So... Things just escalated in Venezuela.

[Vitalius]

Post at Caracas Chronicles. [WARNING: Graphic images and video in the article]

 

Tonight, Venezuela is seeing a spasm of violence that’s unlike anything the country has experienced since 1989. Information is fragmented, since an almost complete media black-out is in place, but you don’t need the media to hear your neighbor’s screams.

 

Caracas, Valencia, Merida and San Cristobal in particular have become virtual war zones: National Guard units and National Police have been shooting tear gas canisters and buckshot sometimes directly at protesters, sometimes into residential buildings and, raiding any place they think student protesters may be hiding. Alongside them, the government backed colectivos (basically paramilitary gangs on motorbikes, a tropical basij) shoot at people with live ammo.

 

But of course, this is no war zone: in a war zone you have two sides shooting at each other. Tonight one side is doing all the shooting, the other side is doing all the being shot at.

 

The videos that are starting to come out are simply shocking. It’s as though the denouement we both sides have either feared or looked forward to for so long is finally coming to a head. See the arrival of the colectivos at Altamira square earlier tonight:

 

 

As these videos were being shot, president Maduro was on a live TV and radio cadena broadcast saying “I can give you guarantees that what those colectivos are doing is working, producing.”

 

Here we see the Tupamaros, perhaps the oldest and best established colectivo, at work in Los Ruices.

 

 

It gets worse. In this video, you can see the National Guard murdering a civilian in La Candelaria (at 1:52)

Here, we see National Guard troops shooting a civilian in Av. Panteon – there areconflicting reports about whether he survived:

 

Some Twitter streams are genuinely scary. JGpunto writes, while hiding from police and collectives in one a residential building in Altamira: “They found us”, his next tweets are mayhem and beatings of the students hiding with him.

https://twitter.com/JGpunto

Others post a picture of the National Guard beating down a building’s door:

Here is Catia tonight – the one glimmer of hope is that everyone has a camera ready phone these days – there will be plenty of evidence:

Here we see the guy shot at Avenida Panteon, above:

After midnight, a fire was set in an apartment in El Marqués , (Romulo Gallegos Ave.)

The Petare-Santa Lucia Road:

Here we see soldiers shooting into residential buildings in the Caracas neighborhood of Santa Monica:

And this is not Kyiv, not Baghdad…it’s Valencia tonight:

Here’s Barquisimeto earlier today:

And this was San Cristobal yesterday. (We’re hearing reports that the internet has gone down in San Cristobal now.)

Of course it’s not just the big cities. This is Acarigua tonight:

Ramon Muchacho is working with Polichacao to evacuate students from their hidding places. You read that right, the municipal police is scrambling to keep national security forces from killing protesters.

 

A grave line has been crossed. Real, physical violence is finally catching up with the huge reserve of pent-up rhetorical violence we’ve suffered through since 1999.

 

We’ve spent 15 years fearing this.

 

Now we’re living it.

Well, things aren't going well. I saw this and noticed it wasn't posted anywhere here, and I know we are a tech forum, but I think things like this are things everyone should be aware of. The fact it isn't plastered anywhere notable, that I can find, kind of says something. So I'm posting this here. 

[PillowSmoke]

Oh dear.....

[DoubleY]

Pretty soon all of Eastern Euro will be doing this... 

[Artorias]

Recently, I've seen a thread like this about Ukraine that @Linus locked down and now Venezuela?! What the hell is going on in this world?!

[ForsakenLive]

AND, the government forbids high speed internet for consumers (actual law)

[Emperor_Piehead]

Pretty soon all of Eastern Euro will be doing this... 

Ukraine signed a peace deal between the protesters and the government http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/21/5433322/ukraine-president-opposition-sign-pact-for-reform

[dizmo]

Stuff like this is happening all the time in different parts of the world.

It shouldn't be that surprising. You don't see most of it covered.

[Bluejay0]

Some family lives in Venezuela. I only hope for the best for the people. But for the government, let it burn. Let it burn and rot with its leader. Let the roots crumble to death. Chavistas can go to hell.

[wpirobotbuilder]

Thanks for sharing.

[NInety]

That line of dead bodies.... those sick bastards....

[Vitalius]

Stuff like this is happening all the time in different parts of the world.

It shouldn't be that surprising. You don't see most of it covered.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, children are victims of senseless violence.

 

Just a reminder that you shouldn't be surprised. There's no media coverage due to weak media institutions in South America. The same can be said about the Middle East, as the only world wide institution there is Al-Jazeera, which still lags behind on popularity in the western world. Ukraine is covered by massive European media institutions and thus is more prominent in the news.

 

... which was promptly broken and both sides are now more actively using firearms more than ever. Unless Yanukovych steps down, the violence will continue. It's democracy in action. 

I believe there are differing levels of attention that need to be paid to something like this existing, and something like it spreading. 

