Juan called it after Chavez’s death: With no charisma and no petrodollars, the iron fist is the only tool left for these guys.

    MCM is a hell of a woman. May she and Leopoldo come out of this even stronger.

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  12. If MCM can remain free on charges of magnicidio and whatnot else, surely that demonstrates that there is no basis for Leopoldo Lopez’s pretrial incarceration?

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  13. Wait a minute… Art 132 of the Venezuelan Penal Code says that “to defame the president” is equivalent to conspiring against the Republic??? Cosas veredes, Sancho…

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  14. “You can be charged with conspiring for “defaming” the President, or “threatened the peace.””

    Surely, this would apply to that collectivo group who called Diosdado and Maduro murderers and called for their ouster by force?

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    • Remember that for chavistas, the laws are just cudgels to bludgeon the enemies of involution, just like spoiled children, that throw hissy fits whenever they want attention.

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  15. Gender is a critical issue. Venezuela has a military gov’t that governs by force. El Presidente is always surrounded by tough looking soldiers. Even Maduro’s tall heavy stature is used threateningly.

    For Maduro to show fear of a women would destroy the Chavistas image. Showing fear of MCM by locking her up in jail would make Chavista’s even more laughable.

    Will they impose restrictions on MCM’s public speaking? This is what they really want.

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    • I agree, the taliban machismo here is at work, they want to hit her harder because she’s a defiant woman that stays too far from the “ideal new woman” the chavismo wants.

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    • It’s worth remembering that a rule restricting speech is unconstitutional, even if imposed on one person only.

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      • But the involution can’t be stopped by “leguleyerías” like that silly “bicha” constitution! D: I mean, you’re asking for one person to cover and silence and ruin all the involution! Dx

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