Thursday, July 09, 2009
On the power of blogging
Quico who has more patience than me with PSF literature noticed that Venezuelanalysis was asking for donations, concluding this as yet another sign of financial trouble in the chavista camp. This far I agree with him but I would have liked him to go a little bit further in his observations. I will thus pick where he left.
First, his picture is not as comprehensive as I would have liked it tobe so I took my own shot, to make sure a date was recorded and to remind folks that a site who has published books out of its contents should be important enough not to have to request money. Heck, they should ask Eva Golinger and Ignacio Ramonet how it is done!!!! As far as I am concerned Greg Wilpert is at least as good as these two creeps, and way more civil than either one. I know because I was on radio with him once and exchanged courteous mails about links (I was the lone oppo blog to link to chavista sites for a long while; but that's me). Click on pic for details.
However it does get much better when you click on the links offered and read the info on why they seek help. I quote:we have recently lost the support of some of our principal donors.After so many years of speculation about the funding sources for V-analysis, we would love to know those mysterious donors so affected by the current recession. I mean, actual capitalist business were sponsoring that site? Because, you know, we are told that PDVSA has no problems, from the very articles of V-analysis. What gives?
The next one is even better and gives the oppo blogosphere in English enough excuse to pat each other's back.In its six years of existence, we have managed to steadily increase our readership, so that now over 40,000 people (“unique visitors,” according to Google Analytics) visit the site per month.Let me see if I get this right: with sponsors and many writers V-analysis did not manage to double my number of unique visitors, a number that I acquired on my own, writing alone except for the occasional guest post when I travel and did not own yet a lap top? Yes, that is right, be it Google analytics or the other counters on my site I get between 20 and 30K unique readers every month (1).
Furthermore from the google reference section I can guess what Miguel or Quico get based on what hits they send my way. I can assure readers that the combined sum of us can be the envy of V-analysis. And let's not even recall Alek who in his heyday had more victors than the rest of us combined, and by far.
To nail it all the way through, oppo blogs do not hide their stance and thus willingly or not filter their readership. V-analaysis pretends to be more objective and tries to attract potential opposition readership. Though they do it clumsily, according to this quote from the same fund asking letter:Venezuelanalysis has regularly been the first place for people to visit for accurate, contextualized, and in-depth reporting from on the ground on crucial developments in Venezuela, whether on its many electoral contests, on Venezuela’s social movements, on the Venezuelan government’s innovative domestic and foreign policies, on opposition and media efforts to discredit and destabilize the Bolivarian Process, and on breaking news, among many other topics.How many contradictions can you pick from this paragraph? Are these innocent contradictions or are they fishing in troubled waters?
Anyway, a few weeks ago I tested this blog unwillingly for donations to Globovision and to my great surprise I could have raised easily, very easily several thousand dollars. Yes, maybe you could argue that I have a rich right wing reader base, though you would be hard pressed to prove it so, but the fact of the matter is that the only payment I got for my years of work has been the occasional lunch from a grateful reader. Not even a paid for invitation to a conference, as many of V-analysis writers I am sure got.
I leave it up to the reader to draw his/her own conclusions.
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1) this hits numbers are very hard to evaluate as to their real meaning. Many are accidental arrivals from search engines, many are unique every week, etc, etc... Even the "stay on a page" number is not definitive to establish how many people actually read one blog.
-The end-Labels: blogging as a way fo life
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posted by Daniel Permalink 8:11 AM
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
The Honduras cadena: chavismo propaganda at wits end?
There was a short cadena last night on the Honduras situation and it spoke volumes of the current mind set and phobias of chavismo.
First and again, as it always needs to be repeated, a cadena is a MANDATORY SIMULTANEOUS BROADCAST OF ALL TV AND RADIO STATIONS OF THE COUNTRY, FOR THE GOVERNMENT, BY THE GOVERNMENT, FOR AS LONG AS THE GOVERNMENT WISHES IT TO LAST. Of course no financial compensation is given to the private networks that lose ad time, nor any right to reply to the parties that might be attacked by Chavez or any of his sycophants during the cadena.
The cadena was supposedly a fair representation of what had been taking place in Honduras last week. Of course it represented only the side of Chavez and Zelaya even though the film had the pretense of a documentary. I will spare you the details, only too predictable, details that make other films such as "The revolution will not be televised" relative models of objectivity when compared to this product of chavista (Cuban?) studios. The mesh was so thick that one would have been hard pressed to figure out what was true, or at least genuine, from what was purely political manipulation.
But I was not shocked by the cadena. No. Heck, any rational and moderately informed person upon watching this hysteria might be tempted to become pro Micheletti just out of instinct.
As I was watching the cadena I was hit by a revelation of sorts: chavismo is descending into propagandist imbecility. I mean, really, do they actually believe for a minute that people who have made up their mind on Honduras will change it based on such a poorly made and clearly biased "documentary"? No, they are not that dumb; their stupidity lies elsewhere.
What is happening is that after ten years of massive propaganda, of constant cadenas, of Tascon lists, of ideologization campaigns, of training folks in Cuba to come back train the masses, they still cannot convince, their message does not reach as far as they think it should. They beleive that their message does not get through because of "others", not because of the flaws of their message. That cadena was not an argument, it was a screaming until-your-face-turns-blue moment. The objective was to drown with noise the words of the other side; to establish a truth "because I scream it louder than you". Exactly as some PSF juvenile tactics when they try to troll opposition comment sections in blogs. If this last one is understandable, seeing that government has reached the same level of idiocy in media is a sobering moment.
The other worrying element hitting home is that chavismo now believes more and more its own crap, as we could see alter that evening in La Hojilla commenting on the Clinton interview. Chavismo seems to have lost any critical perspective. In that "documentary" grand sweeping exaggerations were the norm, followed by minimizing, objectifying, and degrading anything that tried to stand in front of you.
I already knew all of that but last night I was faced with it in the crudest way, in the most naked show of force, demanding that I listen to Chavez view point. As if I had escaped it so far, as if I could escape it anyway.
