On January 9, hospital staff told Brito’s daughter, who was visiting him, that he was being taken for therapy. She says that they sedated him before taking him away. His family was not allowed to visit him the following days. Two days later, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on the Venezuelan government to allow him visits as well as access and treatment from a doctor of his choice [es], or one provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross. That request was not granted by Venezuelan government. A similar request from the Caracas Psychology Bar was also ignored [es].

(Watch video of the press conference conducted by relatives of Brito and human rights organizations calling for his release from the military custody / Spanish )

Brito began his protest in 2006 against a decision by the Insituto Nacional de Tierras (National Land Institute), a national government office, which said that his lands were unproductive, a charge that Brito denied. The Institute ordered the confiscation of his lands. Some believe that the decision was a reprisal for corruption allegations he made against the Mayor of the nearby city of Sucre. His protests since then have included several hunger strikes. Even though the central government eventually returned ownership of the disputed lands and offered him compensation, the authorities failed to evict a group of people who have been occupying his land, leading Brito to begin his most recent hunger strike.

Brito's hunger strike has been a topic of discussion Twitter, under the hashtag #FranklinBrito. An orthodontist, Eloy Bustamante @eloybc, who examined Brito in the military hospital on January 19 tweeted:

Odontológicamente muy comprometido. Sistemicamente esta un poco mejor. Es un señor con mucha entereza. No tiene rastros de enfermedad mental

The Twitter user @radardebarrios also wrote about and took a photograph of the protests outside the hospital where Brito was being attended to:

Hace minutos. Dirigentes d barrios de Caracas protestan frente al Hospital Militar en solidaridad con Franklin Brito! http://tweetphoto.com/9214426

On January 16, Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action for Brito urging the authorities to reveal his whereabouts and to guarantees his safety, as well as to respect his wishes to be attended to by a doctor his choice.

Since then, Brito's wife Elena started her own hunger striker and took part in a demonstration on January 23, while seated in a wheelchair.

Photo of Elena Brito at demonstration courtesy of Brito and Habla Venezuela.

Documents about Brito's case can be found on the blog Prohibido Olvidar [es] (Forbidden to Forget).

In another twist to the story, the Public Prosecutor's Office stated that Brito was mentally ill and unable to make his own decisions. The case is regarded as an application of a popular doctrine among some government supporters, who label those who are strongly critical of the administration of Hugo Chavez, as psychotic (”disociados”) [es].

The matter is openly stated in Colofon [es], a blog written by Rodolfo, a journalist and human rights activist:

Rondaba por allí de vez en cuando cuando algunos inistían en llamarlos disociados pero con el caso de Franklin Brito que fue capturado de su huelga de hambre y trasladado a un hospital militar para luego ser llevado al área de siquiatría la tendencia se ha confirmado. Ahora el gobierno al que proteste, al que se le oponga lo considera un enfermo mental.

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Hola papi, me dijeron que eres un becado tarifado que vendió la patria por unos dólares. ¿Por qué hiciste eso, papá? Si sigues en eso me voy a tener que ir con el señor que me dio el chismecito el otro día. Dice que tengo que aprender a cruzar la calle y no hablar con extraños ¿Por qué eres tan malito papá? No te quiero ya

Hi, daddy, someone told me that you are a hired mercenary who sold out the motherland for a few dollars. Why did you do that, dad? If you keep doing it I will have to go with the man, who told me that little piece of gossip the other day. He says that I need to learn to cross the street and not to talk to strangers. Why are you so bad dad? I do not love you anymore.

The above note was given to a nine-year old boy at his school . His dad is Venezuelan journalist Roger Santodomingo, who until a week ago, was Noticiero Digital´s chief information editor. Noticiero Digital [ES] is portal that collects articles published on Venezuelan newspapers, includes a few blogs written by well-known journalists, and features online forums open to participation from anyone who wishes. Most of Noticiero Digital´s visitors are attracted to such forums in which Venezuelan politics is discussed without any kind of moderation. Noticiero Digital´s forum participants tend to hold extreme political positions, mostly against President Chávez’ government.

