How Venezuelans (mostly Gochos) Build Barricades

February 20, 2014

As I said today, students are getting more organized. Nowhere is this more the case than in Tachira State, where this protests begun. For those that say that this is a middle class protest, look at San Cristobal, the capital of Tachira, a state that suffers from the fact that 30-40% of the food in Venezuela is being smuggled to Colombia to be sold. If you think things are scarce in Caracas, try going to a supermarket there.

San Cristobal has suffered the brunt of the repression. Last night they had no lights, no internet and no water. Despite this, the people have kept up the fight. Reportedly 70% of the city is in the hands of the protesters. Tonight,  I have heard little from San Cristibal, maybe the blackout is complete. I just don’t know.

What I do know is that the gochos, as people from the Andes are called, are tough people. They have been at this fight longer than anyone, so they have learned. Here are examples of some of the barricades and some of the tactics that these Venezuelans are using:

IMG-20140220-WA0013(1) A simple barricade, bring lots of junk to block tanks from going by IMG-20140220-WA0015 How about some big rocks to block the way. This pebble seems to do the job

tuberiasThe Government never built the water system , but they did leave the concrete pipes, let’s use them!

IMG-20140219-WA0018Why don’t we move this small tree onto the street?

arbolOurs is bigger than yours!!!

 

IMG-20140220-WA0017How about this home made anti-pellet vest?

Wait for it, wait for it, now!

(Thanks to all the people that sent pictures, many were repeated, you know who you are)

54 Responses to “How Venezuelans (mostly Gochos) Build Barricades”


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    You need to take into consideration lots of factors before going for plastic surgery.

  2. mister_bean Says:

    Top news indeed, now we need leadership teams, consultants and publishers to get the message too.


  3. […] on our street doesn’t seem to fit the bill. Compared to other barricades around town and certainly in other parts of the country, the ones on our street seem kinda cute. It’s a place for the passionate neighbors to meet […]

  4. mister_bean Says:

    I’ve an incredibly excellent uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed

  5. xp Says:

    “Si un día, por estas circunstancia de violencia fascista e imperialista, amanecieran ustedes

    y Nicolás Maduro no está como Presidente,

    los autorizo a que si yo no estoy, porque el fascismo me desapareció,

    se lancen a las calles

    a rescatar la patria, cada milímetro de ella. ¡Que la patria no se pierda núnca; que la patria no se pierda jamás!”.

    Estas declaraciones las ofreció durante el recibimiento del Movimiento de Mujeres por la Vida y por la Paz en el Palacio de Miraflores,

    Après moi, le déluge.

    • xp Says:

      en amaneciendo,
      ..dos o tres pajaritos de tierra cantando, …
      … pregonando de su salida
      …. con las tablas sobre su cabeza …

    • xp Says:

      EN ESTOS MOMENTOS:
      Guardia Nacional arremete con furia
      contra manifestantes en la Plaza Altamira …

      Candles in the wind.

  6. Ira Says:

    The man is certifiably nuts, correct?

    He kicks out three lower-level U.S. Embassy secretaries, and three days later, requests a high level diplomatic meeting?

    Kerry shouldn’t just ignore such insane diplomacy actions, he should be attacking Maduro on it.

  7. VJ Says:

    Geraldine Moreno, 23, student, just passed away today at noon in Valencia.
    She was shot twice in her face, at close range with a pellet gun by the GNB.

  8. Dave Hill Says:

    We must hope the regime does not go Stalinist (that is what Castro is-a Stalinist-Leninist butcher) and try to duplicate the Ukrainian famine by sealing off cities to starve them out. The opposition must develop a strategy for re-supply.

    • Roach infestation Says:

      The Cubans are like roaches. You can’t see them but they’re everywhere. Behind the walls, under the sink, in the garbage.

  9. CNN student debate outtake Says:

    http://yoyopress.com/2014/02/20/en-video-el-tras-camaras-lo-que-usted-no-vio-del-debatecnn/

    CNN behind the scenes: Patricia Janiot student debate outtake

  10. latest home videos Says:

    • xp Says:

      Gloria al bravo pueblo
      que el yugo lanzó,
      la Ley respetando
      la virtud y honor.

      Gritemos con brío
      ¡Muera la opresión!
      Compatriotas fieles,
      la fuerza es la unión;
      y desde el empíreo,
      el Supremo Autor
      un sublime aliento
      al pueblo infundió.

  11. latest home videos Says:

  12. latest home videos Says:

    Home Videos uploaded past hour





  13. VJ Says:

    A molotov bomb hits a squad of National Guard.

  14. Johnny Says:

    And Chavas’ kids are still living in the Presidental mansion

    https://www.vocativ.com/02-2014/venezuelan-princess/

  15. Blightey. Says:

    For those who haven’t seen it;

    “Vos sos Gringos”

  16. Ira Says:

    I can’t remember the name of the music awards show held last night in Miami, on Univision.

    My wife had been watching it, she told me about it as I drove her to work at 10pm, and I turned it on when I got home a few minutes later. (It ran until 11pm.)

    The music and production were unbelievable, and there were a lot of “shout-outs” from the winners, asking for peace, and ambiguous support for the demonstrators.