In a way it is good because such crass imposition along the threats on Globovision are in my opinion counterproductive. It is just too much, it is beyond the pale, it just goes beyond the right of reply since people realize, no matter how uneducated they might be, that there is no reply possible, that the concept of reply is now alien.
And it also explains why in polls so many self described chavistas are against closing Globovision: no matter how hysterical this one might get it is still light years removed from what the state media has become and they still sense a need for balance in their lives, no matter how perverse that balance might be.
-The end-
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posted by Daniel Permalink 11:11 AM
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The road to Ledezma: passing through Canossa or Damascus?
Although I do not particularly care for Ledezma I have never underestimated him. The hunger strike he started last week end is looking like a much bigger success than he probably expected himself. Not only he got OAS secretary Insulza finally to return a phone call, but he is going on with his hunger strike as the who's who of Venezuela opposition fights to be seen at Ledezma's hunger bedside. Suddenly the Ledezma hunger strike is looking like a cathartic moment for all involved.
Insulza who has to sense that his image is getting worse daily as now Costa Rica is asked to be the mediator in the Honduran fiasco decided to call Ledezma and invite him over to Washignton DC along the governors of Venezuela who are harassed daily by Chavez. I am pretty sure that tonight some china will be broken at Miraflores, no matter what a fat check Chavez may or may not have sent Insulza's way (reelection votes count in the scheme since oil checks to tiny banana republics/islands can be transformed into OAS votes). For Insulza the road to Ledezma goes through Canossa. At least until he can come up with something to deflect the attention.
Ledezma is starting to garner a few headlines, not much yet, but how can you compete with Michael Jackson funeral and the Honduras flying circus? However inside Venezuela it has given the opposition increasing strength in daring not to toe the Chavez line on Honduras. It seems to work as clearly symbols like Raul Castro talking democracy in Managua or a Venezuelan plane as the personal taxi ride of Zelaya do not go down well with some within the chavista electorate. At any rate it seems that linking the Honduras coup to the coup against Ledezma by Chavez is working better than linking the Honduras coup to whatever Chavez is trying to link it to. On this respect notice how chavista sites spend on Ledezma, be it tackyly at Vheadline or angry ignorance at Aporrea, duly obsessed by everything Honduras per its leader orders. Clearly they do not seem aware that they have been placed on a road.
But the opposition is finding its road to Damascus. Ledezma seems to single handedly do more than anyone else for the opposition unity than anyone else before he went in hunger strike. New born again unity preachers are declaring from the OAS legation doors. Maybe leaders are afraid that Ledezma will become the leader of the opposition, maybe they do not want to be left behind if he becomes the leader of the the opposition, maybe they kiss him Judas like before they find a way to stab him, but all go to the Caracas OAS embassy to pay their respects, and I mean this choice of words, to Ledezma.
At least within the opposition the hunger strike of Ledezma has been a fabulous success in pro of political unity against Chavez. Let's see how well it holds, hoping that many wake up to the chinks appearing in Chavez Teflon armor, faults exploitable only though concerted strategy.
-The end-
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posted by Daniel Permalink 8:04 PM
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Hillary Clinton talks to Globovision
[Post interview update]
The news that will have chavismo foam at the mouth tonight is the interview that Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State in case you were still notaware, granted not only to Globovision but to its leading show, Alo Ciudadano, and its anchor Leopoldo Castillo. The picture of the three of them, Globovision baseball cap included (on the right side Ravell, Globovision director).
Of course, I will not insult your intelligence interpreting this piece of news because even if Hillary talks for one minute only and about the weather only, the symbol is there for all to see. Enjoy!
To be filed under the "I cannot believe it is not butter" label.
Update: Waiting for the show I heard a lovely interview of Lucio Gutierrez, ex Ecuador president, removed forcibly from office in an Honduras like move. But then Insulza was not yet on the payroll of Chavez while Lucio had managed the shit list of Chavez after having been one of his favorite person in the world (like Chavez, he was a failed coupster). There are so many threads of double and triple and quadruple standards that my head spins.
Update 2, post interview
The interview was functional. Leopoldo Castillo was obsequious and ill at ease, wondering whether he should behave like an ex-ambassador or a journalist. Annoying presence.
Questions were standard and Hillary responses standard, avoiding any controversy, avoiding to say what Castillo wanted her to say. Still, she made it clear that things in Venezuela are not kosher and that she is aware of it. All in all, very competent at what she is supposed to do right now, avoid further trouble for her country which is overtaxed.
No matter what, the interview does not solve anything, does not protect Globovion from being closed though it makes very clear that the price Chavez will have to pay for it will be very high. Interestingly, the Honduras part of the country revealed how irrelevant Venezuela will become as negotiations keep going. The US might have taken the lead by sponsoring Nobel winner Oscar Arias as an intermediary but the confidence of Clinton betrayed that the US is backed. And if it is not by Venezuela/ALBA you can guess easily who it is.
As soon as the interview was over I switched to VTV to watch La Hojilla reaction. I was not disappointed as Mario Silva was livid, as furious as I ever saw him. And to add insult to injury his guest was Eva Golinger who is becoming "la propia vende patria". Comments were predictable: Obama is the same thing; Castillo is betraying the country; we are going to close Globovision anyway; and the like.... Proving that the interview hit a raw nerve. The top was Silva belching "who named Arias?" betraying his resentment at 1) his boss not being on the forefront anymore and 2) that Arias did the most to block a commie take over of Central America 20 years ago.
-The end-Labels: globovision, hillary clinton
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posted by Daniel Permalink 5:00 PM
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Monday, July 06, 2009
Meanwhile, back at the Venezuelan ranch
We need to take a break of our Honduras extensive coverage to remind people what is going on in Venezuela.