Because of the extreme positions held by ND forum participants, the portal has been signaled by pro-Chávez media as a vehicle for promoting a U.S.-funded conspiracy against the Venezuelan government. Santodomingo—as well as several other Venezuelan journalists—has been labeled as CIA agents for pro-Chávez media, including news-shows broadcasted by the national public TV, even though no official charges have been made by the Prosecutor's office (Fiscalía de la República) , which opened the case on May 28 responding to an accusation presented by the Minister of Communication and Information. After his son was given the quoted note, Santodomingo resigned from his position at ND. Nonetheless, early in the morning on this past Wednesday, his family van was set on fire while parked in front of his house. Police are still investigating whether the fire started accidentally or whether it was set intentionally.

RomRod [ES] was among the first Venezuelan bloggers to post on the issue,

Roger ha recibido innumerables acusaciones de traición, de fascista y de vendido “al imperio” por parte de la prensa oficialista y por el programa este de “La Hojilla”. Ingredientes muy necesarios para convertir a Roger en un blanco fácil. Lo que se persigue es callarlo y creo que lo van a lograr. Porque nadie en su sano juicio pone a su familia en riesgo cuando las cosas llegan a estos extremos. Roger se convierte en blanco fácil de oficialistas radicales porque no les gusta su estilo ni el medio donde hasta hace poco trabajaba. También se convierte en blanco fácil de opositores radicales que estudian la posibilidad de convertirlo en víctima de este gobierno para seguir apuntalando la estrategia esta de que acá no hay libertad de expresión.

Y no la hay. Porque en un ambiente tan caldeado, tan lleno de amenazas de lado y lado, ¿quién tiene los cojones para ponerse a ejercer plenamente la libertad de expresión?

Roger has received countless accusations of being a traitor, fascist, and a sell-out to “the Empire” [*chavistas call United States “the Empire”] from the pro-government press and the TV show “La Hojilla”. Necessary ingredients to make Roger an easy target. What they are looking for is to shut him up and I believe they will accomplish that, because nobody in his right mind will leave his family at risk when things go this far. Roger is now an easy target for pro-government radicals because they do not like his style or the media where he worked until little time ago. Also, he is an easy target for opposition radicals who may look for the opportunity to make him a victim of this government to fuel that strategy of saying that there is not freedom of speech here.And there is no (freedom of speech). Because with such a heated environment, so full of threats from side to side, who will have the balls to keep exercising complete freedom of speech?

EnigmasExPress [ES], a popular blog written by a journalist who uses a pseudonym, conjectures that the attack may have come from fascist Venezuelans, who will try to charge the government for it. Khandika claims that what happens is a consequence of the vanishing of journalism ethics in Venezuela, a situation in which he considers that Roger Santodomingo does not come clean.

In K-minos [ES], Kira Kariakin writes a more personal comment about the case,

Conozco a Roger y su esposa Faitha desde tiempos de estudiantes, me consta como a todos quienes les conocen en el medio que ambos hicieron carrera mordiendo calle y escribiendo con talento, dedicación y profesionalismo, haciendo periodismo escrito y audiovisual en medios de Caracas y el interior, y ahora una cuerda de violentos decide que hay que aterrorizarlos con amenazas sobre su hijo para callarles la boca porque no les gusta lo que dicen o el medio en el que trabajan.

I met Roger and his wife Faitha at the time when we were students. I know for sure, as well as anyone from the press who is acquaintanted with them that they both made a career hitting the streets and writing with talent, perseverance, and professionalism in print and audiovisual journalism in Caracas and in the interior. And now a crowd of violent people decide to terrorize them by threatening their son in order to close their mouths because they do not like what they say or the media in which they work.

