This cartoon by Weil summarizes Venezuela's current situations. Last night, at about 8 pm we were startled by gunfire. Seconds later, videos of drones and anti-aircraft fire circulated in social media. All kinds of theories started circulating. The oficial version is that is was a misunderstanding among security forces (they were shooting at their own drones).
Fortunately, no one was reported injured, but this is the kind of chaos that may be imposed on a daily basis.
People are nervous. Angry (scared?) armed groups are imposing their authority in the streets. In the meantime, politicians babble about an imposed normality and control that does not exist on either side.
The only thing that seems obvious is that there has been a split among regime groups. On the ínterim side, those who betrayed Maduro to get a free pass after whom know how much time. On the other side, those radicals who still control military and paramilitary groups. They keep acting like nothing can stop them and have threatened to take revenge on anyone who has dared celebrate Maduro's arrest.
The US president has said that the ínterim president is following their directives and is even closing the most horrible torture center in the country.
There is no evidence of that. No political prisoners have been released from the Elicoide.
Far from that, with this irregular decree (signed by Maduro Even though he was already under US custody), any citizen can be stopped in the streets, their cell phones checked and, if anything anti government is found, that person can be arrested.
Articles 5 reads: National, state, and municipal police forces shall immediately undertake the search and capture throughout the national territory of any person involved in promoting or supporting the armed attack by the United States of America against the territory of the Republic, for the purpose of bringing them before the Public Prosecutor's Office and the criminal justice system, with a view to their prosecution, in compliance with all procedural guarantees inherent to due process and the right to defense.
Forget about "due process." No politically motivated arrests since 2002 have followed due process. If this situation continues the number of political prisoners will dramatically increase in the next days.