Briefly on Honduras first. Two people were indeed killed yesterday, including a teenager. Inasmuch as it is a sad event we can be happy that the count was so low. It is not good propaganda for the sitting regime of Tegucigalpa but the way Zelaya so carelessly handed his "return" is going to make these deaths difficult for internal consumption. True, outside people are going to scream in horror but what matters, let's face it, is how "zelayistas" will mobilize and that is not a certain thing at least looking at the past week. And when you read that Zelaya will come back through the back country roads, you wonder how long is it going to take until the guy finally realizes he is wasting his 15 minutes of fame.
Back at the ranch. The news today is the Venezuelan opposition making a big fuss about the REAL constitutional violations. The OAS might still not be replying but there are clear indications that the local regime is getting anxious.
First, the hero du jour, Ledezma, is persisting in his hunger strike now going into its fourth day. He has been joined by some folks and has received many well known visitors. True, In English you will not find much material on Ledezma but wait a couple more of days and we will talk about it again.
One of Ledezma visitors was one of his old foes, the one who kicked him out of AD. Now Ramos Allup came in the name of the current unity group of the opposition to challenge the OAS at its own embassy. And he was not afraid to compare Venezuela as worse than Honduras.
Do not think that the OAS is going to be able to play dumb and deaf fro much longer. First, in a tough editorial at Tal Cual today, Teodoro Petkoff deliberately broke the secrecy rule and reported a conversation he had a few weeks ago with OAS secretary Insulza. Needless to say that Insulza reputation is not going to improve, and his crazy bias on their way to due exposition as we are told that he is perfectly aware of Chavez regime violations of the Inter American charter now brandished against Honduras.
Furthermore that government of Chavez has given a wonderful argument to the opposition, at the worst moment: the banning of the CEDICE TV advertisements have been legally digested by the opposition and a strong counteraction is under way, timed along the Honduras events it seems. REUTERS might tend to be forgiving to Chavez but their report, even if it includes "virulent" as an adjective for Globovision, cannot hide the attempt at censorship now taking place in Venezuela. The New York Times correspondent is also noting in a brief dispatch that 240 radio stations are about to be closed. Expect a longer article on the matter soon, just as the OAS will meet again for Honduras.
I am not sure of what is really going on but I have a sense that the opposition is for once sensing its opportunity to really bother Chavez and that many countries are waiting for the excuse to silence Chavez and make a deal on Honduras. Or has no one noticed the relative calm of Brazil, Chile or Colombia, limiting themselves to the pro forma condemnation of the Honduras coup?
I do not know about you, but so far I am not seeing Chavez winning this hand. He will come back and exact revenge on us for sure, but he might have overplayed his Honduras game, even with people starting to die for the "zelayista" revolution who seems lack in people...
And here, well, once again, unity of the opposition is the key to any success, as Honduras might yet demonstrate us. The time for resolve has come.
-The end-
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posted by Daniel Permalink 6:48 PM
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O'Grady goes all out against Zelaya and Chavez
Maria Anastasia O'Grady might be an hawk, but it is difficult to disagree with her last piece. If you do not agree about her claims on 2004 electoral cheating in Venezuela, you can hardly find fault with her condemnation of US polices toward Chavez since then, including present White House tenant. And you have to congratulate her for saying loud what many think secretly, even if you do not agree with her. Refreshing, no?.
-The end-Labels: chavez, honduras, o'grady
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posted by Daniel Permalink 11:00 AM
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Sunday, July 05, 2009
In other bad news for Chavez: Mexico votes the PRD in a distant third place
Remember Mexico's election three years ago? When Lopez Obrador and the PRD refused to recognize the close victory of Calderon even though the PAN was winning the congress vote with a PRI in a distant third?
Well, today the PRD is paying the price for stupid opposition and for not cutting on time links with hysterical politicians like Obrador or Chavez. The PRI seems to make a spectacular come back and perhaps making it to a Congress majority while the PAN victim of a crisis from outside, the flu and a drug war still manages to retain a honorable second. Good news for Honduras too, Chavez might not be anymore in such a hurry to take over. With a 13% at best for the PRD and a divided left, and many inside who do not like Chavez, it seems that the big enchilada of XXI century socialism will have to wait far into the next decade.
-The end-Labels: mexico
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posted by Daniel Permalink 9:45 PM
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The Zelaya Telesur show, sponsored by Chavez
Watching the fateful flight of the Zelaya bumble bee on CNN was quite something. First, the image was from Telesur, the Chavez financed news system for Latin America. But that was in CNN London: CNN en español Atlanta had its own camera, though on occasion it switched to the sky panning camera of Telesur, the only one apparently able to locate the plane that could not land.
Then you started listening to the sound. If you were watching RCTV the sound was the one from Telesur. The conversation between the Telesur anchor woman and Zelaya in the plane was eerie. Zelaya was sorry that the pilots did not want to try to land. A few messianic sentences were included. The anchor woman asked him if he wanted to send a message to his supporters waiting for his landing, all cheering his return. Pass the cookies tray please.
CNN would report later that the order to Zelaya supporters was to force the airport fence and take over the landing strip. Fortunately the Honduran police would have none of this nonsense. Apparently in some scuffle there might be one dead, the first blood on Zelaya's hand if we must take into account the CNN report.
The plane eventually left the Honduran airspace, but instead of flying to San Salvador as accorded and where the accomplices waited, it flew to Managua. See, the plane was Venezuelan and Managua is now a safe heaven for Venezuelan army/PDVSA planes on "special missions".
Zelaya supporters then withdrew. Pundits came on camera at CNN. All were raving mad at the Honduran regime, all tried to give the point on Zelaya but all admitted that the situation had gotten worse and that we might be in for the long haul. No kidding!
OK, I am a cheap pundit myself so here I go.