It just existing in a place it is common, people who are going to care, are going to care, and those who aren't, aren't. And if nothing changes, that's just how it will be (as sad as it is). 

But it spreading is different in that it changes who is going to care because it implies it could spread again and others suffer from it. So people are much more inclined to proactively fight it (not protesting, but corrupt governments). 

I'm just saying. It spreading is notable no matter how much time passes. It existing is notable only up to a point. 

[Kamina]

What a blood bath...

[beebskadoo]

Looks like this is sadly becoming a trend. Russia, Ukraine, north Korea, and now Venezuela. This is what happens when you're government doesn't care about the liberty of its citizens. Sad. My thoughts go to those folks

[lhikary]

i dont recall this being
SAD NEWS FORUM
seriously iam here for TECH AND ONLY TECH when i visit http://linustechtips.com/main/forum/13-tech-news-and-reviews/
go post this in off topic
reported

[beebskadoo]

i dont recall this being

SAD NEWS FORUM

seriously iam here for TECH AND ONLY TECH when i visit http://linustechtips.com/main/forum/13-tech-news-and-reviews/

go post this in off topic

reported

wow...couldn't have said anything nice...

[lhikary]

wow...couldn't have said anything nice...

nice? if i want politic news or anything non tech related i will go to another site

[beebskadoo]

nice? if i want politic news or anything non tech related i will go to another site

though I agree this thread is more an off topic thing, you could have been a little more tactful instead of saying what you said.

If I wanted to see disregard for humanity and an all around boring atmosphere I would join another form. but because this isn't a "tech only forum" You should probably just join another site anyways.

I love this forum for it's diversity, but hate it for this very reason.

[lhikary]

though I agree this thread is more an off topic thing, you could have been a little more tactful instead of saying what you said.

If I wanted to see disregard for humanity and an all around boring atmosphere I would join another form. but because this isn't a "tech only forum" You should probably just join another site anyways.

I love this forum for it's diversity, but hate it for this very reason.

you are literally saying this"hey admin i hope you don't mind me posting non tech related articles on a tech only sub forum, i mean not like there is another sub forum for this"

your argument is invalid

only reason OP posted this here is because most traffic of the site comes to this sub forum

 

[beebskadoo]

you are literally saying this"hey admin i hope you don't mind me posting non tech related articles on a tech only sub forum, i mean not like there is another sub forum for this"

your argument is invalid

firstly, I didn't post it. Secondly, this can be moved to off topic, thirdly off topic is for both tech and non tech related things so your previous statement is made moot. This forum isn't just a tech forum as you said before.

[Vitalius]

i dont recall this being

SAD NEWS FORUM

seriously iam here for TECH AND ONLY TECH when i visit http://linustechtips.com/main/forum/13-tech-news-and-reviews/

go post this in off topic

reported

...

 

And this was San Cristobal yesterday. (We’re hearing reports that the internet has gone down in San Cristobal now.)

Internet gone in an entire city. Talk about rights (or lack thereof). 

RTFA Maybe? I dunno? Find out what you are commenting on before posting something that is unwarranted and (imo) selfish drivel?

Was it the focus of the story? No. Was it a part of the story? Yes. Does that mean it's tech related? Yes.

thirdly off topic is for both tech and non tech related things so your previous statement is made moot.

... Sorry, it's not. 

"Discussion - Non-tech related content only please!" Under the "Off-Topic" as a sub-title.

[beebskadoo]

... Sorry, it's not. 

"Discussion - Non-tech related content only please!" Under the "Off-Topic" as a sub-title.

 

Whatever.... just trying to defend your post...

[Vitalius]

Whatever.... just trying to defend your post...

I know, that's why I said sorry. Thanks. I'm honest to a fault. Intentionally so. 

It doesn't make sense, to be honest. Off-Topic is viewed, by me at least, as the trash subforum. Not that good or interesting things can't be posted, but that it isn't worth the time wading through it all. So tech or not, to me, wouldn't matter much. 

[beebskadoo]

I know, that's why I said sorry. Thanks. I'm honest to a fault. Intentionally so. 

It doesn't make sense, to be honest. Off-Topic is viewed, by me at least, as the trash subforum. Not that good or interesting things can't be posted, but that it isn't worth the time wading through it all. So tech or not, to me, wouldn't matter much. 

I love off topic

 

it gives me a break from answering stupid questions lol

I work at Geek Squad, so I deal with a lot of stupid questions all day haha so I enjoy a break from the world of tech at times and off topic often has some silly topics

[Birdman]

Don't bite my head off or anything. I haven't been able to follow any news lately. 

 

But what exactly is going on? Why all the one sided killing?

[skeeyou]

this is so f****** up man, this is what happens when government does not give a shit, wow crazy world we live in, ive seen worse but wthhhhh