Zinnia Martínez, a digital journalism college professor, opines about Noticiero Digital

Las opiniones, comentarios y sobretodo el aporte de los miles de comentaristas siempre me ha parecido bastante radical, encendido y en muchos casos demasiado ofensivo para mi gusto, y entiendo que es una especie de contraparte de Aporrea.org de la oposición venezolana.
(…)
Una cosa son los locos desatados escupiendo sus odios en un foro digital y otra muy distinta es amenazar a un periodista y su familia por administrar el foro.

Opinions, commentaries and above all contributions from the participants seemed always fairly radical, fierce and sometimes too offensive for my taste. I understand that it is sort of a counterpart for Aporrea.org of Venezuelan opposition.
(… However) one thing is someone crazed spitting their hate over in an online forum, and another very different thing is threatening a journalist and his family for administering that forum.

Rodolfo, another blogger/journalist argues,

Uno de los ejemplos más citados del periodismo ciudadano OhMynews es también uno de los que tiene mayor moderación pues si bien las informaciones son aportadas o directamente escritas por ciudadanos pasan antes de ser publicadas por el tamiz de un grupo de periodistas que contrasta, corrobora y revisa.

No creo que hacer algo parecido sea autocensura sino responsabilidad. No le estás quitando el derecho a la gente a que informe u opine pero la metes en un marco de referencia para que la información sirva para algo.

One of the most cited examples of citizen journalism, OhmyNews is also one of the more highly moderated because although the information is provided or directly written by citizens, before the pieces get published they are filtered by a group of journalists that contrast, verify and revise. I don’t believe that doing something like that is self-censorship but responsibility. One will not be restricting the people’s right to inform or opine but given framework in order to make information helpful.

In the Roger Santodomingo Blog [ES], at Noticiero Digital, Luis Carlos (GV author, by the way) claims,

Si de verdad quieres potenciar las herramientas participativas del periodismo ciudadano y generar alguna arquitectura de publicaciones independientes con criterio informativo, deberías plantearte el cambio a modelos como el OhMyNews, Bottup.com o DiarioMédico, donde se pide que para participar, la gente se identifique.
(…)
Insisto, es un vórtice voraz esto del anonimato concentrado en un portal. Por eso Noticiero Digital puede estar incluso alimentando la hoguera de la conflictividad ciudadana en el país. Y ya viste que a pesar de las maravillas diarias del flujo informativo, también trae consecuencias nefastas
(…)

If you really want to boost the participative tools of citizen journalism and generate some sort of independent publications architecture with informative criteria, you need to switch to models such as OhmyNews, Bottup.com or DiarioMédico, where identification is required in order to be allowed to participate.
(…)
I insist anonymity in a web portal is an avid vortex. Because of that, Noticiero Digital can even be adding fuel to the fire of civil conflict in the country. And you already saw that besides the daily wonder of the information flow, it also brings damaging consequences.

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This election will be the most polarized in Venezuelan history. Mass media are clearly part of the political confrontation, and news-programs have become partisan rather than informative. A large system of government owned media is serving Chávez’ reelection campaign, while most private owned media tend to give better coverage to Rosales.

Even though most polls suggest that Chávez will win the elections, a few pollsters are projecting a Rosales victory at the last minute. The range of poll numbers goes from those giving Chávez 25 points up to those giving Rosales 10 points up. Nothing is sure about what will happen at the evening of December 3. Rumors (and jokes) about electoral fraud or violence from supporters of whoever gets defeated are widespread.

In this complex situation, Venezuelan bloggers have organized citizen’s coverage for this presidential election. All posts about the elections are being aggregated is the directory Elecciones 3D.

Bloggers participating in Elecciones 3D — like the rest of Venezuelans — are divided among Chávez´ supporters, opposition supporters, and political skeptics. Nonetheless, they all share a sincere interest in pursuing what they think is best for Venezuela. There is a lot of debate about political positions, polls, and news, as well as personal stories related to the campaign.

