Yes, I'm here, thanks for the concern.

Thanks khalling, I got the PM, was answering and... Blackout (at least half of the city is down right now).

I'm now in a place where there is still electricity (and filling some gallons of water, as there are no water bombs pumping water to where I live).

Yes, two days ago was killed this woman, a sign interpreter of the TV channel "Venevision". Sadly I have to say that this is not things getting worse as is normal that more than 30 persons per day die only in Caracas as results of robbery (Caracas has little more than 2 million habitants). the worse things are happening in other states, were have reports that houses of people suspected of protesting are being attacked with molotovs to try to burn them down. Tachira is under heavy attack and media block... They are trying to block (more than they have already) twitter and FB, as using TOR, VPNs and proxys has helped to go over the currents blockade.

Also, yesterday was "activated" a new "market" for dollar. I use "" because there are heavy restrictions to whom can use this market and the documentation they need to give in order to access this market... the average price was 51.86 Bolivares per USD. The price was and is around 60 if you take monetary mass/ reserves equation and around 80 in the black market.

Now we have 3 controlled markets

One at 6.30 for "food and medicines". (Formerly called CADIVI)
One around 11 for other first need products. (Called SICAD I).
And the one that I just mentioned called SICAD II.

Yes in any moment we expect a "SICAD reloaded"... or "SICAD III the vengeance of the dollar" -.-

Of course this "markets" are the governments "charge themselves and get the change" as basically only they and their friends can access the first to markets. (The government has expropriated around 1500 companies and around 10000 have disappeared since the arrival of Chavez). And the get rich by selling it on the black market, or in this new SICAD II.

In short, the government had to accept that the real price of the dollar was much higher of what they said. In fact Maduro assured that everything will be at 6,30 for the whole year the 14th of January (http://globovision.com/articulo/presiden... (spanish)). And thus like officially got a devaluation of 723% (getting from 6.30 that was continually used by the government to say that we have a strong economy).

We ask ourselves how they will maintain the "Fair price law" if now, somehow, they acknowledged the price of the dollar. Because the merchants were obliged to sell as what they bought was at 6,30, which is absolutely false (Venezuela lost, with all the controls, and expropriation almost all the production capacity, we import 90% of what is used, and only export oil)

Caracas is half calm half tense, most of protest vs Maduro are were the mayor is from the opposition as the people feel safer there. I have read from an economist of The Guardian (Chavists have been using this article and others from hum to say this all is a conspiracy versus them. Yes of course the imperialism, the USA, and international right wing, are the conspirators -.-), saying that this was just protest of the rich, therefore they only happened in the east of Caracas. (He didn't write about the rest of the country). Seemly he forgets that Petare has the biggest slum in the world is on the east (yes even bigger than Dharavi in Mumbai... and that, in a country with 1.237 billion persons... Venezuela has... 30 million).

But well here is wikipedia article about him... you can see what kind of economist he is (he even wrote the screenplay of a socialist pro-chavez film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Weisbr...

I will put this video here; it was taken to the OAS by Maria Corina Machado, opposition representative, that Panama offered its chair in the OAS. This news explains what happened. And there is a short video of some of the things that have happened.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleI...

When the vote to make private the reunion was held, in the moment of Venezuela voting, the government representative said “With complete transparency, Private" and she laughed with her peers of other countries. Here the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPVL3CnY...

BTW, the same day of this, Machado was accused by the government of, murder and treason, and stripped of her chair in the National Assembly.

They're talking about Venezuela right now on Fox! And slamming Sean Penn with regards to chumming around w/H. Chavez.

I had a hard time believing that things could get worse after Chavez died, but they have. How sad! When I went to catalysis conferences in the 1990's, the Venezuelans sent many representatives and actually dominated the petroleum refining catalyst sessions. Some of them worked for the state oil company, so from a Galtish perspective, I probably shouldn't feel bad for them, but ...when I read AS, I didn't think things could ever get as bad as in the book without a revolution. Now I have reconsidered.

I have a couple of students in my freshman chemical engineering class from Venezuela who came to my university and ... never plan on returning home. I asked them that just this past Wednesday.

I wonder how our member down there is doing? I've been thinking about him all weekend. :-(

we have a gulcher in the middle of the conflict. Hopefull, he'll see your post m and comment