2010-03-16 18:22:08 - The main story today revolves around Lara State Governor Henri Falcon and the Patria Para Todos (PPT) Party.

VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports:

Falcon returned to Lara on Monday after attending an international city Governors' meeting in Mexico to a hero's welcome. A massive cavalcade took over the city of Barquisimeto in the afternoon in a show of support from opposition sectors, who adopted blue as Falcon's color.

The irony is that blue is the official color of both the opposition Un Nuevo Tiempo Party (UNT) founded by former Zulia State Governor Manuel Rosales and the pro-government PPT.

Falcon with his message "inclusion not exclusion" has given the opposition in Lara State a shot in the arm and presented the government with a serious challenge.

The PPT itself has become more emboldened throwing out challenges to the majority United

Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), first stating that it prefers Falcon's support rather than winning seats in the National Assembly (AN) and then, declaring through its general secretary, Jose Albornoz that it is not sitting down to breakfast, lunch or supper with the bourgeoisie.

Some political observers have been suggesting for a long time that the PPT and indeed Falcon himself were responsible for promoting "Chavism without Chavez." Whether that tendency will sponsored by US policy makers remains to be seen but it is a possibility, given the Kilkenny cats syndrome dominating opposition electoral policies and the large amount of money the State Department and CIA have seen disappear down the drain.

Falcon and the PPT, which is seen as being overawed by the occasion, have several hurdles to jump, the main one being that it is a localized phenomenon restricted to Lara State. Secondly, Falcon who is portrayed as an excellent administrator, has to clear his name over the Transbar transport system debacle that left Barquisimeto's streets a disaster and the proposed bus terminal an empty carcass.

All eyes, however, will be on Lara State to see how institutional relations between Falcon as State Governor and state institutions fare. A key sector to watch will be the agrarian reform and the local oligarchy. A push to tackle a major landowner in Quibor has already been put on ice and there have been government sectors holding the individual up as the example to follow in ensuring production. The fact that the same personality is already planning to hog a substantial part of water coming from the Yacambu tunnel seems to have been overlooked.

Still for many socialists in Lara, Falcon's desertion from the PSUV is welcome because it clears the air of doubts and intrigues that have plagued relationships and development.

President Chavez has changed his characterization of Falcon from "traitor" to "deserter" ... accusing his pupil of hiding the class struggle and not being able to contribute anything any more to Socialism in Venezuela.

The PPT stands in danger of breaking up because of Falcon but it is too early to say how things will shape up because of the parliamentary electoral campaign.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com

www.vheadline.com/patrick

www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=89524