Starting with the end. The pundits might be right but they might be wrong. Judging the scoring according to US or Europe standards is not necessarily wise in this situation. The fact of the matter is that the Zelaya supporters as numerous as they might have been were still not that many, and certainly not enough to storm Tocontin Airport. CNN camera pointed at them all the time. If the Honduras regime has the good idea of retransmitting the airborne unconscious words of Zelaya sending his supporters into trouble blithely, he can come out of the scene quite bruised. See, in Latino parlance, he was all talk, no action, and Micheletti held his ground. Zelaya might have scored a point in Paris, but I doubt he gained much in Honduras where it matters right now. After all Tegucigalpa is now banned from everywhere, what do they care about Zelaya scoring in Timbuktu? The show of force, as far as I can tell, was won by Micheletti and his buddies, even though it is most likely only the first one in a long list.
Micheletti offer to restart dialog today was also taken as a form of weakness by the CNN pundits. I am not so sure. That Chavez only offers dialog when he is in trouble does not mean that it is the case with any other LatinoAmerican coupster, civilian, legal or not. Micheletti was in all likeness protecting himself in case Zelaya would have shown more resolve today, like jumping in parachute as he pretended he asked the pilots. Parachuting from a jet? Please.....
And what is wrong with Salvador? There democratically elected presidents were awaiting him. In Managua TV showed nothing and only reported a phone call. Managua is more the exit of the defeated than Salvador the exit of the defiant. I mean, are Venezuelan pilots so afraid to fly wherever they are not warmly welcome? A missed photo op for Zelaya who is in need of them. But the guy has been flying around like a bumble bee and he might not be able to stop himself.
But that Managua landing is even worse. Micheletti today claimed that Nicaragua was sending troops to its border, something that Ortega promptly denied. Landing in Nicaragua right after that exchange, even if Micheletti lied through his teeth was not wise at all for Zelaya who plays into the new regime's hands. Micheletti can use that agasint him now.
What is next?
Well, right now it is clear that Zelaya's supporters are not a majority: the regime left them come to the airport, they were seen and they lacked strength and resolve. Contrary to what Chavez does, as far as I know the regime did not call its supporters tot he streets, something it could have done easily to pack a side of the airport. As far as I can tell, right now the regime has the upper hand. Any unfortunate death that might have happened can be esaily pinned on the ill intentions of the Zelayistas (?).
Thus we seem to be in for the long run. Even though the CNN pundits tried to present Insulza as a negotiator, the fact of the matter is that he was not one, never intended to be one. So know we are back to square one, after one week of useless posturing, looking at how e can transform the OAS secreatry into what he should have always been.
Honduras knows very well that if it manages to reach elections in November or even earlier, all will be forgotten soon after. However to reach a long term favorable outcome it needs to negotiate fast to at least make its case good enough to make sure it can proceed to fair elections with plenty of international observers. That is where Chavez is going to try to hit, to make everything possible in his hands to present the Honduras election as invalid because he knows very well that at least 70% of the people are going to vote for the traditional parties and send Zelaya et all to the showers.
Note: we are told that the campaign is already well under way, with the candidates duly nominated. I suspect that Zelaya did not have any one to run under his colors which is the reason why he tried to call for a constituent assembly. I rest my case.
Note 2: The Washignton Post as a nice summary, nicer than the BBC which seems to be in conflict betwee the London bureau interpretations and the on the ground reporter observations.
Updates:
The BBC mundo report is much better than the BBC English. They confirm that at least one person dies of a gun shot coming from the army when the airport fence broke up momentarily.
Chavez claims a "moral victory" for Zelaya and blames the US. If you ask me, a sure sign that what I wrote above is a better intepretation than the ones from the CNN pundits.
Argentina El Clarin, following closely the escape trip from Buenos Aires reality by Cristina reports that Zelaya might be goign to Salvador after all. He better does... I suppose he had to make his report to his Caracas boss first.
-The end-Labels: honduras
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posted by Daniel Permalink 8:32 PM
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An Honduras show down? Blood for Zelaya?
You might say whatever you want about the Honduras coup but one thing is certain: as I am typing this entry I have not been made aware of anyone killed from the coup, or even hurt beyond a couple of bruises. Normal tradition of LatAm coups include a whole bunch of killed and injured folks, starting with Chavez coups of February and November 1992 that left hundreds of people killed or injured.
Let's keep a sense of perspective here, shall we?
If I am bringing up the example of Chavez it is to remind folks that there is always room for some negotiation, for some agreement and that the end result might surprise all, including the end-of-game winners. Is not Chavez the elected autocrat of Venezuela? Is he not the one presiding the neo-fascist regime of Caracas which is much worse than the one he tried to oust in 1992 or even the one today in Tegucigalpa, a regime who at least has the acquiescence of two out of the three powers, very discreet military presence so far, and demonstrable support in the streets?
It is good to remind folks of these basic facts of life as the media is following with an indecorous frenzy the possible return anytime soon of Zelaya to Tegucigalpa. This return might be taking place in spite of the refusal of the sitting government, the blockade of the airport and the warning of Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga that Zelaya return will lead inevitably to a blood bath. And in this corner of the world they know exactly when blood baths start and how long they last. Ask Guatemala, Salvador and Nicaragua, just to name the three immediate neighbors of Honduras.
But apparently Zelaya cannot wait, his ego duly pumped up by Chavez hired help, promising to accompany him, namely Cristina Kirchner, Rafael Correa, and probably even Paraguay's Lugo. The three of them, by the way, probably most at risk from a coup ouster because of their lousy politics, personal ambition or personal depravity. Or a combination.
If the OAS had an ounce of dignity left, if it indeed wanted to defend democracy which is the art of compromise, the very least it would do is to stop Zelaya, tell him that Honduras is now out of the OAS, that sanctions are coming and that he needs to give sanctions a few weeks to work, to make negotiations possible. After all, Zelaya actions are at the root of the Honduras crisis and this also must be reminded to all, all the time. Running to defend him, no questions asked, is simply outrageous and a symptom of how presidential a system of government our continent has become since TV is everywhere. One almost could sense a common agreement form the US to Argentina that presidents are above all, must be defended against all, at all costs.
Canada's voice stood honorably, asking Zelaya not to return.
As such who cares about Honduran blood? Less illegal workers of the US? A colony for Chavez that no one else will feel compelled to send aid anymore?
