In Venezuela, truth is first casualty

Accusations are flying in Venezuela as the country approaches a crucial parliamentary vote next weekend that will reshape the country’s immediate and long-term future. The brutal, senseless murder of an opposition politician/activist this week and the subsequent fallout illustrates the stark lines of division that dominate the country. And beyond the country’s borders the arguments continue across the region. Colombia and Brazil both expressed dismay over the murder on Friday, adding to concerned comments from Uruguay, Chile and Mauricio Macri’s more general remarks earlier in the week, addressing the Mercosur and the way he will try to impose the “democratic clause” to sanction Venezuela It’s difficult for journalists to find out the truth of any incident in Venezuela. We don’t even have reliable polling numbers for Sunday’s vote. And each time the country hits the headlines, a pattern emerges — one of claims and counterclaims, with the veracity lost in the fog of rhetoric. More…