Freedom is a strange concept.
We do not know exactly what it is.
We do not know where it is, much less if we have it.
We do not know where it begins or ends.
Until we feel we do not have it or we are losing it.
And when it does feel like we are losing it, our consciousness changes.
It diminishes fear and makes it small.
Until fear disappears, even the fear of losing life.
Then we are free of spirit and we become dreamers, fighters and somehow liberators.
To fight for freedom and to confront the unbridled power with the only weapons of the deprived: the ideas, the words, the protests and in some cases the stones.
Weapons that, although they seem to be weak, come from morality and justice, the only thing the people of modernity have to say is ENOUGH!
Picture source
It is probably crazy to face rifles and bullets with only these social weapons, from a logical perspective it seems to be stupidity and perhaps that is its worst weakness and greater strength, because you do not fight weapons with weapons, but weapons with conscience.
In these times, more countries than we want, are between tear gas bombs, bullets and murders in the fight for freedom.
As Carlos Fuentes says:
"There is no freedom, but the search for freedom, and that search is what sets us free"
It is in human nature this struggle for freedom. What is terrible are those who have to die to obtain it, history is full of anonymous heroes to whom much is due and never paid.
Venezuela is to the north of South America, in 1499 the Spanish navigator Américo Vespucio gave the name to him "The little Venice".
Venezuela is today in an undeclared war that brings casualties and suffering to the unarmed people.
Picture: Members of the National Guard confront a group of demonstrators today, Wednesday, May 3, 2017, in Caracas, Venezuela. Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) dispersed tear gas at an opposition mobilization in eastern Caracas on Friday. To reach the headquarters of the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), located in the center of the capital. Photo: EFE / MIGUEL GUTIERREZ
Today we are at 100 days of continuous protests, more than 100 people killed more than 3,000 injured and about 1500 arrested.
But what are the protesters demanding? Elections!!!
The revolution of Hugo Chávez is already 18 years old. As a result Venezuela has the highest inflation in the world, with more than 1700% per year, a currency that devalues daily and a humanitarian crisis not recognized by the government.
There are no food stocks and what little there is, is very expensive, there are no medicines and people die in hospitals for lack of an injector or an antibiotic.
The levels of insecurity are alarming and place Caracas (our Capital), as one of the most dangerous and violent cities in the world.
Public services are on the decline due to lack of investment for the maintenance and replacement of deteriorating equipment and materials.
There is a warlike economy that makes the most vulnerable children and the elderly the most affected.
The political polarization between pro-government and opponents makes levels of intolerance reach expressions of hatred from the highest government to the common citizen.
Those arrested are being tried by military courts in the best style of the Nazis or the dirty war in Argentina, protesters are continuously tortured and there is alarming evidence that Bolivian and Cuban nationality officials are mixed with Venezuelan national police and guards to attack the protesting people.
It is also considered that the dome of government has an embedded mafia of narcos and corrupted officials that have used their power to amass great fortunes well guarded in foreign international banks.
They are drug lords who are known to be on the DEA's list as drug cartel bosses operating in South America.
This whole network of influence, power and blackmail together with collaboration of a group of other countries keep this criminal government in power.
Governor elections should have been held and the government suspended them.
As they suspended the recall referendum allowed in our constitution to shorten the presidential term.
The government controls the electoral power, the supreme court of justice, and the armed forces, with influence of the Cuban regime that determines and orders people around in small Venice.
An even greater escalation of violence is feared following the call by President Nicolás Maduro to a constituent national assembly.
This would allow him to create a regime in the best Cuban style in order to perpetuate itself in power and eliminate the democratically elected national assembly (parliament).
People should know what is happening in Venezuela, this situation has become permanent.
The continued violation of human rights and the refusal by the government to meet the needs of citizens, bypassing everything except remaining in power.
We must support those who protest because what is at stake is democracy itself.
The Venezuelan government is now hiding its evil wealth in tax havens, these must be identified around the world, as well as their front men who must pay for their crimes.
This happening in Venezuela but it can happen anywhere where a few want to harm many to achieve their unhealthy desires for wealth and power.
This recipe that today happens to play out in Venezuela is not new, it occurred in Ukraine in 2014.
It is the strategy that dictatorships use to conquer without using armies.
This is not about left or right, In Argentina and Chile the same tactics of state terror were applied to control the population in the name of fighting terrorism.
Many countries that proclaim to fight terrorism are actually attacking the very freedoms that should protect the citizens from its government. In return they are free to continue cronyism, basically steal your country blind without any people caring.
When you see this happening, it is up to you to speak up!
Because if you wait too long and it went too far...you might have to jump on actual barricades and fight for the freedom you lost.
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We will discuss this in another article.
Freedom isn't really strange... it's just elusive. We're losing ours (US) and everybody just watches hoping for the best! Good article!!!
Hello!
I agree with you, it is worrying that US freedoms are diminished. This can happen in any country.
"Strange freedom" is an ironic expression. Governments promise to improve your quality of life and reduce your freedoms in exchange.
The governments promise to improve your economy but you increase taxes, and if you work more your taxes multiply also. They promise you security and wellbeing but decrease the freedom of the press and there are more and more cameras in the streets that control you.
You work to keep them in power and in return they keep you prisoner of the system.
Very well said! Ben Franklin once said that "anyone willing to trade freedom for security, deserves neither."
The only way government can aid the economy, is to stay out of it (I have an MA in economics)
Then again, people who have never tasted freedom might not even know what freedom is. We should never take anything for granted and we should always question assumptions so we will not fall prey to tyranny and dictatorship.