Only ONE game of the Copa America in Caracas.... Want to know why?

"Ciudad Universitaria, Caracas"

The Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas, built to the design of the architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva, between 1940 and 1960, is an outstanding example of the Modern Movement in architecture. The university campus integrates the large number of buildings and functions into a clearly articulated ensemble, including masterpieces of modern architecture and visual arts, such as the Aula Magna with the "Clouds" of Alexander Calder, the Olympic Stadium, and the Covered Plaza.

The Olympic stadium in Caracas (as well as the whole "Ciudad Universitaria") was declared by the UNESCO as World Heritage and is considered a masterpiece of modern city planning, architecture and art.

Reconditioned for the Copa America, the stadium was scheduled to host only 2 games: The Semi-Final and the game for the third place. However, at the last minute the goverment decided to change the Semi-Final game to the city of Maracaibo without giving an apparent excuse:



Olympic Stadium: The goverment spend over $30M dollars to fix up this stadium for the Copa America 2007. However, why not use it?. The stadium sits over 30,000 visitors.

So... why is this beautiful stadium home to only one game of the Copa America. Caracas is the most important city in Venezuela; isn't it?

I will tell you why.
In fact, the Mayor of Caracas will tell you that (sort of).

Yesterday the Ciudad Universitaria was taken over by the military. Today several students were arrested for protesting peacefully with their hands painted in white and yelling "Freedom". Right outside of the stadium.

But the most shocking moment came when the Mayor of Caracas and his bodyguards attacked a professor from a very well known and respected school (UCAB) who was watching the game; according to the Mayor, "he had insulted him".

The funny part is... this is all on video, check out the ABUSE OF POWER by the Mayor and his bodyguards; if you can understand Spanish you can also listen to his lies as well as the declarations (to Globovision) of Mexican and Uruguayan visitors who were sitting right next to the professor that was attacked. You don't have to believe me, see it for yourself:








Uruguay beat Mexico 3 vs 1. But the highlight of the game was the "episode" of Juan Barreto. The National guard had to step in and escort him out of the stadium because the 30,000 visitors were standing up yelling "FUERA! FUERA!". The pyrotechnic show the goverment put up during the game didn't cover the chants of "RCTV!!!" , "Freedom!!" and "Y va a caaaeeer..." from resounding on the stadium during the whole encounter.

You might remember the Mayor of Caracas from an episode last year when he made sexist remarks: "You can't trust an animal that bleeds every month when it hasn't been injured, the woman". Or maybe you might have heard of him after he attacked 2 members of the opposition in a "Mayors Committee" he hosted.

This is the reason the Copa America was not played in Caracas, the goverment was scared of whatever could happen.
Ladies and gentlemen: Welcome to Caracas.

Copa America, if we could only enjoy it....

For the first time in history Venezuela has been appointed by the FIFA to host the oldest soccer tournament in history: Copa America (America Cup). The goverment has spent over a Billion dollars preparing for this event... sounds great... if we could only enjoy it.

Over a Billion dollars were spent and yet, we have unfinished stadiums... However, I do not want to deviate from the idea behind this article and bash the goverment efforts to host the Copa America (Just look at the stadiums and judge for yourself (http://fotos-gbastidas.blogspot.com/). The idea behind this post on my blog, is to voice out the corruption and how the goverment has made it impossible for anyone not affiliated to the goverment to get a ticket to see a game.

The truth is, the goverment cannot afford to let the international media and opinion show what goes on every night at the different local stadiums or at the latest concerts....


"its going down, its going down.. this goverment is going down!".
**This takes place in soccer matches, baseball matches, concerts, basketaball matches... etc

Copa America is more than the oldest soccer tournament in history to the Venezuelan goverment. It is the new tool to gain support and lose all the protests and negativity the illegal closure of Venezuela's oldest TV station RCTV has brought. (Hence how TVES, the new goverment channel is the official channel of the Copa America)

While corruption has made it impossible for the 9 stadiums to be finished completely, they are all in their final stages and meet the requirements for the tournament to be played.

TV Adds, Albums, Outdoors Ads, songs, videos, etc... the goverment has gone as far as to build walls around bad looking neighborhoods around the stadiums to make sure everything goes as planned.

The distribution and handling of tickets for the Copa America has been given to an unknown company: "The Lujo Productions". Nobody knows who was behind this scheme (it will eventually come to light), but trough The Lujo Productions someone (affiliated to the goverment) is getting very very rich. Over 80% of tickets have been purchased by the state and state owned companies, this tickets are given out or sold to members of the PSUV or known supporters of the Revolution. Chavez wants to be sure that there will be no anti-goverment propaganda in the stadium... everything needs to be very very RED.

For the same reason, Caracas, the most important city in the country; the city that has been home to non-stop protests by thousands of students will only host but ONE game. The match for 3rd place. Once again, the goverment cant risk having students protest with their peace signs and white hands outside the stadiums.

So now I ask.. while everyone seems very happy about the Copa America.. should we Venezuelans be happy?.

I have dreamed about the Copa happening in my country since I was an 8 year old kid playing soccer. Now that the dream has come true, there is no way I will be able to see a game because I voted against Chavez, because I am in the Maisanta list and because I REFUSE to sign up for his stupid political party..

I will not be watching the Copa America. and If I do, it will have to be trough Direct TV (or at a local bar) because the only other option is the newly created TV channel (TVES) that the goverment is forcing us to watch...