Maléfica told his view of the last day of electoral campaign in Caracas' downtown:

Ayer ví a grupos oficialistas con tarantines llenos de afiches en Parque Central mientras que simpatizantes de Rosales se acercaban al grito de ¡Atrévete! como en una suerte de reto, para después desaparecer y volver frente a otro tarantín rojo.
(…)
También observé algo que podemos llamar Turismo Electoral porque era un grupo de gringuitos blancos, flacos y desgarbados (seguramente de los que adoran experimentos de la izquierda, pero fuera de USA) que andaban con simpatizantes del gobierno, inclusive algunos con franelas rojas (una amiga dice que esos son votantes con cédula venezolana, habrá que preguntarles a ver si saben lo que es una hallaca).

The voting centers were set up between Thursday and Friday. Several bloggers were selected for being members of the polls. This civic duty is assigned by lottery to citizens registered to vote. Several bloggers are going to be members of the voting centers, and they already started to report about the process.

Crónicas de Zeitan posted how he became Elections Table President, since the official President did not show up. Zeitan also describes irregularities found when receiving the voting supplies, such as missing the safety seal, the procedures norms, and the fingerprint ink. However, Zeitan wrote that members of the Republic Plan [military personnel working on the election process] assured that the ink will be provided by Sunday. No much to be done about the other problems.

Zeitan also remarked:

Mi centro de votación lo veo Sangre AZUL, observe gente de la oposición coordinando las cosas mas no presencie a nadie del comando Miranda. El personal del CNE brillo por su ausencia, solo estaban los operadores de las maquinas (…).

Kareta told a similar story. She also became Elections Table President since the official President was absent. In her voting center a security seal, fingerprint ink, and norms were also missing. Apparently, this missing material is a widespread problem, since the same is reported from voting centers at different states.

A real boom of elections posts is capturing the Venezuelan blogosphere as more bloggers became involved in Elections 3D. There is a lot of excitement about this citizen media experience. In a sort of lyrical manifesto, Enigma ExPress preached that the Elections 3D experience is truly a TAZ (Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism)

¿De qué se trata, en el fondo, la idea de Periodismo de Paz y To2Blog.com/elecciones3D? Pues de una red de información. Negocio prohibido.
Un proceso de combustión espóntánea que surgió de la tribu electrónica venezolana.
Cohesionados en su momento pero sin compromiso de duración y exclusividad.

Entiendan esto, teóricamente se supone, tenemos más poder en este instante y por casi 48 horas, entiéndase bien, más poder que la television, la radio y la prensa para decir cualquier cosa. Sin límite.

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The most typical reaction among Venezuelan bloggers has been to criticize Ramírez for breaking the separation between state and government (and political party) by compelling state workers to behave as activists for the President’s party.

Periodismo de Paz fully articulates that type of position,

Y lamentablemente, parece que de verdad me merezco unos carajazos por creer que Estado y Gobierno son dos cosas distintas. Y que no hace falta que alguien diga “Venezuela es de todos” sino que debe hacerse de todos, porque de los pobres todavía no es.

EnigmasExPress—one of the Venezuela’s most popular bloggers—opines that opposition leaders should “go to hell” since they did the same when they were in charge of PDVSA.

Lo mismo que están haciendo las altas esferas de poder con PDVSA es sencillamente lo mismo que hicieron en su momento las otras altas esferas de poder, que utilizaron dicho organismo como punto central para desgraciar el país con aquella nefasta huelga.

(Note: He is making reference to the Dec. 2002- Feb. 2003 oil workers strike)

Open support to Ramírez’ partisan speech is not to be missed. Blogger Luigino Bracci— linked to the pro-Chávez’ group Aporrea — gives a standing ovation to the controversial speech. In fact, Bracci is so proud of PDVSA becoming red (Chávez’ party color) that he was the one uploading the video to YouTube, for the world to watch the call to partisanship and exclusion of political independents from the national oil company.

es un discurso que aplaudo de pie, y lo hoy iniciado es una clara advertencia de que los bolivarianos están en pie de guerra y no permitirán que la empresa se embochinche, como en 2002.