As I close I learn that Zelaya took off, with the lone company of Miguel D'Escoto of the UN, a defrocked Catholic priest that served the Sandinista for decades and who is uncountably president of the UN session for the 2008-2009 period. How fitting a company. The others decided to stay put, or to fly to a neighboring country to see how the wind blows.
As usual, those that talk the most usually do the least, as Chavez illustrates so well, he who was the first one in a bailing out move from accompanying Zelaya even to the street corner. I suppose it is good for the cowards that were all talk and no action at the end, but it is still bad for the Honduras people as the possibility for blood before the end of the day increases as the plane nears Honduran space.
-The end-Labels: honduras
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posted by Daniel Permalink 1:18 PM
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Saturday, July 04, 2009
Breaking news: Honduras might be leaving the OAS on its own
[UPDATED 2]
Well, you have to respect the consistency of the new Honduran regime: they decided to leave the OAS before this one had a chance to expel them at the Saturday meeting.
The Spanish language communique, the only one available from AFP as I type, states that Honduras is pissed at OAS secretary Insulza for not having met with all there and for coming already with his decision in mind. And for not considering the bellicose words emitted against Honduras by other countries.
In other words, Honduras says that Insulza is a fraud. Well, at least on that point I will not disagree with the Honduras regime.
Now we must see how a poor country will resist as the world gangs up against it. However one sure is certain, Insulza failed, badly, at his first real diplomatic crisis (the Colombia-Venezuela problems were in fact solved by other folks than Insulza, and in a way were less worrisome than the Honduras situation as at least inside Venezuela we knew that war would never start). In fact, one is almost tempted to think that Insulza went out of his way to make things worse in Honduras than what they were. Amazing!
Meanwhile back in Caracas the BBC Mundo is reporting on Ledezma hunger strike because the OAS has been ignoring the attacks on democracy made by Chavez. I love it! And then some wonder how come Insulza is so discredited....
UPDATE
The "creativity" of Insulza is a sight to behold. Now he says that the withdrawal of Honduras is not valid because it must be signed by a valid government. We also learn that if Honduras is expelled, well, Zelaya will also be out of the picture.
Gives a new meaning to who was first, the egg or the chicken.
As the days pass we see an Insulza getting more and more desperate, stubborn, intolerant, and stupid. And all are self inflicted wounds. Wake up Jose Miguel! Honduras has stopped caring about whether you find it a legal government. Go to Caracas feed Ledezma and do something useful for a change.
UPDATE 2
In the section "you are pulling my leg, no?"
The new Honduras bosses have cut Zelaya credit cards, granted by the government for business expenses I suppose. The man apparently spent 80,000 USD since last Sunday!!!!
Now, that is a noteworthy public servant. Let's see, 6,000 for two suits shirts and ties and underwear; 500 a day for hotel and food; maybe 2,000 for miscellaneous such as getting the newspapers and phone cards; OK, let's add 5,000 more for other stuff (not including airplane tickets which we are supposed are provided by Zelaya's friends). We are still 60,000 from the 80,000 billed. And even if I put a body guard and plane tickets I am not getting 80,000!!!! What? He got whores? went to the Casino?
There you have it, enough reasons to impeach the man! A man of the people! Gimme a break!
Gives a new meaning to la Vida Loca!
-The end-
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posted by Daniel Permalink 12:24 AM
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Chavez versus Gafetti: Honduras first score card?
As the OAS deadline looms for Honduras it might be time to establish a first provisional score card of winners, losers and in between. Provisional being the key word here, and understanding that this blogger cherishes the opportunity to write about something else than Venezuela even if the heavy hand of Chavez is everywhere to be seen.
Provisional winners
Micheletti. Yes, you may think this strange since he has managed to become the lightning road of the whole world, established democracies such as Zimbabwe and Belarus presumably included. But Micheletti has already accomplished one thing: by acknowledging that he will not be the long term winner he manages to deflect some of the criticism and create quite a riddle and a problem for those lovers of black and white solutions. Not only the man is a civilian, the elected chairman of Honduras Congress and thus the legitimate head of a democratic power of state, but even though he has been helped along by the military he has announced that he will not seek further office; and, hold tight, he has offered to bring earlier the November elections, speeding thus his departure for office. I mean, what kind of coupster is Micheletti? He might be a liar through and through, but boy, does he send a few balls back, appropriate in this Wimbledon week! (1)
Democracy in the Americas. How can a coup where it seems that the coupsters may get away with it be a bonus for democracy in this continent? Very simple: for the first time perhaps in our troubled history, South of the Rio Grande there is grudging acknowledgment that there are three powers of state which in theory are equal. If anything the Honduras coup would have been worth because it touched to our sacrosanct presidential superiority, a danger that even the US must on occasion be reminded of. The only major country to escape this recurring conflict of powers is, well, you might have guessed it, Parliamentarian Canada, my current fav!
I do not know if Insulza is realizing that, but today he met with the Honduras Supreme Court and left without a declaration, presumably having been told that the High Court has AS MUCH legitimacy as the executive branch. I am not saying with this that the Supreme Court actions are/were legitimate, but that the meeting was a first of its kind, doubling as a failure of Insulza in trying to isolate Micheletti as a classical LAtAm gorilla coupster.
Provisional in between
The Carter Center. I know, I know, some of you are going to wonder how do I dare to put them in this picture but I have to recognize one thing: for once they did something right. I was watching tonight on CNN an interview of Jennifer McCoy and she was impeccable. She was able to express clearly that the ways things happened in Honduras were not kosher at all but yet was also able to convey the case that this has stopped being a black and white issue, implying that putting back Zelaya in office had stopped being the simple solution many would like to see. Compared to the previous dispatch to CNN with Marcelo Varela Erasheva, she was all class, demonstrating that although you may not agree with her calls, she knows Latin America much better than most. She is the boss there now and there is a reason; thus this "credit where credit is due" moment.