    Why the fuck did no one, NO ONE, mention Maduro’s name, and call him to task?

    It was disgusting in that respect.


  17. […] Students are getting more organized. While Protests Continue, Government Creates Third fx Market, effectively devaluing the currency again, and clamps down: Shock Troops Target Protesters […]

  18. xp Says:

    The governor united the protesters once again.

    José Gregorio Vielma Mora (1964) político y
    militar, que se desempeñó como
    Superintendente (SENIAT, 2000-2008),
    gobernador electo de Táchira 2013 – 2017.


  19. It is great to see this camaraderie that has developed amongst the protesters.
    This will be hard for the Chavista Regime to break.

  20. firepigette Says:

    Great post, thanks!

    Los gochos son grandes!

  21. VJ Says:

    SNTP ‏@sntpvenezuela 2 h
    9:55 am, Por confirmar: El MINCI le habría quitado las credenciales a la corresponsal fija de @CNNE en Venezuela, @OsmaryCNN.

    SNTP @sntpvenezuela
    9:56 pm, Confirmada la salida intempestiva de @PatriciaJaniot de Venezuela, luego de las presiones y amenazas de Maduro contra @CNNE
    9:58 AM – 21 feb 2014

    SNTP @sntpvenezuela
    Hoy viajaba a Venezuela un equipo de CNN Internacional para hacer transmisiones en inglés; pero frente a amenazas de Maduro, fue cancelado.
    10:01 AM – 21 feb 2014

    SNTP @sntpvenezuela
    Equipo de @CNNE en Caracas no saldrá a la calle hoy, tras amenazas de Maduro. Esperan instrucciones desde Atlanta.
    10:06 AM – 21 feb 2014

  22. Dago Says:

    Dear Miguel:

    Let me suggest you to disable the ‘geolocalization’ feature on your smartphone in case you have it enabled, as a precautionary measure (specially when using twitter).

    You may be interested in reading the following article about twits sources in Venezuela, right up to the end:

    http://www.joserodriguez.info/bloc/el-conflicto-venezolano-geolocalizado-en-twitter-los-antichavistas-utilizan-gps-los-de-maduro-no/

    Take care,

    Dago

  23. Ronaldo Says:

    The Chavista Revolution is no more.

    It is time for the Chavistas to stop using the word “revolution”. The revolution is now by the people against the Chavistas.

    Maduro still cries out that he wants to finish Chavez socialist revolution. After 15 years and Venezuela going to hell, only thieves benefiting from the corruption still believe the fantasy land Chavez promised.

  24. lj Says:

    I wish they can take lost of pictures and videos, put it on a jump drive and send somebody in a motorbike to Cucuta to upload them

  25. cotatuu Says:

    You are missing this one…

    It is not mine y just downloaded it from tweeter this morning.

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

  26. sapitosetty Says:

    Does that video show an IED being used against cops? That seems like an inefficient way of bringing them over to support change.

    • jc Says:

      Obviously a moltov cocktail. You can see it being thrown from the bottom right. Probably not winning over the cops, but I think they’ve determined they’re beyond that point now.

      • sapitosetty Says:

        ok thanks, i couldn’t make it out. either way, a great way to boost intransigence, and an ineffective way to promote political change.

        • M Rubio Says:

          My extended family here has a number of police officer members…..what they’re most fed up with is the rampant assaults against police officers by armed thugs who don’t think twice about murdering them for their firearms. Violent crime has spiraled out of control since the Chavistas took power as the justice system has almost totally broken down. The police officers will do what they’re told, but only to a point. This thing might be at a tipping point.

        • Luis Peña Says:

          Setty it is pretty much difficult to remain calm when those that are supposed to bring back order and protect you are the ones that come to you house door and destroy your property. They also disrespect he sanctity of your home entering to your building and shooting at it.

          • sapitosetty Says:

            You need to read some MLK. Seriously. Blacks in the southern US in 1962 faced much worse than what oppos face in Venezuela today. And yet he put together a mass nonviolent movement. Yes, it’s difficult! It also works. Sometimes difficult is worth the trouble.

      • m_astera Says:

        Sapitosetty- So, do you think that the police, GN, Cuban intelligence et al will be more likely to support a change of government (that would likely result in them losing their jobs and license to extort bribes and steal) if they were assured that there was no threat of harm to their own selves because the protestors were 100% committed to non-violence? If they were assured they could use whatever violence they liked with no risk of payback?

        I think a quote from Solzhenitzen is in order:

        “And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?… The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin’s thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt!”

  27. nacazo Says:

    Who is the Commander in Chief of the Tachira Defense Forces? Nice organization skills from whoever it is.

  28. geronl Says:

    When someone declares war on you, the best option is to declare right back

  29. m_astera Says:

    The present government can go ahead and shut down the internet, because probably 99% of chavistas and cubanistas don’t use the internet anyway. What they dare not do is shut down the cell phone network or they would have a nationwide uprising in short order.


  30. whats that term called, something like… “necessity is the mother of invention. I hope we do finally get a real to goodness resolution that can finally fix this country…


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