Of course, other chavistas are a little bit more critical. Zona de Conflicto [ES] argues that the Ramírez’ speech is one event marked by a trend to exclude the Other that is becoming dominant in Venezuelan politics. Zona de Conflicto [ES] also highlights another event from the opposition side that shows similar intention —although maybe with a milder tone: a recent Rosales interview with a Miami TV station in which the opposition candidate labeled people who make their living totally from state social welfare without working (although they are physically capable for work) as “parasites.”

El acto a puertas cerradas del ministro petrolero Rafael Ramírez con su séquito de gerentes para invocar, de diversos modos y maneras, el apoyo que los hombres de la industria deben darle al presidente Chávez, en un panorama y escenario en el que no caben ni la oposición, ni los light ni los ni-ni. Otro evento que, al cambiar de contexto, gracias a la toma secreta de uno de los presentes, se convierte en un suceso obsceno, en el que se expone, claramente, la voluntad de colorear de un solo color, en rojo, a todo el Estado venezolano.

The closed door meeting of oil minister Rafael Ramírez with his court of managers to call, in diverse modes and manners, the support of the people of the industry must be given to President Chávez, in a landscape and scenario in which there is no place for opposition, nor light [moderate chavistas], nor political independents. It is another event which, taken out of context thanks to a secret recording from one the persons in the audience, becomes an obscene deed, in which, the will to paint the whole Venezuelan state a single color, red, is clearly exposed.

Another former Chavista Venezuelan blogger is even more critical. Vicente remarks,

Admito que hice el ridículo, que Chávez deshizo todas las promesas que en aquella época dijo garantizar (de no reelegirse más de dos veces, de tolerar a la oposición, etc.) y que, como bien señalas, vamos hacia un sistema de partido único y exclusión del pensamiento disidente.

The episode allows some bloggers to qualify Chávez’ government with a word that most Venezuelans prefer to avoid when debating publicly about chavismo: dictatorship. The politically moderate Catholic blog, Caracas y Dios says,

Las pruebas están a la vista de todos; no son decentes, ni honestos, ni responsables; son delincuentes; así se les llama a los que viola la ley una y otra vez; y cuando esto se hace desde el poder destruyendo las condiciones fundamentales de la democracia, se les llama DICTADORES.

For a one-stop shop of favor and against arguments visit the collective blog, En Diálogo (”In Dialogue”).

[The English translation of Ramírez’ speech can be read here]

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Chilean conservative bloggers writing at El Rincón de Michelle [ES] agree that the treaty should be regarded as evidence of Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez being “a latent threat to the Southern countries”.

On the contrary, participants in the discussion at El Morrocotudo- a citizen daily from Arica - disregard conservative reactions as exaggerations. Ignacio Lozano points out that the polemic may have the goal of weakening Venezuela’s aims of obtaining a seat at the UN Security Council (about such issue listen to the Reporte Duna / podcast [ES]). Emanuel González highlights that the amount of investment on weapons by Chile and Perú is higher than what Bolivia is planning to invest.

Chile a gastado en armamentos alrededor de 3,000 millones de dolares ultimamente, Peru se dispone a gastar 600 millones de Dolares y nos vamos a preocupar por que Bolivia va gastar 50 millones de dolares? (sic)

Certainly, Venezuela will fund $49 million to build two military bases in Bolivia: Puerto Quijaro (in Paraguay’s border) and El Prado (in Brazil’s border). Nonetheless, the treaty will be expanded to 24 border military facilities, although not all of them are exactly military bases but rather mere soldiers’ lodging units.

The Brujo Político from Perú guesses that the true goal of the military treaty between Venezuela and Bolivia may be “to repress popular struggles that, should they continue, could mean checkmate for Evo Morales’ government” [“reprimir las causas populares que de continuar creciendo pondrían en jaque al gobierno de Evo Morales”].

