Wow. There are always times in history when the changes come fast and furious and now is one of those times although in the US it must be the same old humdrum. What follows is a transcript of Chavez’ speech at the closing ceremony for the end of the political campaign, some exact translation, but mainly quick typing as fast as I could the general message. Green highlight for direct quotes and transcribed speech. I’ve highlighted in yellow the parts where he warns the US that any attempt by the US (Operación Tenaza) will result in an enormoous military resistance on the part of his government, 100 years of war, cutting of all oil shipments as of Monday. I’ve used brackets to indicate various comments or parts of the speech that were very particular . Scan it . It’s hot offf the press, faster than any news, and direct from the source.
Right now I have Telesur on and Chavez is singing to a truly massive demonstration and they’re all singing along. Yesterday I also watched the opposition demonstration broadcast on Globovision. They presented a multitudinous event but today Telesur showed how the video had been doctored and presented another video. Even the NY Times reports didn’t give any numbers for the “no” demonstration. Well, right now, on Globovision they’re showing that the demonstration ocurring right now is really not that big but they’re showing side strreets, not the main plaza. I wish I was there. Chavez is still singing along with the people in the streets, call and response, they keep singing even when he has stopped. It’s huge love, like Che imagined. A sea of red shirts. Earlier this afternoon the president of Ecuador opened their contitutional assembly, his speech was incredible, making it clear that the resources of the country are not meant to be privatized.
Now Chavez has begun to speak. “The Revolution has arrived,” he says. He’s
denouncing US imperialist lackeys, the Venezuelan oligarchy. He just warned the US imperialists that they will not be able to stop the Bolivarian Revolution. The
crowd is interrupting him with chants. He just asked all the students to identify themselves, now the women, he’s sending a big cheer for Fidel, “Viva Fidel” He’s using binoculars to survey the crowd.
No disguising, it’s very clear, the people of Venezuela are voting for socialism, the control of private property,
Now I’ve switdhed to Globovision, they’re showing a side street, way at the back of the Avenida Bolivar to present an image of a disperse crowd. But there is a large video monitor there showing the stage from which Chavez is speaking,
suddently that monitor shows the main crowd more than a km long and 200 feet wide. They’ve given themselves the lie and suddenly the switch to the speaker from yesterday, now they’ve cut the coverage entirely and the moderator, a Venezuelan equivalent of Rush Limbaugh and equally as fatuous down to sitting posture and enormous gut, is saying, “Now you’ve seen it” as though they had shown weak support for the constitutional reform and chavez but it’s ludicrous. Back to Chavez on Telesur, the crowd continually interrupts him with supportive chants. Now, after 30 minutes of speaking, he breaks into song. “I don’t
belong to myself anymore”, he says, “I belong to you, the people, for the life that remains for me to live, I am your servant.” “Until 2050, I god gives me life”, “It’s the will of the people what I’m going to fulfill”, “the only sovereign I recognize, the people of Bolivar”.
Suddenly he’s switched to the CNN issue about subliminal assassination messages, the crowd begins to chant. He’s announcing a warning, naming all the countries and regions of the world, about the possible “Operación Tenaza” this coming Sunday night. “Do you remember Frijolito” he asks, the ccrowd roars “Si”. “Last night I was watching CNN,” he says, “they were showing 100s of thousands in the “No” demonstration, but that group can’t even fill one quarter of this plaza”. “But the truth is the truth” “Channel 8, he says, “transmitted the real images”, “no one is going to be fooled, they are destroyed.” “But the surveys show that we’re 10-15 points ahead while they are announcing a draw,. . . so the world will believe that we’re tied. “ “But this is the first move on the “OpearacionTenaza” but I have the “contra-tenaza” and they’re going to repent it if this occurs.” Some leaders of the opposition have been calling for street actions, but Chavez warns that they will regret it if this happens. “They’re calling for civil disobedience if the referendum passes, they’re caling for violence, sabotage the country’s electical system, the petroleum industry, . ;. . the provision of food” “I swear by God and my mother, that we’re not going to let that happen.” Canal Globovisión has a plan, after noon (the crowd is chanting so loud he can’t continue) that they will have some results. . . . and they’re going to begin to transmit rresults, violating the law, b ut it they do we’re going to shut them down, cut them off the air (the crow again begins to cheer and chant wildily), not only Globovisión that begins to transmit results will be shut down, Channels 8, 10, 4 . . . whichever, and even international channels, if any contributes to an operation imperialists, their workers will be thrown out of the country. Here it well CNN, I know about your plans.
For this I call out to the Venezuelan people, I’m a soldier, and I swear by God and my mother, if I have to take a gun once again, I will do it. I don’t want to be a soldier again . . . put if the US, the na imperialism and Venezuelan oligarchy, . . . , we can’t minimize the strength of the US, we’re not confronting the petty Yankees from here, but the most powerful force on this planet in all of history.
