100 Flowers Movement redux: Venezuela's Chavistas takes a page from Mao handbook

[GatoGordo]

PSUV Holds Congress as Pressure Mounts for Maduro to Receive Campesino March

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“...The IV Congress of the PSUV has as its work method the dialectical balance of reflection, study, thoughtfulness, and action, which will define the future of the nation,” tweeted Maduro at the opening of the congress, which, he said “looks to find solutions for the country.”

A fierce debate on how to solve Venezuela's economic problems occurred between the various tendencies within the PSUV, with Maduro calling for “self-criticism.” In theory, the congress is an opportunity for grassroots movements to manifest the day to day conditions to high ranking PSUV leaders, whom many accuse of being out of touch with such realities.

Some, but not all, of the PSUV leaders have adopted Maduro’s call for self-criticism, opening the way for constructive debate on ways to improve the government’s effectiveness. For example, leading PSUV member Freddy Bernal** controversially challenged the official discourse which blames a Washington-led economic war for the majority of the current problems. “We are nineteen years into a revolution, only we are responsible for the good and the bad,” he said."


Now, if they just spoke German!

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https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13969
(VenezuelaAnalysis is the official online English language propaganda outlet for Chavismo)

Some background on the 100 Flowers Movement in China (1956)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Flowers_Campaign

Backstory: In 1956, Mao called upon every Chinese thinking person to express his/her opinions in a new era of openness and thoughtfulness in Communist China. Once these thoughtful opinions were out in the open, Mao knew who the enemy was and promptly did what any good Communist would do. In 1957, there was a great new purge, called The Anti-Rightist Movment, and all of these suckers who were hoodwinked into expressing their opinions (anything contrary to Maoist thought) were either sent off for political indoctrination or they "disappeared".

**Freddy Bernal quickly backpedaled from his previous "constructive criticism" of Chavismo. He said that his quote was "taken out of context".