Brujo Político [ES] supports his guesses on the series of conflicts in Bolivia throughout October, among which the Huanuni clash is paramount. In that mining town at the region of Oruro, mining laborers and mining cooperative members clashed for the right to operate a tin mine. The clash resulted in 16 deaths and at least 78 persons injured. This Bolivian crisis has involved a civil strike demanding that the new constitution must be approved by two thirds of the Constitutional Assembly, demonstrations by the coca farmers, rumors about a conspiracy for a coup against Evo Morales and threats of civil war.

Bolivia-Eclipse (from Utopia island at the Bolivian sea) maintains that:

Ver a Bolivia como posible agresor es un despropósito total: Bolivia es el país más pobre de Sudamérica, tiene una población muy reducida en relación a todos sus vecinos (excepto Paraguay), y no tiene las condiciones económicas, políticas, militares ni sociales para representar una amenaza militar para países como Perú, Chile o Paraguay.

Nonetheless, Bolivia Eclipse asks what the benefits for the Bolivian people are and which are the concrete goals of this military treaty.

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Rausseo got extensive TV coverage for his announcement to run for President, much more than any other presidential candidate so far. His campaign is taking advantage of the Internet, and includes a weblog, an online forum, and a network of bloggers for Er’ Conde.

Chorro de Escape highlights the Conde’s efforts devoted to gain support from internet users, especially from bloggers, and the “tsunami” in favor of the comedian aspirations.

No se si me equivoco, pero primera vez que un candidato presidencial se ocupa tanto de la gente que esta en internet, especialmente de nosostros los blogeros y la respuesta que ha recibido ha sido “un tsunami” como dijo el, muchisimos blogs ya se estan uniendo, los medios lo estan apoyando muchisimo, porque el Conde ahora tiene mucho que decir.

Topochoblog compiled a large list of bloggers’ reactions to Rausseo’s Presidential aspirations.

Many bloggers show enthusiasm with Er’Conde, like Lilibeth who says,

Entre tanto desbarajuste político yo prefiero morir de Risa que morir de hambre y miseria!

Not without some embarrassment, some bloggers say that they may end up voting for Rausseo. Regardless, Venezuelan politics has become a slapstick comedy.

The second most popular reaction is cynicism.

los políticos venezolanos, sin haber estado jamás en un escenario, suelen dar más risa que er Conde, aunque es una risa agria.

On the contrary, Chavista bloggers are having a big laugh, like Alex who says, “this is the funniest episode of Venezuelan political history.”

Lobo Hombre gave another twist to the case. He argues that Rausseo is unraveling the absurdity of VEnezuelan politics.

Lo que el conde está haciendo acá (repito: genialmente) es poner de manifiesto en nuestra propia cara lo ridículas, viscerales e irreflexivas que son nuestras posturas políticas

Maybe, Lobohombre is right.

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The following article addresses five questions asked by university faculty member and digital journalism advocate, Zinnia Martínez, in her weblog, Periodismo Interactivo.

The questions were the following:

• How journalism has been incorporated into Venezuelan blogosphere?

• What Venezuelan blogosphere add to Venezuelan journalism?

• Do you think that journalism can be practiced in the blogosphere without being a journalist? (Translator note: In Venezuela, college graduates on journalism have to affiliate to a professional bar in order to be lawfully allowed to practice that profession)

• Are Venezuelan journalists ready for undertaking the blogosphere routines and to take part in blogosphere conversations?

• What you think would happen if online Venezuelan newspapers integrate weblogs into their websites?

All over the world, journalism as a technique has been incorporated almost unconsciously into blogging, partially because bloggers have made journalism’s discourse structures their own, since they tend to be customarily information consumers—some of them passionate and compulsive. Nonetheless, blogging overcomes the rigid over-simplicity of journalism by adding the stylistic powerfulness of “oral tales” and friends’ conversations. In addition, the best weblogs incorporate the resources of linking, referencing, quoting as well as pictures and graphics. Thus, they present a new public language, which excels the journalistic language. We are talking about the best weblogs of course. There are others… better not to talk about.