Today certainly, compañero Fidel Castro, has directed reflections to the Venezuelan peoople “Un Pueblo Bajo el Fuego” . . . Fidel is advising the world right now so they won’t say later, look what happpened (CHAVEZ READING FROM THE MESSAGE FROM FIDEL, NOT ALL TRANSLATED HERE YET) Today the venezuelan people confronts a poweer thousands of times stronger than the Spanish empire, --- mentions Monroe -- , Marti called the na empire a monster, Marti quote, from his last letter, in all the days I’m indanger of death . . . but to stop in time, for the Independence of Cuba, the US power over the American lands, Fidel, not in vain, in a simple verse: Quiero con los pobres de la tierra, mi suerte echar. Fidel promises the mostg sophisticaated methods of technology developed to submit the people, con these they will, y con su mismo y todos los recursos disponibles pretendiendo hacer trizo El imperio ha creado laas condiciones . . . para sembrar . . . Un alerta para el mundo de Fidel: El gobierno es responsable del imperio no se detiene un momento para que un magnicidio o una guerra civil para controlar los recursos pet creará (End of reading from the message he received from Fidel today)_
Sepa el go bierno si la operación tenaza lllega a realizarse no habrá una sola gota de petroleo para los EEUU, (translation: the us governtment should realice that if the unleash Operation Tenaza, there won’t be a single drop of oil for the USA, they’ll have to be ready for 100 years of war in Venezuela
Now he’s telling the ministger to check out projected shiupments of oil for the US, if we win on Sunday, as everything indicates, (naming antagonists) and they
try to create a fraud or unleash violence, . . . , on Monday alll shipments of oil to
the US will end. That everyone know this. That they’re be dignity, here there is a people and a government dedicated to dignity national,
Now ordering the entire armed forces, civil guard, from today put into effect the special plans for protecting the oil fields of Venezuela. Together with all the workers
But knnow one thing, as says the singer Sylvia Rodriguez, (now singing the song), this little people swears one thing: we have awoken the children of native leaders, of B olivar, . . ., Joaquina Sanchez, that’s all that’s happened here. Take it into account, this small detail. “And it doesn’t matter to us if the rulersx of the world try to shut us up, we will never again be silenced.” And no imperial plan will stop us, no matter how many ... in Venezuela, no matter how many pawns the empire has, as in Colombia, the president of Colombia, a pawn of US imperialism. (the crowd begins to chant spontaneously) Check out this detail: last night . . . to realize the truth . . to kings and presidents, who turn the reality upside down, that I disrespectged the king of spain, it is he who is the disrespectful,
On the King of Spain The only way, ( I repeat) that the relations with Spain, companies too, the King of Spain must apologize to the Venezuelan head of state, if this doesn’t happen I’ll have nothing to do with the Spanish state,
(talking a bout a spanish company in Venezuela bought some banks I will nationalize these banks). Repeats that the king is the disrepectful one.
On Colombia – check this out concerning the capture of the tapes showing the FARC hostages.
And the gobierno de colombia, beginning to talk about his mediation w the familes of the hostages . . . looking for proofs of their lives . . . but last night, the head of FARC . . . . sent videos. . .but the Colombian government captured these messengers with the videos in Bogota and has accused them of being terrorists. “But from here we send a warm embrace to the people of Colombia”. “If you launch Operación Tenaza . . . we will take to the streets we will go over the oligarchy and put them in their place, and their means of communication, and their financers, because I have lists of who’s financing these violent groups who . . .
if they ignore our triump and attempt to seet fire to Venezuela, poorer for them in whatever confrontation with them, we’ll comeout stronger, pueblo alerta, solideir of the country, . . ., no one will sleep until Monday night and we have squelched Operación Tenaza. But now many hours have passed and we need to restrrengthen ourselves. . . . Go back to your homes (crowd chanting) . . . [calling out to each of the particular members of the alliance ] “women at the forefront of the battle, the students (loud cheer) “ “Everyone to the battle” “Mision Robinson, M Rivas, M Sucre” “los precursores” “m barrio adentro” . .. . consejos comunales, everyone, no one steps back from the battle, the organizations in every neighborhood, . . . everyone should know where to vote, who should be voting, motivate everyone, when the sun comes up over there, we’re all they’re at the voting tables, to vote Si, y Si, and next Sunday, . and then no one should go to sleep in the afternoon, no one should go to the beach, the rest will come later, everyone should be organized in the streets, and the plazass, and undewr the command of the leaders socialistas, leaders regionales, comandso zamoras, comando nacional de campana zamara, first, avoid violence, second, wait til the national election council gives the results, and if we lose, if for some reason, we will recognize the triumph of our adversaries, i have no problem, We will recognize defeat if it has occurred, it’s harder harder to kill 100 apelliscos burros que no ganen, but I’ll be the first to go out and recognize it, in justice . . . [as we showed earlier when the electoral council Lo que es bueno para el pavo, el bueno para el pava. But after the election sites have closed. But there’s no possiblity that the will of the Venezuelan public be mistaken in the Venezuelan electoral process. We must have trust in the electoral judge. (references to referees in sports, red card, yelow card, if they call a penalty, a strike, the judge decides, the referree decides ... Si a la revolucion, socialismo, patria, acabar con pobreza miseria, Si el si ganara, sea por un voto, srs de la contrarevolucion, srs de la contrarevolucion no les que mas opcion que aceptar el triunfo de la revolucion. Y reconocer esta constitucion, . . . , que reconozcan, aquí esta escrito el resultado del referendum, Para ganar más dificil que matar 100 burros apelliscos.
