The multicolored post
getting close to Carnival

Thursday 19, February 2004

I am on the road again, until Saturday and then I will be resting for the Carnival break. Posting should be less intense than it has been the last two weeks. Bloggers do get tired but do not get off completely, in particular if the Electoral Board (CNE) takes the opportunity of the Carnival holiday to pass some controversial measure.

For tonight a quick survey of the diverse barbarisms, aphorisms and other nonsenses for the day. All showing of course how desperate is chavismo becoming and how close they are to finally do something foolish to cancel the referendum and may the devil take care. I am putting each paragraph in a different color because I need the relaxation as I write.

Let's start with what is perhaps the biggest news today. The head of the CNE, Carrasquero gave this morning an exclusive interview to "La lampara de Diogenes", a talk show on VTV. Diogenes, as partial a chavista on VTV as they come, was certainly very happy with the scoop he got and it sure did brighten his lamp. It also sent shivers through the opposition files as the head of the CNE all but announced that he was going to screw the opposition collection drive when musing "people should have written down everything themselves". Tal Cual editorial today was quite clear on that: "The CNE board cannot approve a set of rules on errors because in addition of being illogical, it incorporates to Article 29 something that it never stated. It changes radically the rules of the game in the middle of the game. That would be foul play". Tal Cual's Petkoff of course refers to the efforts by the chavismo wing of the CNE that tries to invalidate any signature that has not been totally transcribed by the petitioner, something that was NEVER contemplated before and that could even dismiss their own petition drive. But we all know that the only referendum that really matters is the one on Chavez. Meanwhile lamely Carrasquero complains about the head line of El Universal of today, without even bothering to specify why this one did bother him. The lady does protest too much!

My thin faith in the CNE is raching breaking point, even though I know they are subjected to tremenduous pressure from Chavez and must give him a few bones such as one does to a snarling dog (sorry for the coarse image but these past days Chavez looks more like a mad dog than a statesman). I think that the CNE is going to approve the fraudulent rules. May the Almighty help us! Or as we say here, "que Dios nos agarre confesados!"may God catch us confessed (you know, we are a catholic country).

Still, undaunted the CNE was forging ahead by changing the voting system, and hiring the highest priced bidder for the proposed changes. CNE rectors have been trading insults as to dubious contracts, which probably reflects the mood inside their deliberation room. The 3/2 voting pattern is likely to remain and the non chavista members seem to be ready to spend their time denouncing irregularities while the Carrasquero combo trashes things around.

Meanwhile the terror tactics continue. Two items in a single day. Globovision relay station is attacked by about 10 men with head covered and assault weapon on hand. National Guard is called but "arrives" a few hours later when the assailant have departed taking away with them one of the radios. Nothing much but plain intimidation. Graver this afternoon at the Labor ministry. Some Union representatives from the opposition tried to reach Minister Iglesias (ex-Accion Democratica, now extreme chavista, times change I guess). The Cristina Iglesias was seen calling a street mob to attack them INSIDE the ministry. The mob arrived, and attacked as prompted, the National Guard again silent, and even one of the victims of the attack was stolen his wallet on camera. Yes, Globovision was filming everything while being attacked itself. Cristina Iglesias, of Spanish ancestors, must have accepted some of the stuff from Franco's Fascism in spite of all of her supposed lefty pretense. It boggles the mind to know that she will get away with that in her own building.

Of course during all of these diversions, masquerades and mask dropping, so pre-Carnival, we were reminded by the Central Bank of the final numbers as to how much the economy contracted these past two years: 18%. Since the population increased then the purchasing power drop per capita is higher than 18%. Mine is, anyway. At least the Central Bank did put part of the blame squarely on CADIVI. CADIVI does not even bother replying. On a curious note, in spite of a 20% devaluation (from 1600 to 1920 to the USD) the street rate did not improve and seems stuck at 3200.

I am just getting tired writing about all of these actions, nasty ones at that if you ask me.