The Venezuelan blogosphere does not contribute anything to Venezuelan journalism. It does not contribute anything because the blogosphere and the press are on parallel tracks. Bloggers take input from mass media, when they want to do so. They do not give anything back, because those who could benefit from their contributions prefer to stay inside a tank sealed against innovation.

Journalism is a trade that is developed in the practice. Therefore, those who do journalism via blogging can call themselves journalists. Professional certification is not a requirement for an independent journalist—either in the blogosphere or in the grassroots media—; although, professional certification may be still needed in private and government-run mass media as a labor rights safeguard, as well as a quality control mechanism on behalf of news-consumers. In the blogosphere, professional status is not necessary because the trade is being performed independently without the supervision from a business owner and there are not vulnerable clients to be protected but conversation partners. Professional training is necessary in this—as well as any other—milieu, but such training can be obtained by self-study. Credentials are optional.

In general, Venezuelan journalists are not ready for participation in the blogging movement. They lack the technical skills, and predisposition toward plural and horizontal dialogue. They lack interest.

Cadena Global gives us an example of what will happen if big mass media incorporate weblogs into their websites: Nothing will happen. Few read it, nobody links, almost none comment.

This conversation is also taking place in the following weblogs:

• Zona de conflicto
• Periodismo Interactivo
• Periodismo de Paz
• EquinoXio (Colombian collective blogzine)

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Rayas y palabras highlights the ability to lead democratic dialogue as the main characteristic that differentiates Petkoff from President Chávez, who leans toward authoritarianism. According to HLP’s judgement, both leaders are not far apart regarding their approach to social policy.

Blog de RomRod points out that Petkoff’s major drawback is his lack of electoral machinery to reach the poor neighborhoods where Chávez’s personal appeal penetrates.

UnoConTodo claim that Petkoff’s candidacy generated hysteria among chavistas. Nonetheless, pro-Chávez blogs have been only copying and pasting a few articles from other pro-government sites in which Petkoff is labeled as neoliberal and accused of being an IMF agent. The best pro-Chávez blogs, such as El espacio de Lubrio are avoiding the topic of the country's most famous guerilla fighter, Teodoro Petkoff, running for President.

The strongest criticisms against Petkoff come from abstentionists, who characterize the socialist democratic leader as a Trojan horse, infiltrated by chavismo in order to break the opposition boycott against the elections. Meanwhile, libertarian bloggers regard Petkoff—as well as the others presidential candidates — as Little Chávez, populists, who are not going to promote the country's economic development.

English posts that contain "Teodoro Petkoff" per day for the last 30 days.


~

tag: Venezuela - 2006 Presidential Elections / Teodoro Petkoff

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Peace Journalism brought to us this week a post about the political polarization on the Internet and citizen-information Venezuelan blogs. Relentlessly optimistic the young journalist says:

thanks to the majority being prone toward dialogue, bigger and better spaces for tolerance, inclusion, or at least acknowledging (…) of the other are being built.

Just two days ago, the counter-information machine that is Enigmas Express criticized English language blogs on Venezuelan politics, regarding them as subliminal warfare. The mythic Khandika was responding to a post regarding VCrisis, Venezuela News and Views, The Devil´s Excrement, Caracas’ Chronicles and PBMcomments as the Venezuelan political blogosphere vanguard.

Today, a popular Venezuelan newspaper, Últimas Noticias published a full page ad in which those very same blogs are accused of being part of an Anglo-Venezuelan conspiracy against Chávez´government.

The reactions from the bloggers involved:

Anglo-Venezuelan Connection Unite!

Open Threat

NAOR Never

The Mysterious David Duquenal

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A Berkeley student recounts her journey across Caracas’ city parks and surrounding natural reserve parks in what turned to be a camp on the move. Ten Bard College students co-authoring a collective blog coined the word (dis)organization to summarize the event’s pitfalls.

