The Maduro government announced today that it had detected six new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the total since the outbreak began in the country to 135.
Maduro Threatens More Repression as Opposition Deputies Denounce Persecution
Speaking during a televised address tonight, Maduro unleashed a series of threats against everyone in the country who might challenge his authority. The threats are noteworthy given their intensity and the straightforward way in which Maduro delivered them live on television.
Below, a clip of Maduro’s threats along with my translation:
Maduro: The third front is the internal security front, of peace. The third front has been prioritized. One thousand eyes and one thousand ears on the conspirators, the evil-doers, the coupists, the terrorists. They don’t want to listen? They don’t want to face reality? They’re sticking to their miserable plans, their coupist plans? Don’t come crying on social media afterwards, as they do, when justice comes for them.
And justice will come for all of you. I don’t speak for the sake of speaking. All I’m saying is that today, March 29 [sic]–write it down, journalists–at 7:20 PM, justice is coming. Operacion Tun-Tun to all of the terrorists, all the violent people, all of the conspirators, and all of the coupists. All of them!
Today’s the 30th? Ok, I’m sorry. March 30. Write that down.
[Pointing directly to the camera] Justice will even come for you, you the one who’s watching me right now. You think it won’t come for you? Justice will come for you when [we arrest you]. Don’t go on social media to cry. Don’t go on social media to cry.
The third front is peace, security, stability, peace. Guaranteeing these things. Democracy, liberty, and the rule of law. These are three prioritized fronts. They’re a daily and permanent effort. We’re keeping the rhythm in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, in the overnight hours. Work, work. And you, compatriots who are listening to this: I admire you. You know…
“Operacion Tun-Tun” refers to a wave of regime persecution unleashed in 2017, when security forces raided the homes of individuals it accused of being political dissenters. The name is onomatopoeic for the sound of knocking on someone’s door (tun tun, the equivalent of knock knock in Spanish).
Maduro’s televised threat came shortly after National Assembly deputy Delsa Solorzano pleaded with her followers on Twitter to report an Instagram account that had sent her a threatening message. In her tweet, Solorzano said that she was “begging everyone” to report the account.
Below, Solorzano’s tweet along with a translation of the message that she received:
Get your ass ready you cocksucker because the gangs are getting organized to come kill you all
The war has begun cocksucker
You’re all going to die
Picao [this means “cut”]
We’re in gariteo bitch [gariteo is a slang term that could mean “on the lookout”]
Plomo plomo [plomo literally means “lead”, and is a slang for bullets or for shooting someone]
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