The US of A. That it has not supported the removal of Zelaya is clear. That it will help erase some of the bad memories associated with the US intervention habits of the past is not as clear (and Chavez is certainly not going to be impressed). That it knows how to solve the current Honduras mess is even less clear. Me thinks that the behind the scenes work is really run by Brazil and Dominican Republic of all people. But what do I know...
Provisional losers
Insulza. The pathetic OAS secretary was in Honduras making things worse, screaming deadline and not even meeting with Micheletti to tell him to his face that he meant business. I mean, what kind of negotiator comes to a country not to negotiate but to threaten you? If he cannot come as a negotiator he should have had the decency to send someone else. At this point he simply appears to be the Chavez errand boy, acknowledging that retaining his job depends on the votes that Chavez might be able to get from the CARICOM and Central America bananaland. Insulza should realize that escaping bananaland are already Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Santo Domingo, and Costa Rica, at the very least. And I would not take for granted Guatemala, Haiti and even San Salvador and Grenada at the next OAS election.
Chavez and his ALBA. I think that Chavez overplayed his hand, and as some wizened commentators said in Venezuela, he revealed too much of what the ALBA is really about. The ALBA in theory was supposed to be some form of union between "progressive" Latin American countries, promoting economical and political integration. We all suspected that it was instead a form of Chavez/Cuba client state organization. Now, after the Managua summit earlier this week, we know that it is nothing more than the vehicle for a oil based Chavez empire. All acted as on cue, according to whatever Raul Castro and Chavez said. The biggest surprise came perhaps from Ecuador's Correa willing to go himself with Zelaya to Tegucigalpa. As yet another errand boy for Chavez. A big disappointment as we expected Correa to be more of his own man.
But that is the fact: the ALBA is a political system where a "mass movement" rallies behind a single leader for as long as it takes to boot out of South America any US influence. Democracy being optional. Ironically Venezuela exports still go 55% to the US. All these dollars to finance the ALBA coming from the US of A!
Chavez and his rhetorical style. Early in the Honduran crisis Chavez thinking of himself as the funny guy called the sworn in president/usurper gafetti. It was a very bad pun, made on the Venezuelan expression gafo (dumb ass) and Micheletti (2). Besides being vulgar for a president it also was a mistake because what would happen if eventually Micheletti wins the hand? I suppose that it does not worry Chavez in the end, after all he has had to swallow much bigger errors with, say, Colombia's Uribe. At the end of the day the gafo might not be the one Chavez intended, though many gafos are currently being revealed.
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1) the constitution of Honduras does not allow for the modification of the presidential term which starts late January. But that needs not be changed, Micheletti can remain in office until the date. However the scheduled November elections for which the candidates are already running could be advanced to, say, October as a gesture of good will. Bring in lots of foreign observers and voilà. Maybe.
2) according to the DRAE, for Spanish speaking non Venezuelan readers, gafo: 4. adj. coloq. Ven. Dicho de una persona: De poca inteligencia o que hace o dice torpezas.
-The end-
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posted by Daniel Permalink 12:05 AM
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Friday, July 03, 2009
The march against free press and media goes on in Venezuela
It would seem that the lack of spontaneous popular support about the desire of Chavez to go and invade Honduras is having an effect. Not to mention that the constant barrage of adds to defend private property sponsored by CEDICE since the Vargas Llosa spat seems to be irking chavismo big time.
So, what do they do?
They decide to review the operating license of all folks that passed these adds and in parliament attack the "cartelization" of the press on Honduras reporting. Let's start by the later one.
Tal Cual today offers us a whole survey on how the march toward censorship keeps going on in Venezuela. In a report on the workings of the Nazional Assembly we read, with picture in hand, that representatives accuse El Nacional and El Universal have formed a cartel in order to unify their criteria on how to discuss the Honduras news. I suppose that this blogger should also be included in this cartel, no? What surprises me more is how chavistas who seem unable to have an individual thought or opinion are surprised that the opposition coincides on Honduras. I mean, can we not be sheep like they are? But the explanation is to be found elsewhere for such a preposterous charge: the Nazional Assembly is rewriting laws on journalism and media and need any excuse they can to introduce ways to limit freedom of information and expression.
Back to our first, and more worrisome, observation. Diosdado Cabello, second man of the regime as a compensation for his ignominious defeat in his reelection attempt in Miranda, has decided to review the operating license of nothing less but 86 AM stations and 154 FM plus a few TV stations. From his declarations we can sense that most if not all are already condemned and that sanctions include confiscations of equipment. Legal robbery for those who do not get it.
But that is not all. CEDICE has been carrying a campaign to defend private property in Venezuela at a time when the government is trying to add unsuitable adjectives to the word "property", as a way to weaken it. Considering the multiple take overs without due compensation that we have observed since 2004, the fear of CEDICE , and the Venezuelan people and this blogger, is certainly not misplaced. Well, the ads must have hit a raw nerve because Cabello has also announced that the advertising campaign must be suspended and that the media who transmitted it will be investigated/sanctioned.
I have watched these ads and I can personally assure readers that they are not any worse than the garbage the state forces media to transmit free of charge in defense of a so called socialism. What we are seeing now is a simple censorship, repression, limitation of information about a truth that the government does not want us to know about. And this comes, sublime irony, from the people that bemoan the closing of media in Honduras.
To add insult to injury Tal Cual also reports that the two papers of Valencia, Notitarde and Carabobeño, have been attacked one after he other by red shirt hordes, directed at least one by nothing less than Valencia mayor, just as Los Teques mayor was directing the painting of swastikas on the walls of Miranda's governor's office.
It seems that the pressure on free media is not going to ease anytime soon. In fact, since recent polls show that Chavez personal popularity is going down as more and more people are finally starting to put the blame for bad things on him, we can expect the government to act once and for all and risk closing down a few media/paper outlets to see if the rest will tone down.
-The end-Labels: censorship
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posted by Daniel Permalink 1:32 PM
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Ledezma forever!
