Changing our nature is not impossible, but it takes time and
requires inspiration. In this regard, there is hope for the nation. Opposition
leader Leopoldo Lopez is a man comparable to the likes of Mandela. Imprisoned
since February 2014, he is accused of inciting a crowd to violence, when he was
in fact peacefully protesting against the rising crime figures. Recently, he
underwent a 30-day hunger strike that nearly ended in his death, protesting the
incarceration of political prisoners, as well as the government’s indecision in
setting an election date. His absurd sentence and farcical trial are at the
very heart of the culture of corruption that is holding Venezuela back from
prosperity. Lopez is a man of vision, and arguably history in the making. But
if he is to set the country on a stable course of democratization he will have
to reconcile the pre-existing polarization between rich and poor, but also weed
out the corrupt elements of our cultural ethos. More…
No comments:
Post a Comment