Carnival Holiday
Tuesday "Mardi Gras" 24, February 2004

Nothing really much to report. I stayed clear of the news except for a little bit of TV and one newspaper today. Still enough to stress me some.

The Guyana/Essequibo thing continue, the opposition only to happy to nail a nationalist president with a nationalist issue. Forgetting themselves that in 50 years they have not been able to do much on that front themselves. Though today El Nacional carries a complete report on the Guyana spoiliation history with the pen of Olavarria. Clearly, Chavez mismanaged the issue, whatever his goals were.

The European Union emitted a communique stating its worries about the shenanigans to stop the recall election, a communique that in a rush and puff chavismo went out of its way to minimize. Not Chavez himself who nobody knows where he is since Guyana. Probably visiting Fidel for Carnival in Havana.

The Electoral Board is still mute on what they are going to do about the contested signatures. Looks like the Sunday 29 deadline will not be met.

Meanwhile the G-15 is gathering in Caracas from tomorrow until Friday. The G-15 is a group of countries that try to promote the South-South exchanges. Although it includes important countries like Brazil it also includes rogue governments like Zimbabwe's Mugabe, who by the way is one in only 7 leaders to attend the summit. That is right, 8 will be content in sending only their foreign minister or something. And the next country to preside the G-15 after Venezuela will be Algeria, certainly not another democratic shining example. But Lula and Kirchner will be attending and it will be interesting to observe Chavez behavior with them after the recent warning of Lula.

The opposition of course is planning some actions during the summit which have triggered some outcries of treason from some chavismo notables. Truly, chavismo human rights defenders should be the first one to protest the visit of Mugabe who is banned in too many countries. But chavismo human rights have ceased to be all encompassing long ago.

So, I prefer to leave you with two pictures from my drives through the country side during this days of rest.

The first one is on the road close to Aguirre in Carabobo state, a small town next to Bejuma. It is the dry season and most trees by now have lost their leaves. But some have started blooming, like this bucare on the road side, with a small purple bougainvillia for an odd touch.



The next picture is from today, near San Felipe at the Mision Botanical Garden, a jewel. There is still some water running in one area and you can appreciate all the difference it makes, though that section is still less luxuriant than during the rainy season.