*Greetings, everyone*
Yesterday, I was surprised by the opening of a road that had been blocked for almost two years, after an earthquake damaged the structure of one of the old bridges over the Manzanares River in Cumaná.

![IMG_20200629_104456.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/XC8PQZ6l-IMG_20200629_104456.jpg)

<center>![IMG_20200402_095033.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/XcSp2KM9-IMG_20200402_095033.jpg)</center>

The bridge was called Puente **Antonio Guzmán Blanco**, a Venezuelan caudillo and three times president (1870-1877, 1879-1884, and 1886-1888). Now it has been renamed, like most things this red "revolution" has done, **Luis Mariano Rivera**, in honor of a poet and musician from Carúpano, the governor's home and second most impotant town in the state of Sucre.

<center>https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Martin_Tovar_y_Tovar_20.JPG/220px-Martin_Tovar_y_Tovar_20.JPG [Source](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Guzm%C3%A1n_Blanco)</center>

Luis Mariano Rivera was a humble poet and folk singer who deserves all the praising and respect. However,

<center>https://scontent-lax3-2.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/67573328_433435027273751_736850546433091693_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-lax3-2.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=111&_nc_ohc=OhGB17Ade0UAX8yHQVY&oh=1f3f3b49c65aa31559b92b0e65a035d8&oe=5F243C13 
[Source](https://www.instastalker2.com/media/B1mwmxBjkK2)</center>

There is a theater already with his name and the renaming of the bridge does nothing to erase all the issues surrounding its repair.

![IMG_20200630_170016.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/X8OkltAj-IMG_20200630_170016.jpg)

The bridge was cracked by an earthquake that hit the area in 2018. It was supposed to be repaired in a couple of months, but it took the Maduro regime almost 2 years. There have been questions about the contracts granted and the actual cost of the work. 

https://azulejo-digital.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/puue.jpg [Fuente](https://azulejo-digital.com/puente-guzman-blanco-no-sufrio-danos-tras-sismo-ocurrido-la-semana-pasada/)

Even though it looks nice, much better than the old one, of course, and it has new light posts and a bunch of color lights on an artificial cascade that falls to the river, this area is one of the worse parts of town: stinky, dirty, unsafe, and populated by drug addicts, prostitutes, and beggars. The revolution that loves the people and promised them a way out of poverty only multiplied the poor and made sure only a miracle would get them out of that hole.

![IMG_20200629_104547.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/pw8BtlTJ-IMG_20200629_104547.jpg)

![IMG_20200629_104405.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/QiJ1lzUY-IMG_20200629_104405.jpg)

The whole river bank that for decades has been the center of much populist agendas continues showing the best evidence of what a corrupt and inefficient government means for any country. Most of their works are poorly finished, guarded, and maintained. I give this bridge half a year to start showing signs of decay or vandalism.

![IMG_20200629_104419.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/X7irP69x-IMG_20200629_104419.jpg)

The erasure of Guzmán Blanco's name from the bridge is part of the government's undoing of our whole culture. By rewriting history and deciding what we should remember and what not, they make sure we have no referents. Guzmán Blanco was an autocrat, like no other. To his 14 years in power we have to add some 6 more of at least 4 poppet presidents who were under his control. He stole outrageous amounts of moneys and lived the life of royalty. He got Venezuela closer to the main world powers of the late 19th century. He also introduced ambitious urban and modernizing projects, the telephone, institutions such as the Academy of Language, and our currency, the Bolivar (which ironically was destroyed by the Bolivarian Revolution, now that everything here is negotiated in $). 

By erasing Guzmán Blanco’s name the chavistas get rid of a caudillo that cast too big a shadow over their ruthless kleptocracy. Their legacy will be one of mediocre works presented to people as monuments to the memory of a man who, far from consolidating authority, abundance, independence, and order, created a system that multiplied corruption and authoritarianism.

![IMG_20200629_104435.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/zMm1tfna-IMG_20200629_104435.jpg)


We may have gotten a "new" bridge, but we'll pay a dear moral price for it. What is the point of having now fancy lights if noone can go out at night. Violence, police corruption, and impunity had rendered the town unsafe way before Covid-19 became the main fear. By the time the surviving people are able to walk downtown at night there will be no lights to see.

# Thanks for stopping by
<center>![IMG_20200402_095033.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/hlezama/XcSp2KM9-IMG_20200402_095033.jpg)</center>

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