Para conluir: voy a hablar por mí desde el mas profundo de mi corazon, del mas intimo fibra de mi espiritu, de mi alma, [crowd chanting “oo, ahh, chavez vencerá] yo soy igual a uds de carne y hueso, [comienza a cantar] carrne, hueso, nervios, espiritu y alma, thus, why do I tell you this. . because many times, throughout the years, memories come to me, these most intimate things, chechk out, just a few days ago, i was remembering, it’s been 30 years since one night, there , in the jungle of the oriente, pueblo san mateo, a young second lieutenant of the army, 23 years old, but already, within me, the flame, what my ... called the sacred flame, i considered myself a bolivaran soldier, leaving the academy i left with a small flame that became a incendio that brought me here, there in those mountains, . . . , San Mateo, thirty years ago today, I swore with 5 other solideir, manuel zuerno, all peasants, young guys, no one older than 23 years, took an oath from 5 soldiers, the first cells of what would grown in the army to a historical moment of the rev outionary bolivaran army, we gave that cell the name the Bolviran Army for the Liberation of the Venezuelan People, (now naming hsi children who hadn’t yet been born) we were already walking the paths of revolution. And now 30 years later, 30 years later, [talking about how the group’s rebellioon failed] F-86 strafing the building where he was, thinking of his children, no i won’t die today, pulling together strenthg, years in jail, where one thinks of their children and going home, but as soon as I left jail, as soon as I stepped in the street, a hurricane swept me up, the revolutionary hurricane. From the deepest fiber of my humanity. Last year, taking account, . . . , if we win 6 yearsmore, in 2013 I will turn over the presidency, look for my kids, become a family man, . . . , [one never stops thinkijg about being just a normal guy, with grandchildren] But I realized that this isn’t my fate, after much reflection, I decided to include in the reform the indefinite reelection . . . it’s still very early for me to leave, the revolution is very young, maybe in 2020, by then the revolution will b e mature and I can turn it over to another revolutionary, but if for some reason, they win I’ll still be here until 2013.
You decide, I’ll do what you decide . . . If you want and god gives me health and life I’ll stay until 2050.
Voy a la Ojilla.
What’s the order of battle, 1 – 3 of december, from here on out, everyone integrated in the battle groups, their voting centers, voting tables, everyone with the votes, eyes open, hearts in the battle, senses awake,
Now we close the election campaign, tomorrow it’s necessary that everyone takes their place in the great red m,achine, communist party, socialist party, the missions, make the logistical adjustments, prepare all of the movilization, down to the smallest towns, everywhere, that no one doesn’t vote, Sunday morning . . . a good breakfast, . . . , when the sun comes out, everyone to the voting polls, with id cards, a la carta huella, vote for both b locks of changes. . . You know what it’s about, create socialism, open the doors of history, break down the barriers, the knots, untie the knots, open and break the locks, obstacles, that are still here in the (actual) constitution to advance in a much clearer strategic direction creating bolivaran socialism and transcending perverse capitalism, transfer power to the councils of powpular power, and create an economy socialista, to create equality, Recordar a Jesus que vino para crear igualdad, luchar contra el poder, recuerda el sermon del monte, . . .
You all know that in capitalism equality is impossible and we would be condemend to never have our country . . . remember the national army hymn, himno del ejercito, [comienza a cantar]
Vua el ejecito, viva el pueblo.
(Here he begins to close down, my transcription more sparse)
We;re ready to be free, or die. Abrir las puertas al socialismo bolivariano.
“Amor con amor se paga” My life belongs to you.
[moves to interacting directly with different groups of the crowd. ] Orden: a la carga, a la battalla, . . . a la victgoria, Patria, Socialismo, o Muerte . Hacia la Victoria Siempre Cantando el himno nacional, todos comienzan a cantar, cantando juntos, “Vamos todos”, (Helicopter photo shows size of crowd (filling the plaza and beyond) Fireworks, crowd chanting “Oooh, Ahh, Chavéz vencerá “Hasta la victoria siempre, Venceremos”