Intimidation moves to Venezuela's airports
By Aleksander Boyd
DISIP filming us in Maturin's airport
Caracas 20.11.06 | Much has been said over the years about political prosecution in Venezuela. Not many days ago Miguel wrote a post about discrimination and fascism, now I will give my impressions. For the most part of the last 6 weeks I have travelled around Venezuela. One aspect that caught my attention the first time I flew in Rosales' plane was DISIP officers -political police- waiting in the tarmac, digital camera in hand, ready to take pictures or film all arriving passengers. Upset by this clearly intimidatory tactic I asked one of them the other day why were they taking pictures and what use such photographs were given. He replied that the order from above was that all arriving passengers were to be photographed. His reply was pure bullshit; as we were leaving the tarmac a commercial flight landed but no passenger was hassled by DISIP's photographers. So I asked again and the guy said "only private flight's passengers need be identified."
On Friday Manuel Rosales was due to arrive in Maracay but instead air controllers ordered the plane to go to Valencia, therefore his appearance was delayed more than two hours as he had to travel by road from Valencia to Maracay at rush hour.
In Maracaibo airport official staff keep delaying Rosales's plane take offs on absurd arguments: the latest was to have asked the captain where was the forest survival equipment for without it no plane could flight in Venezuela.
Additionaly one million Mi Negra cards -to be delivered to as many Venezuelans around the country- have not been released by custom officials in the port of La Guaira in spite of the fact that all duties and charges have been paid. The authorities responsible to release the cargo from customs have 'forgotten' to do so.
These examples clearly point out at the sheer desperation of the Chavez regime. The mileage that these intimation tactics can get an incumbent is limited for the more the hassle the greater the determination to rid this country of Chavez and his thuggish claque.
send this article to a friend >>