Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Deputy Cilia Flores greeting demonstrators celebrating the 35 years of the February 4th, 1989, civic–military uprising led by Commander Hugo Chávez. Photo: Presidential Press.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—In Venezuela, sovereignty resides only in the people. Therefore, everything that has been done in the past 25 years has been with the approval and popular vote, said the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, this Sunday. The president addressed a massive “Great Bolivarian Fury” demonstration that saw tens of thousands of Chavistas parade through the streets of Caracas in support of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution.
“In Venezuela, the people rule,” said President Maduro. “Here, only the people appoint or remove [presidents]. Oligarchs do not rule here, nor will they ever rule again in this country. Oligarchs are only moved by money, hatred, excessive ambition, the spirit of revenge.” The head of state spoke from Miraflores palace, where the great demonstration culminated in the commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of the civil–military uprising of February 4, 1992, when President Hugo Chavez pronounced his famous “Por ahora” (“for now”) speech.
President Maduro highlighted the importance of building a new independent economic model that satisfies the needs of the people and generates wealth to recover the social programs of the welfare state despite the US and European blockade and aggression.
2024 presidential elections
President Maduro highlighted that presidential elections will be held in the country in 2024, as mandated by the constitution, and called on the people to prepare to achieve a great victory in these elections.
#EnVideo📹| "Donde esté nuestro Comandante, está con nosotros", aseguró el Jefe de Estado, @NicolasMaduro, al tiempo que agradeció la voluntad del pueblo por salir hacia Caracas en la Gran Caravana Nacional de la "Furia Bolivariana".#FuriaBolivarianaIndetenible pic.twitter.com/0h557X9xtE
— VTV CANAL 8 (@VTVcanal8) February 4, 2024
“The people are prepared and organized to win the next presidential elections,” said President Maduro. “When the National Electoral Council calls, we will be prepared, and these people will take to the streets to triumph.”
The president of the National Assembly (AN), Jorge Rodríguez, announced at the rally that starting this Monday, February 5, a national dialogue will begin to set the electoral schedule and the date of the presidential elections to be held in 2024. The national consultation will end this Wednesday, February 7.
Political parties, voter movements, sectors of the economy, the working force, peasants, and other social actors have been called to this meeting “so that from this broad consultation, a proposed electoral calendar will emerge that will be presented to the National Electoral Council (CNE) to call the 2024 presidential elections,” said Rodríguez. “Let’s buy alpalgatas [shoes], because what is coming is joropo.” This Venezuelan saying means that what is coming next is going to be very busy, and suggests the possibility that the election date will be set for early in 2024 and not for later in the year, as wished by the far-right politicians and the US government.
Red tide
For Angeli Rivero, on February 4, 1992, something changed forever. She saw it in the feelings of her grandmother who, at that time, was watching the television broadcast of Commander Hugo Chávez when he famously admitted that the uprising of that date had failed “for now” [por ahora]. With those two words, Chávez left open the possibility—even the likelihood—of a successful revolutionary upheaval in the near future. With those two words, Chávez first vaulted into the popular consciousness of most Venezuelans.
32 years later, Angeli is part of the new generation that is building Venezuela’s Bolivarian Project and that faithfully follows the path left by the Latin American giant. “I am here because it is the legacy of Chávez … Now it is the people who rule,” she stated.
The red tide walked through the streets of Caracas again, on a day, named the Great National Caravan of Bolivarian Fury, to commemorate 32 years of the Day of National Dignity. With great color, joy, and hope, they celebrated the “ distinguished day when the people, together with Commander Chávez, moved the floor for us and gave us power,” as participant Yoris Beltrán said. “Now we follow that route supporting President Nicolás Maduro.”
Below are some images and videos of the massive Chavista demonstration held this Sunday, February 4, in Caracas:
El pueblo venezolano desborda las calles de Caracas conmemorando los 32 años de la rebelión cívico militar de aquel 4 de febrero del año 1992#ULTIMAHORA #Venezuela@PartidoPSUV#4FDelPueblo#FuriaBolivarianaIndetenible#TodoMalNoVas pic.twitter.com/AXQzby78A3
— Matias (@Jesusma26086362) February 4, 2024
Así nos movilizamos este #4FebDelPueblo por las calles de Caracas, recordando el momento histórico que vivimos hace 32 años y que logró el despertar de hombres y mujeres nobles y valientes.#4FDelPueblo pic.twitter.com/Pl3dq61Ni4
— Carmen Meléndez (@gestionperfecta) February 4, 2024
¡32 años Día de la Dignidad del Pueblo!
Aquí estamos junto al pueblo revolucionario en las calles de Caracas dónde conmemoramos aquel ¡POR AHORA! Del Comandante Hugo Chávez. Este es el camino irreversible de la Revolución Bolivariana junto a la #FuriaBolivarianaIndetenible 👊🏻🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/pbxS5fVITt
— Juan Amarante (@JuanAmarante12) February 4, 2024
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SL
