The Caracas Chronicles headline yesterday would have been easy to miss. The Maduro regime’s partners in crime are nothing if not prolific in getting the propaganda out there. It was a prime example of what they do on a daily basis. “News Outlets” Telesur, Fars News Agency,Sputnik, Mehr News Agency, Prensa Latina, and others (from all of Maduro’s brother countries,Iran,Russia,Cuba, etc.) inundate the news feed with feel good stories about Venezuela and Iran strengthening ties and the usual condemnation of US imperialism. If you look hard enough you can find real stories like that of C. C.

 They reported that CODHEZ, a human rights organization located in Zulia state, of all places, issued the following findings : 55% of Venezuelan homes have a monthly income of $10 – $50. (remember, the minimum wage is about $2 A MONTH ) 60% rely on money from abroad. 80% sell or trade goods to buy food. 50% have to borrow food at least once a week. 40% skip a meal 3-4 times a week.

 It’s easy to forget that every day Maduro remains in power the “Maduro Diet” continues. People are starving. People are dying. The 2015 National Assembly (the real one) went on to remind everyone that the UN High Commissioner For Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, demanded the dissolution of FAES (one of Maduro’s secret police groups which we will get to in future Venezuela : Down The Rabbit Hole segments) a while ago and still nothing has been done. When she issued the statement the international community was quick to rally to the cause and condemn FAES as well….and that was pretty much it. Maduro’s response to Michele Bachelet was ” Long Live FAES” although he and other Chavistas were quick to claim their willingness to investigate human rights violations…as the FAES continues to kill people. This is a typical Venezuela (Maduro) story. The world is outraged by what Maduro and the Chavistas are doing. They condemn such behavior in the strongest possible terms. Then the Maduro apologists weigh in and everybody just forgets how many Venezuelans are dying every day due to Chavismo.

 Oh, and by the way, also buried in the apologist’s news feed inundation was that the UN reports that approximately 2,000 Venezuelans flee to Colombia DAILY … STILL! More than five and a half million people have fled the ravages of Chavismo and the beat goes on… day in…day out. The stories just keep coming although they are largely ignored. I think the world suffers from Venezuela fatigue. Stories like “Oncology patients in a Caracas hospital haven’t seen a biopsy result in 6 months which halts their treatment” are out there every day… Oh well…yes things are bad in Venezuela.  Where should we go for lunch?

 Even though we have an entire chapter coming up on Venezuela’s Supreme Court, the TSJ, here is how things operate in V-land. A former CNE (electoral council) president was reincorporated into the TSJ. This is a clear violation of Venezuela’s Constitution. But what can you do? Take the case about unconstitutional actions pertaining to the TSJ to the TSJ for a ruling by the TSJ…?

 And in case you thought the Chavistas had made some progress in the fuel shortage area (I know, I know, it’s insane that the country with the world’s largest proven oil reserves can’t supply it’s own people with gasoline/diesel) here’s a little tidbit from  the Federation Of Oil Workers. There is gasoline and diesel being produced. The problem is that 50% goes to Cuba and 50% to PDV Puertos, the military distribution arm of Chavismo, and is sold on the black market for 4-5 bucks a liter. Remember from this week’s Down The Rabbit Hole segment, according to the OPEC charter Venezuela can’t export oil until it’s domestic needs are guaranteed. And how did the price of gasoline in Venezuela go from basically free to among the highest in the world? At the current minimum wage a month’s salary will buy you 1/2 liter of gasoline….HUH?

 On Monday we will continue Down The Rabbit Hole with our chapter on Just The Basics. It details what was probably the biggest contributing factor in our decision to flee Venezuela. But before we sign off for the weekend I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to all those concerned parents getting into the fray to stop the teaching of Critical Race Theory in our public schools.It is fostered by Marxist ideology (having lived in the belly of the beast I know something about Marxism) and seeks to divide rather than unite.

 This week I attended the first rally of my life! It was to protest the teaching of CRT in Fort Worth Public Schools and after the rally we marched to the school board meeting in a show of solidarity to stop this poison from infecting our youth. CRT preaches racism and hate and is directly contrary to the teachings of Martin Luther King. Instead of MLK’s dream of a color blind society where a person is judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin CRT would have us believe, and would teach our children, that we are defined by the color of our skin and not the content of our character. If I am white I am an oppressor and if I am not white I am oppressed…and so on.

 I didn’t know what to expect before I got to the rally. Would it just be a bunch of white supremacists? You know, the conventional media would have us believe white supremacists are everywhere. I don’t want to get off point and certainly wouldn’t be so naive as believe that there aren’t white supremacists out there but I have lived in North Carolina,Iowa,Texas,Indiana,Georgia,Michigan,South Carolina,  Louisiana,and New York and have never met one…never known one. Anyway….

 When I got to the rally what did I see? White people,black people,and brown people all with a common goal, to stop CRT’s teaching of racism and hatred of our fellow man( how non-PC is that?). My daughter is four years old and doesn’t know anything about race. She doesn’t see people as black,white,or brown (no Asian exposure yet). She plays with kids of all skin color and pays no attention to it. I want her to stay that way. CRT would have her see first and foremost her playmate’s skin color. That is wrong on so many levels.

 Keep fighting the good fight my friends. Indoctrination begins in our schools as I saw with the Chavistas in Venezuela. There is an entire generation of Venezuelan children that have been barraged daily with the virtues of socialism and the glorious 21st Century Bolivarian Revolution. Those that embrace that doctrine destroyed a once prosperous country and turned it into a failed state from which we had to flee. I don’t want my little girl to have to flee the USA!! And don’t think that it can’t happen here. As I’ve said many times, Simon Bolivar,The Great Liberator, fashioned Venezuela’s Constitution after ours here in the US.Look where they are now! Their constitution didn’t protect them there and ours won’t protect us here. You have to be willing to stand up. Here’s to all those that stood up this week and said NO CRT !!!!

 Have a great weekend!