Well, well. Looks like Venezuela’s infamous guarimbas are about to be several persons lighter, if a certain highly effective justice minister has anything to say about it:
The Venezuelan minister of the Interior, Justice and Peace, Miguel Rodríguez Torres, informed that a man known as “El Chino” has been captured after paying five thousand bolivars a week to other persons who participated in “protests” in the Chacao sector of eastern Caracas.
Rodríguez Torres added that thanks to the work of the intelligence services, early this morning ten raids were carried out, and nine people were detained, “about whom there is sufficient proof to incriminate them in the organization of terrorist acts in Chacao.”
He added that “15 raids are still to come in the days ahead to close this chapter so that the people of Chacao can return to their habitual life.”
He stated that there is proof that during the violent demonstrations in Chacao, young people consumed “crispy”, or transgenic marijuana, which was distributed in order to “raise their spirits”.
Concerning the raids, Rodríguez stated that three were carried out in Chacao, one in Prados del Este, one in Propatria, one in Caricuao, and the rest in other zones of the capital.
“Not everyone who is there is from the municipality. Among the detained, there are lawyers and some business owners who gave material aid to the insurrections,” he added.
Translation mine.
Recall that I blogged some weeks ago about “young student” putschists receiving 5,000 bolivars a week to “protest”. Where did that money come from? Well, looks like we have a few answers. I don’t kid myself that they have anywhere near all of the culprits, mind you…but at least the denizens of one wealthy and ungrateful part of the capital city will at last be able — or forced? — to live normal lives again.
And I can’t help chuckling about the “crispy” marijuana. I guess that explains this:
Homemade spike belts…and munchies? What a combination!
In this story in aporrea Maduro reveals that the Mayor of Chacao is now asking for help in resolving the problem he helped create
http://www.aporrea.org/ddhh/n249465.html
Meanwhile, to explain why the mayor might be getting some pressure from his constituents, here is an article that I have translated from today’s Últimas Noticias.
http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/actualidad/politica/cotidianidad-alterada-en-chacao-tras-66-dias-de-pr.aspx
Daily life changed in Chacao after 66 days of protest
Families move out of the area temporarily, others put the kids in the bathtub
Doris Barrios, reporter for Últimas noticias
They put the children in the bath and turn on the hot water, so the effects of the tear gas won’t affect them. Those who can, move temporarily out of apartments they have lived in for at least 40 years in order to avoid a violent situation. Those who work try to get home before 6 PM to avoid being trapped between the National Guard or the National Police and the demonstrators These are some of the stories after 66 days of protests in Chacao.
When you walk through the zone the destruction is evident. There is broken glass and other rubble. The balconies of residences that face the main streets are covered with plastic and cardboard to keep tear gas grenades from coming in the windows. Several structures have suffered in the same way as the Leisther Stile beauty shop, which has some of its facade missing and covered with plywood. The person in charge said that it couldn’t be fixed because there is a scarcity of glass.
Business people estimate a decline in sales of 40 %. Some have taken the option of visiting their clients. A person who does custom fashion wear told the story of delivering 14 dresses for a bridal party–it was an Odyssey! The driver who was going to deliver some of the dresses waited 6 hours in the San Ignacio Commercial Center through the skirmish in the streets. When it was over the designer delivered the rest of the dresses.
The public medical clinic, Salud Chacao, has treated 253 people injured by the protests since Monday the 21st, according to Dr. Jorge Hernández, the director. The municipality has already created a unit to treat post traumatic stress due to the violence in the area. It has already held two sessions.
The employees of the Ministries of Housing and Transportation, on Francisco de Miranda Avenue, suffer from this when they come out of their offices and find that the Subway is not running. They have to walk two kilometers to get to the next station. They oppose the demonstrations.
People who live in Chacao say that very few of the protestors are students who live in the neighborhood. Some said that people who want to demonstrate ought to go to [the Presidential Palace] miraflores, or use some other methods to show their discontent.
Thanks, Peter. I already have the Aporrea article up in front of me, but I haven’t translated it yet. How very ironic that those who screamed the loudest about wanting Maduro gone are now screaming the loudest for the “demonstrations” to stop. I guess that’s what happens when your own firebombs start blowing up in your face…