OOOPS!

The story is not new. Hell, it's not even original. The Venezuelan army, bolstering and under bolibananian orders, committed another act (or rather, series of acts) which resulted in the deaths of countless innocent civilians. We say "countless" because, as is also part of the well-practiced travesty, the number of civilians killed by "friendly" fire has been kept secret.

The Paragua Massacre

The details are still sketchy. Some survivors and eyewitnesses say mining workers were attacked by commando-type special forces (what we call "jungle" units) with air support from the newly acquired Russian helicopters. There are reports of the firing of missiles against unarmed civilians (most of them foreign nationals, according to official reports) and of the use of explosives, and finally, gruesome details of executions and of torture.

Just the latest in a series of massacres committed by the military against civilians in this suffering nation. Yumare, Puente Llaguno, Mara Fort, Kenedy Neighborhood and now, la Paragua. There are many other instances, too many to remember them all.

Native Indians Holocaust

Another account the the situation places the Paragua Massacre in the context of a bigger and more troubling situation. Our sources in the Venezuelan military (confirmed by persons on the killing fields and independent analysts) paint another picture which should be taken seriously because it is a classic example of a genocide, occuring not in Africa, not during a time of war, but here in the Western Hemisphere.

According to these reports, the Amazonian natives have been waging a protracted war against the bolibananian encroaching in their sacred lands. It all started several years ago with reports of the indigenous peoples toppling electrical towers and the sabotage of other industrial facilities which, in their minds, desecrated the land of their ancestors since time immemorial.

The Iranian Bicycle Factory

It appears that said facility is, in fact, a huge industrial operation. Hidden under the thick canopy of the Amazonian jungle, or so the story goes, the Iranians have installed what many believe to be an uranium-ore mining operation. In the last few months the tribal warriors have killed several Iranian nationals which prompted the Paragua "incidents." We have reports that the Venezuelan tribes have made a desperate call to arms to the Amazonian Nations to fight against what they call "the dessecration of their lands."

Apparently, the Iranian military has taken over all air operations in the zone. The Mirage that crashed several months ago was being piloted by an Iranian national and the many flights from and to Cuba might suggest there might be some truth in the reports. In ay case, the conflict has international overtones.

Responsibility and blame

The bolibananian tyrant has accepted responsibility for the military excesses. However, this is not a minor detail in this gruesome and shameful chapter of our struggle for freedom. We have enough examples of what happens in this country when the political bosses accept responsibility for any botched attempt to enslave the people or to commit fraud or to defraud the public funds and/or trust.

Nothing.

What should happen is that the culprits should be tried and convicted. This is not only true to those poor devils who pulled the trigger, but also to their puppet-masters. The soldiers and officers should pay attention to ow this case evolves, since it will be them who will always be blamed for their superiors' crimes.

bang!