Maduro oversaw a military parade this afternoon to mark the anniversary of Venezuela’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1811. The parade took place on the Paseo Los Proceres in Caracas.
The video below shows part of the start of today’s parade:
In the clip below, Maduro observes two groups of soldiers as they march past his stand. The second group of soldiers is chanting: “We are socialists! Anti-imperialists! And also chavistas!”:
Extraordinary demonstration of the insoluble and perfect civil-military union. With it we can move our Homeland forward, achieve National Peace [sic] and drive Venezuela towards greateness and prosperity definitively!
The “civil-military union” is one of the pillars of chavismo. It is a principle that calls for the erasing of the boundary between the civil and military spheres, and is responsible for the encroachment of military rhetoric and logic into civilian life in Venezuela, as evidenced for example in the appointment of military officers to head ministries that would ordinarily be held by a civilian, such as the Ministry of Electrical Energy or the Ministry of Oil.
In her official report on the human rights situation in Venezuela, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet points to the Maduro regime’s “increased militarization of State institutions” as part of the many severe problems afflicting the country.
The video below shows tanks, other armoured vehicles, and helicopters making their way past the presidential stand:
More armoured vehicles:
Bachelet Calls on Regime to Put Ambition Aside
Speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva today, High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on the Maduro regime to set aside ambitions and work towards improving the lives of Venezuelans.
During her speech today, Bachelet said:
The destiny of more than 30 million Venezuelans rests in the hands of the authorities, and their ability to put human rights in front of any political or ideological ambitions.
Bachelet’s comments come a day after the release of her official report on the human rights situation in the country. The report condemns in the strongest terms the regime’s systematic abuse of human rights, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and the use of social assistance programs as a tool of social control.
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