A Muslim blogger points out different opinions among attendees about Venezuelan government intervention in the Forum. The issue is related to the critical debate focused on the WSF's future path of political action agenda-setting, critical debate forum, or civil society meet up.

Latin American bloggers attending the event have been less vocal about criticisms, and more focused on praising the workshops and roundtables they have attended. Bloggers connected to the open source and the free software movements are excited about the Troll Party held in the Forum. Venezuelan blogger Luigino Bracci opines that the government agency in charge of promoting the usage of free software in Venezuela should follow this path, and hold similar events to disseminate the advantages of open source software among common people.

A group of Venezuelan bloggers against state intervention of the economy and welfare policies opened a blog devoted to report “grudgingly” about the deeds of the lefties attending the WSF. Meanwhile, US bloggers who are not attending the Forum are buzzing about Cindy Sheehan’s participation in an anti-war demonstration.

The odd piercings and tattoos that a person can get in Caracas are creating a fun side at the WSF. Venezuelan bloggers also report on a never-ending series of parties for both Forum goers and protesters.

The tragicomic note is brought by foreign Chávez's supporters wanting their picture to be taken mocking up the act of firing guns at Puente Llaguno, the place in which more than dozen of Venezuelans were killed when an opposition demonstration attempted to go to the government house to call for president Chávez's resignation on April 2003.

In any case, the Forum attendees appear to be gaining a lot from the discussions going on in Caracas. As one of the Bard College’s students says, “awareness is a revolution in itself, all else follows directly.”

Tags: Foro Social Mundial | World Social Forum

Written by Iria Puyosa · comments (2)
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Written by Iria Puyosa · comments (0)
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The WSF is the expression of a new way of doing politics. People—the youngest as well as the historical fighters still fighting— are increasingly aware of politics going beyond simple party or parliament representation. They want to get involved in changing their own reality and the world, everyday and not only once in a while at elections time. I think that left parties must understand this logic as a positive trend of emancipation. Nonetheless, there is resistance. Those who bet to monopolize the representation and attempt to control the Forum are there.

So explains Antonio Martins (ES), of the International Ciranda of Independent Information, which is linked to the World Social Forum.

The Sixth World Social Forum has just started amidst controversy (ES) about parties’ interference, squabbling for public funds, militarism, and factionalism. However, Periodismo para la paz (ES) (Journalism for Peace) argues that discussion about such controversies can wait. The WSF days are for talking with others who have been working on the same issues, making a difference, and helping to make another world possible.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Caracas has understood the enormous potential for building social networks and starting partnerships that can arise in the WSF. There are a lot of people still grieving because they won’t be able to go out naked to have their picture taken by Spencer Tunick. Others are simply excited because Richard Stallman (ES), leader of the free software movement, is in Venezuela.

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Pro-government Aporrea blog is the only weblog publishing news about the WSF everyday. Most of such entries are quotations from the government news agency ABN. Meanwhile, the anarchist blog, Colectivo La Libertad is covering news about the Alternative Social Forum, that will be hosted by anarchist collectives in Venezuela the very same week of the WSF. Reste@dos is publishing notes about both the WSF and the Alternative Forum agendas.

The feeling among Venezuelan bloggers is that sixth WSF may not be authentically representative of the Porto Alegre spirit since military officers and presidential bodyguards are expected to take control of all the Forum facilities. Thus, the humble Alternative gathering is seen as more suitable for social-minded people to share ideas without “pledging fidelity” to the Venezuelan president.

The only activity related to the WSF that is catching the attention of Venezuelan bloggers is the open invite to be part of a naked crowd standing to be photographed by Spencer Tunick. At least twelve Venezuelan bloggers swear they will be there.

Tags: Foro Social Mundial World Social Forum

Written by Iria Puyosa · comments (15)
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