04.19.15: Child’s Play

Maduro oversaw the hand-over of subsidized apartments in Catia, Caracas today, and claimed that the Gran Mision Vivienda has now officially built 700,000 homes. During the ceremony, Maduro took the time to talk about the cost of each apartment unit:

Since there’s so much talk about dollars – “dollar” over here and “dollar” over there – this apartment should have a [total cost] of Bs. 800,000. If capitalism had built this, it would be sold for Bs. 5,000,000. That’s an unreachable price for workers. This apartment does not cost less in construction and materials than $50,000. I’m giving you this apartment and I’m giving you a cheque for $50,000.

The apartment building in question contains 89 units, and El Universal estimates estimates that it is valued at $2 million.

Maduro praised the country’s strict currency controls, thanking the system for allowing his government to save money in the construction process.

Below, a video showing part of the hand-over ceremony. The video shows Maduro and Libertador municipality Jorge Rodriguez enjoying some fun and relaxation on a seesaw:

Announcer #1: … the national head, Nicolas Maduro. Let’s remember the event that is taking place right now. Let’s hear what’s happening in Catia.

Announcer #2: … years 2011 – 2015. At this moment, the President of the Republic enters the complex the inaugurate this great residential complex which will provide happiness to thousands of Venezuelan families. The President of the Republic has begun a new  chapter of the government [inaudible]. Yesterday, in Barinas state, President Maduro inaugurated the 8.2 km of the Trans-Aragua Route. The residents of the Araguan entity approached the President to greet him, and at this time, the President of the Republic is at a residential complex…

Experts Weigh in on Democracy, Elections

Luis Uzcategui, a psychiatrist and anthropologist specialising in emotional models, spoke to Televen today on the upcoming parliamentary elections and the state of democracy in the country. Uzcategui that Venezuelan democracy is supported by fear and confusion:

We live in a mediocracia [media-centred democracy]. What supports this which we call democracy is fear. We find ourselves in a society that grows darker in its thoughts each day and is slower to action. Everyone is out of it; they don’t know what to do, think or feel.

He also said that the saturation of negative news in the media – of murders, increasing inflation and scarcity – is making Venezuelans “extremely sick”, creating a dysfunctional country where:

… everyone fights, attacks, and feels more depressed, confused, sad, and useless each day. The way [to think through problems] is dulled. It’s difficult to make sense of the present, so it’s obviously more difficult to see the near future.

Uzcategui warned that the crises in Venezuela have forced people to adapt by “behaving in tribal ways”, and that in this climate of devolving social values, fear is king.

Marcyclen Stelling, a sociologist, also spoke to Televen, focusing on the way the situation in the country today would impact the result of the parliamentary elections that are expected to take place later this year. She said that the election would pit together two camps:

… [one that believes] that there is an economic war taking place, a scarcity crisis caused in order to overthrow Maduro, and on the other side, the truth: mismanagement, corruption, theft, and impunity. These truths are there. These truths and the crisis will affect voting.

Stelling said that while Maduro is probably enjoying a boost in popularity after weeks of incessant fighting against the United States, she believes that by the time the elections take place, the issue would be “water under the bridge”. Stelling said:

When people come back from lining up [to buy food], and they feel exhausted and down, and there’s a large majority of people who are in this situation, this is something that will affect the vote.

Cuba: We Won’t Abandon Venezuela

The recent shift in U.S.-Cuba relations has left Venezuela in an awkward position. Starting with Chavez’s ascension to power, the Bolivarian era is characterized by the unquestioning support both nations lent each other over the past 15 years. It seems almost inconceivable from an ideological standpoint that Venezuela’s revolutionary comrade should want to shake hands with El Imperio and work towards a future together.

Cuba and the United States made the surprise announcement that they would be working to restore diplomatic relations in December of last year. The announcement came after 18 months of secret negotiations between the two nations, which would put the start of the rapprochement at around June of 2013.

The timing of the seismic shift in relations is particularly interesting to Venezuelans, since Chavez’s death and Maduro’s election happened in the early part of 2013. Castro must have weighed what was happening in Venezuela – and perhaps what he believed was likely to happen – when he decided to move his country further from Caracas and closer to Washington.

Despite the growing rift between the two countries, Cuban vice-president Miguel Diaz Canel told Telesur today that Cuba would not be abandoning Venezuela, regardless of what happened with the United States. Canel said:

We are not going to abandon Venezuela. We will support the Bolivarian cause as we will support Latin American causes during the negotiations [with Washington], because it’s not mediation. We’ve made it clear that there are principles that are not up for debate.

Canel said that the negotiations would instead focus on the economic blockade, the status of Guntanamo Bay, and U.S. propaganda broadcasts to the island.

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