You have to admire the gumption of nearly destitute Caracas Metro Mayor, Antonio Ledezma. The guy went on a US of A trip where he nearly met with Obama, rumor having that Chavez avoided such an embarrassing meeting by calling US ambassador Patrick Duddy back. Si non e vero, e ben trovato.
Back in Venezuela, with many important endorsements from the US including from mayor's association, Ledezma has found a way to attract more attention to his plight, which is no other than our own plight since Caracas gauleiter Farias has proved herself totally unable to tackle the city problems since she was imposed on us, not even able to meet payroll for her public employees.
Taking advantage of going to the OAS office in Caracas to offer a a formal complaint about constitutional violations in Venezuela, Ledezma decided to stay and stage a hunger strike. You might think this slightly ridiculous but think again. At a time the OAS is all up in arms about alleged constitutional violations in Honduras, Ledezma points out to what are also real constitutional violations in Venezuela that the OAS under Insulza the clown is totally ignoring.
The OAS might or might not do something about it but at the very least it will be a possible embarrassment for Chavez if he keeps screaming a little too much at upcoming OAS meetings on Honduras. And certainly an embarrassment for Insulza since not only he did not do anything for the local election frauds in Nicaragua but he is not saying anything about the attacks on opposition duly elected officials in Venezuela. Wait until they receive him in Tegucigalpa and remind him of these things....
You can look at Google news and observe by yourself how effective is Ledezma in staying in the news. During last year elections in Venezuela I was the first one to predict that Ledezma could actually win the Caracas Metro office, and he did. I do not want to hazard further predictions on Ledezma but I am sure that we can all agree that 1) he is showing folks onw way Chavez can be tackled and 2) that it is a constant battle, not just a matter of appearances at Globovision talk shows. For this, even if he is not one of my favorite politicians, too linked to old AD practices, I must still admit my admiration for the man's fight. Half a dozen more Ledezmas and the Venezuelan opposition would not be in such a weak state.
-The end-
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posted by Daniel Permalink 12:59 PM
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Chavez the hypocrite according to Petkoff
[UPDATED with translation]
I have no time to translate the editorial of Teodor Petkoff in today Tal Cual as I am about to start my several hours ride back home. But I am leaving it for you below (it is by subscription) and you can use the google translation tool if you need. IT is a perfect editorial where Teodoro explains clearly that Chavez is "defending" democracy in Managua while in Venezuela he s trampling it, refusing the recognize the opposition votes jut as he defends the Zelaya votes. Not to be missed and to be sent to any OAS ambassador before they say further stupid things in the name of democracy. Just for a pre-taste I will translate the first paragraph.
The rejection of the Honduras coup being universal, including the one from this writer, it is worthy to have a look on some of the "umpires" of democracy in Latin America. In the ALBA [Chavez client states organization], in Managua, the democratically elected president of Cuba, Raul Castro, allowed himself to instruct us on democracy 101. The no less democratic Daniel Ortega, who has just led a scandalous fraud in recent municipal elections of Nicaragua, also spoke as if he were possessed by the spirit of Thomas Jefferson. The icing on the cake in this tourney of hypocrisy was put, of course, by Hugo Chavez, whose government has declared through this eminent legal scholar Doña Luisa Estella Morales [High Court President], that the decisions of the Inter American Court for Human Rights do not apply in Venezuela. That is, the OAS is good for somethings but not good for others.
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Tal Cual, Wednesday July 1, 2009, Teodoro Petkoff
Estando ya claro el repudio universal al golpe militar en Honduras, incluyendo el de este editorialista, vale la pena ahora echar un vistazo sobre algunos de los "árbitros" de la democracia en América Latina. En la reunión de la ALBA, en Managua, el democráticamente elegido presidente de Cuba, Raúl Castro, se permitió pedagogizarnos en la asignatura democrática. El no menos democrático Daniel Ortega, quien viene de protagonizar un escandaloso fraude en las elecciones municipales de su país, también habló como si estuviera poseído por el espíritu de Thomas Jefferson. La guinda de este torneo de hipocresía la puso, por supuesto, Hugo Chávez, cuyo gobierno, ha declarado, a través de esa jurista eminente, Doña Luisa Estella Morales, que las decisiones de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos no valen en Venezuela. O sea, la OEA sirve para unas cosas y para otras no.
En algún momento Chávez calificó públicamente a Insulza de "pendejo".
Ese "pendejo" ahora es el gran garante de la democracia.
Chávez declara que está dispuesto a hacer valer, hasta con la guerra, los 999 mil votos que sacó Zelaya, hace tres años y pico, pero los 700 mil votos de Ledezma se los puede pasar por el forro con toda tranquilidad. Cualquier demócrata concuerda con que los votos de Zelaya no pueden ser pateados por la bota militar, pero ese mismo demócrata afirma que los de Ledezma, Pérez Vivas, Rosales, Pablo Pérez, Capriles Radonski (quien anteayer, mientras el Gran Demócrata se rasgaba las vestiduras en Managua en defensa de la democracia, fue atacado a palos y pedradas por los dulces y tolerantes muchachones del PSUV en la misa de San Pedro, en Guatire) tampoco pueden ser pateados por la misma bota que calza el comandante en jefe, militar reactivado por gracia de la reforma a la medida de la Ley Orgánica de la FAN.
Es el colmo del fariseísmo que este golpista que nos gobierna, quien protagonizó dos sangrientas tentativas sediciosas en 1992, por las cuales jamás se disculpó ante el país, pueda hablar, ante el mundo, como si jamás hubiera quebrado un plato. Dio a su intentona del 4F el carácter de fecha patria, celebrada con desfile militar y demás yerbas.
¿Con qué cara podría cuestionar que los golpistas de Honduras dieran ese mismo carácter a la fecha de su alzamiento? Verdaderamente , saca la piedra este torneo de fariseísmo protagonizado en Managua, por algunos de los asistentes a esa "misa negra", entre ellos el Golpista Mayor. La única voz respetable y lúcida que se oyó en esa reunión fue la de Leonel Fernández, presidente de República Dominicana, quien repudió el golpe, citó a Rómulo Betancourt como uno de los padres de la democracia continental (cuya "Doctrina Betancourt", de no aceptar dictaduras militares, está implícita en la Carta Democrática de la OEA y en el rechazo al golpe hondureño) y reivindicó los gobiernos civiles.
