First time here?

What this blog is about

This is an anti Chavez blog.  Thus you will not find here explanations about Chavez movement, nor indulgent views on activities of the ill called "Bolivarian Revolution".  This is because the author considers that all the ills that have been created since 1999, when Chavez took office, cannot be compensated, not even in significant part, by the so called good that came from the regime, according to its propaganda.

This blog aim is simply to narrate how the country is falling to pieces, and explaining some of the events that took place to account for the demise.

Since February 2009 referendum the author has realized in full that we Venezuelans deserve the punishment that is coming our way because we allowed Chavez to run for indefinite reelection when we could have stopped him there, bloodlessly, yet letting him run the country for three more years.  Thus after seriously considering stopping to write a blog to defend people who did not want to be defended I decided to change my scope, writing only about what I felt like writing, being even more critical of Chavez and yet sensing that I still could be way meaner while accurate in my critics.

Thus what you read here are researched OpEd pieces, interpretations and the occasional venting off.  Not ignoring my occasional personal "investigative" reporting usually done in the rare opportunities I can manage to travel through the country.  Before February 2009 what you will read will still reflect some faith in Human Nature and self correction, that people are also moved by their intelligence in addition to any free bees handed down by the government.  Since then I am more of a sideline spectator, a modern Cassandra.  Come what may, I am not responsible anymore.

What you will not find much in this blog is what should be done with the country as any discussion on  the subject is in my opinion a waste of time: as long as Chavez remains president the country will keep becoming worse, further mismanaged, further pillaged by corruption.  Any plan we may discuss today to rebuild the country will become moot by the time another semester goes by.  The only thing we need to discuss is ways to remove Chavez from office with as little violence as possible.

When Chavez is gone Venezuela will be in a post war era, without having suffered an actual war. The current state of our infrastructure neglected for decades will make it seem that some sort of strange war went by.  The fate of post Chavez Venezuela will be for the country to tie its future to foreign partners, just as Western Europe did with the Marshall Plan and the US after WW2, or Eastern Europe did with the European Union when the Berlin Wall fell.  That is, we will either fall into Brazil's orbit, or go back to a US integration as in the mid XX century since we will have no capital, money or human, to rebuild on our own.  Our only hope of mitigation by third parties will be a renewed friendship with a powerful Colombia or a helpful EU.

Another thing you will not find much in this blog is discussion on USA politics, personal stuff, etc....  this is a blog about Venezuela and when non Venezuelan topics are broached it is because they are at least tangentially relevant to Venezuela.  You will not find either much patience with those who still support Chavez.  The author has had more than 11 years to made up his mind about Chavez.  There is nothing anymore this thug can do to change the author's mind.  Nor change the mind of the regular readers.

(August 2010)