Between workshops and shots of tequila
and still, I hear of military violence

This blogger is travelling for business in Mexico and, blissfully, since Monday morning does not know anything of the recent shenanigans of the Chavez administration. Though he does not doubt for a second that things are not improving. He also trusts Miguel, to give the news from Venezuela direct, and other bloggers who ae linked on the right around the world to keep this blog’s readers well informed for a few days.

But tequila is not clouding my mind enough. While getting ready for yet a nother workshop I was distractedly listening to CNN. The matter was the US Senate hearings on the Iraq torture scandal. It is certainly not the objective of this blog to consider what is going on in Iraq, however I could not fail to be impressed at the relative speed at which the United States did set up such hearings and how three top generals of the US were being questioned by rather veteran senators, senators of the type that are not so easily fooled.

Backtracking a little bit the readers of this blog are surely familiar with the death of two Venezuelan soldiers burnt in a “mysterious” ad rather unlikely “accident”. Or about Zambrano, tortured to death in some military center, while his lady companion was raped in front of him. Or so many other cases from February 27 and following days, where many protesters were arrested by the National Guard, beaten, tortured and what not.

Instead of a serious inquiry into military violence in Venezuela sponsored by the National Assembly we have a Chavez giving medals to the soldiers that did some of this violent and despicable acts. And the few Assemblypeople trying to do some serious inquiry unable to even reach some of the reports from events that are in public knowledge and for which the generals in command should at least submit some explanation. Not to mention that their work is obstructed and scorned by the chavista tenous majority.

Well, perhaps the US Senate hearings are just a show, but at least the US public is respected enough by the powers that be to get a show. In Venezuela Chavez despises his people enough that he does not even pretend to be shocked by brutality.

Does anyone still think that Venezuela is a democratic state? How much immorality will we have to witness until all are clear as to what is going on behind the doors of Miraflores Palace?

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I will try to check in every couple of days for the next week or so