Diary of a Chavez opponent
By Daniel Duquenal
November 23, 1998 - We are voting in a few days. I can't believe that Chavez is leading in the polls and that the other side blew it so badly when trying to "rally" around Salas Romer. I cannot believe that this asshole has accepted to have his name on the AD and Copei ballots instead of demanding to have them vote through his very own colors.
People are a little bit surprised when they ask me who do I plan to vote for and I reply "anyone but Chavez". Gee, as if that guy was an option! I try to explain that since Chavez could not manage a rather easy military coup he is more than likely to be unable to manage a country. But opinion is now way beyond who can manage Venezuela. People are just possessed.
April 1, 1999
It seems that the referendum for a constituent assembly has the result in before anyone votes. I cannot believe that the opposition is calling for abstention because "the way the referendum was called is illegal". As if Chavez cared!!!! One vote more than the other side is only what he needs to do as he pleases.
April 10, 1999
Really! The referendum question should be reworded to "Do you want Hugo Chavez to write a new constitution for you?"
April 30, 1999
Well, it seems that the no will not pass 10%! I am in those 10%, proudly because I did go to vote. Now the opposition has egg on its face and we are moving toward the election of the constituent assembly. Still, never have I voted for an option that got so few votes. Even when my choice lost I had always more than 10%. Oh well…
July 4, 1999
When I see what happened today in Congress, I am quite certain that there is nothing good to hope from Chavez. Not to mention that the candidates for the Constituent Assembly that he is proposing do not look very promising. Nothing good can come from that.
September 2, 1999
As expected, that 97% pro Chavez assembly elected with not even 60% of the vote, seems to be the dog wagging its tail to its master's voice.
December 2, 1999
I keep reading, and reading the constitution draft and I cannot help but observe that it is ill written, that it will not work and that the civil rights so loudly vaunted are just a re-heating of the old ones that were never really observed. Expanding rights when the previous ones were not observed does not mean that those new ones will have better luck.
December 15, 1999
So, the whole country is collapsing and Chavez is force feeding us the election? Why not wait for January and wrap up that ridiculous text a little bit more?
February 4, 2000
OK, any possible hope that Chavez might not be as bad as I thought he would be is over. Now, will he be worse than what I expected?
May 28, 2000
Well, if they cannot organize an election, how are they going to reorganize the country with their new constitution?
September 3, 2000
I an really getting worried about all the corruption tales of the Plan Bolivar 2000. Can Chavez be so oblivious of what is now for all to see? Not to mention that it does not seem to work very well to begin with.
December 31, 2000
Well, we are through with two years of Chavez. He got all what he wanted. Will he try a little bit more to rule the country next year? I wonder what kind of New Year resolution he is taking tonight.
March 31, 2001
I am quite happy tonight. I have been to my first street protest in Venezuela ever. And I was pleased to see that quite a few people went. I am actually surprised to see so many people willing to go to Chacaito to defend private education! But I did not like these few cops on bikes that they sent us to try to impress us, I suppose.
September 2, 2001
Well, it seems that the mess of the Union elections is deepening. But Chavez seems to have met his first electoral set back!!!! That was stupid to try to create trade union leaders out of nobodies! I mean, union leaders only emerge from tough fighting, not from presidential fiat! Who does Chavez think he is? Castro? Mussolini?
November 30, 2001
I mean, really! Would it be so hard to sit down and negotiate a few small items of this 40 plus laws? Has Chavez ever heard of the merits of throwing a bone to the other side? And now it seems that we will be going to a general strike/ lock out together! A never seen occurrence in history!!!!
December 11, 2001
We got a very successful strike, we got people willing to discuss, we got even a movement within the National Assembly to try to put at least a few cosmetic amendments to the laws and no, that stubborn and arrogant soldier of fortune is imposing his will. This is bad news!
January 23, 2002
I cannot believe what I saw on TV tonight! The opposition did get as much people in the streets than Chavez!!!!!! Now, if he does not see the light, I do not know what else is left for us to do.
April 7, 2002
I cannot believe Chavez cadena firing the oil executives! I mean, I would not dare to fire an employee that I would have caught stealing money in such a vulgar way! Who does he think he is? Does he not realize that everyday that passes he loses more and more allies? Why must he try to destroy PDVSA in such a stupid way? What is he planning? I mean, what does the guy wants?
April 14, 2002
So he is back. And what does the jerk do? Go to Maracay to start the battle again? Could he not fake it a little bit longer, say a week?
August 11, 2002
Well, it seems that people are finally starting to think the way I have always done. There is nothing good to be hoped for from Chavez. We have got to find a way to get rid of him before he destroys the country once and for all. I think we should ask for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term. The way things are I think that we should not have too many problems to get the signatures.
October 11, 2002
This march today was just incredible!!!! We seem to have been a total of 1 million people marching all the way to Avenida Bolivar!!!! What a recovery from April 11 disaster! I mean, how can a president be so insensible to 1 million people marching?!?!?!
December 11, 2002
I cannot believe that we are in such a mess. Why is Chavez provoking us? Why has he not even pretended to stop the strike and instead sent his bloody National Guards to repress a peaceful small rally? Why is the world not seeing what this guy is all about? Woe is us!
February 2, 2003
Well, the strike is petering out but now it is clear for all that Chavez has a problem. If anything the world has finally noticed that Chavez is not a straight arrow.
June 1, 2003
We might have an agreement to seek a Recall Election but what worries me is that the only people left around Chavez are a string of unsavory characters. All the "good ones" are long gone! It looks, if you ask me, like a band of thugs has taken over Miraflores Palace. I do not envy Gaviria or the Carter people to have to deal so much with such people! I mean, the chavista negotiators cannot even hide their contempt for Gaviria and Carter!!!!
October 1, 2003
OK, it is official, the new CNE is here to screw the opposition!!!!!
November 30, 2003
The signature collection must have gone real good, Chavez is already calling fraud! How could the opposition do the fraud he claims it did escapes my understanding! I mean, if he is so sure of the fraud and has the proof, why is he not arresting people? I know he is a compulsive liar, but now I am wondering about is mental health altogether.
December 20, 2003
So the country is on the verge of civil war and what does the CNE do? They go on vacation!
February 27, 2004
What has happened to my country!? Chavez who filled his mouth so many times with Bolivar's words of "Cursed be the soldier who lifts his hand against his people" has sent the troops against the people! I cannot believe what I am seeing on TV! Fascism has reached Venezuela!!!!!! And all that to impress infamous Mugabe who is probably applauding and perhaps giving Chavez advice!
June 2, 2004
We will have a Recall Election!!!!
July 2, 2004
This is the worst campaign I have ever seen from any of our past governments. Never have I seen such a partisan approach from the public administration! Never have I seen such a distribution of money to buy consciences! I cannot imagine the corruption that must be behind such a spending spree! Shame!
August 14, 2004
Tomorrow I finally get to vote to kick that wanna-be fascist out of office! May the Heavens help us if we fail!
PS: If I had been writing a diary instead of this blog, those could have well been my entries, give or take one day.
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