Entre los no tan tácitamente aludidos estaba uno que llegó de uniforme militar, el cubano (a quien no se le puede negar, en todo caso, que se lo ganó en combate contra una dictadura) y otro que no se lo quita ni para ir al baño, el venezolano, quien lo deshonró alzándose contra un gobierno tan democráticamente elegido como el de Zelaya.
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Full translation, courtesy of two readers! I randomly picked one but my thanks to both of them, hoping that the one who was not picked up does not take offense for the future.
Continues from my first paragraph above.
At one point, Chavez publicly characterized Insulza as an idiot.
This “idiot” is now the great guarantor of democracy.
Chavez declares that he is willing to defend, even with war, the 999 thousand votes
that Zelaya obtained over three years ago, but he could care less about the 700
thousand votes Ledezma won. Any democrat would agree that the votes Zelaya
obtained should not be kicked around by a military boot, but this same democrat
states that those of Ledezma, Perez Vivas, Rosales, Pablo Perez, Capriles Radonski
(who the day before yesterday, while the Great Democrat tore his vestments in
Managua in defense of Democracy, was attacked with sticks and stones by the sweet
and tolerant boyos of the PSUV at the mass for Saint Peter, in Guatire) cannot also be kicked by the same boot worn by the Commander in Chief, now reactivated as a
member of the armed forces by dint of the (ley organica) of the Armed Forces.
It is the height of hypocrisy that this coupster that governs us, who starred in two
seditious and bloody attempts in 1992, for which he never asked the country for
forgiveness, can speak to the world as if he’d never so much as broken a plate.. He
gave his attempted coup of February 4th a patriotic character, a day to be celebrated
as a national holiday complete with military parades and other accoutrements.
How can he call into question that the Honduran coupsters gave the same character
to the date of their uprising? Truly, it is maddening to watch this Hypocrisy
tournament that took place in Managua, by some attending this “Black mass” among
them the Putschist In Chief. The only respectable and lucid voice that was heard at
that meeting was that of Leonel Fernandez, President of the Dominican Republic,
who condemned the coup, cited Romulo Betancourt as one of the fathers of
continental Democracy (whose “Betancourt Doctrine”, that of not accepting military
dictatorships is implicit in the Democratic Charter of the OAS and in the rejection of the Honduran coup) and reaffirmed civilian government.
Among those not so tacitly alluded was one who arrived in military uniform, the
Cuban (against whom it cannot be argued, in any case, that he won it fighting against
a dictatorsip) and another who doesn’t take it off even to go to the bathroom, the
Venezuelan who dishonored it by rising up against a government as democratically
elected as Zelaya’s.
-The end-Labels: democracy
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posted by Daniel Permalink 9:08 AM
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Honduras: from objectivity to ridicule
Paraphrasing someone, the Honduras coup is so revealing of hypocrisy that if it had not existed it would have to be invented as a literary exercise. Another quick press review this morning while I am having my coffee guarantees to start my day with a smile.
Let start with a newspaper that knows where it stands, the WSJ. The editorial title "The Wages of Chavismo" is full of promise and the reader will not be disappointed. We might deplore that the WSJ is not willing to acknowledge the downright reality of the coup, no matter how justifiable they think the coup was, however some of the stuff shoudl give a few blabber mouths of the hemisphere pause. If you find this, followed by the catalogue to reind folks that Chaevz lives in a glass house:Yet the events in Honduras also need to be understood in the context of Latin America's decade of chavismo. Venezuela's Hugo Chávez was democratically elected in 1998, but he has since used every lever of power, legal and extralegal, to subvert democracy.You also find this:We mention these not so small details because they are being overlooked as the world, including the U.S. President, denounces tiny Honduras in a way that it never has, say, Iran. President Obama is joining the U.N., Fidel Castro, Hugo Chávez and other model democrats in demanding that Mr. Zelaya be allowed to return from exile and restored to power. Maybe it's time to sort the real from the phony Latin American democrats.The New York Times gives us a more circumspect analysis in the hand of Simon Romero, probably one of the best summation to be found around, with the Editorial of the WaPo yesterday. I suppose that this is as much objectivity as we can expect right now. In addition Mr. Romero is proving to become a fine connoisseur of Latin American irony and sarcasm, at least as much as what we can expect a gringo to become:Meanwhile, Mr. Chavez threats of belligerence in Central America led one opposition party here, Accion Democratica, to issue a statement on Monday that was full of irony: “Hugo Chavez has become the George Bush of Latin America.”At any rate Mr. Romero is keen on observing that Obama might not be outflanking Chavez yet but he is not allowing himself to be cornered by Chavez, yet I will add.
And speaking of Chavez, as it is often the case lately, we get the ridicule of the day, his offering NOT to accompany the group to bring back Zelaya to Honduras. That is right, he said that he could be shot in Honduras and thus he regrets that he will not be accompanying Argentina's Cristina and Ecuador's Rafael as they try to restore Zelaya. But he will send his "canciller" Maduro. I suppose that neither Cristina nor Rafael are in any danger, no? Poor Chavez, he does not realize that at the same time he demonstrates two things, that he is a coward and that he is an arrogant creep by putting himself above any other LatAm president... Truth sometimes is stranger than fiction.....
But Chavez also brings us the obscene: he, the champion of lifting the "criminal" embargo to Cuba, is proposing to set an embargo to Honduras and he will start himself by stopping any oil export to Honduras. You have got to love the chutzpah of the guy, and be impressed by the jerks applauding such grandstanding. Unbelievable! That is what happens to you when you spend years surrounded by sycophants.
-The end-
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posted by Daniel Permalink 7:50 AM
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