And for your reading pleasure tonight


I have been working on my last installment of my series on the consequences of the recall election. But I have had to alter it twice considering the recent developments. As I am doing my research I have found a few articles that will allow me an easy post at the expenses of my fellow bloggers and Internet writers. I apologize but you all know that I mean well.

Let's start with Miguel Octavio at the Devil's Excrement. His attempt at bringing statistics down to the level of a 12 year old seem to bear fruit. In this particularly successful piece, the graphs of the distribution of Yes/No results in Miranda state look like two different clouds whereas the abstention result is a normal and unique statistical cloud. Really, it does not get any better at visually implying fraud. The CNE has a lot of things to explain! By the way, any relation with the clouds of fraud gathering over the referendum results? Naaah...

But the revelations on possible fraud (I still must use "possible", of course) are going to good speed. Today the Coordinadora Democratica sent a commission to the OAS where Gaviria received them directly. The dossier is now there for the OAS perusal, and the first headache for the incoming new OAS secretary. El Universal has an article in English with some of these fraud allegations summarized.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the CD announced that tomorrow will take place the official legal deposition to contest the August 15 results. In the same press conference, Pompeyo Marquez remarked that some of the Misiones seem to be already fading. Really? Imagine that!

But the recent fraud allegations are starting to have some effect on a media and world opinion that might have been too happy to finally forget about Venezuela. Internet columns appear such as in American Thinker, which of course represent, besides the political point of view of the writer, a justified concern on electronic voting and who should monitor it. But newspapers also get into the fray and the Wall Street Journal makes yet another swat at Carter. I think that the Carter Center and its founder have been a little too much in the news lately, and forced to defend themselves not too convincing, a letter by Carter himself in the WSJ, and an article by Jennifer in the Economist. Still I think that they are far from being protected from more accusation of their botched job in Venezuela. The opposition would send them into complete ridicule when it requires that they DO NOT come anymore to Venezuela.

Another interesting Internet column comes from Gustavo Coronel. He attended the an Inter American dialogue reunion in Washington. Unfortunately he cannot describe to us the off the record discussions of the meeting (as I understand), though his article certainly bases some of its conclusions on what happened there. No such qualms from the Venezuelan ambassador in Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, who uses the pro Chavez venezuelanalsysis site to imply things about that reunion while other participants respect the rules. Then again Alvarez is paid to do all the propaganda he can and he has a full job of it. I wonder if he ever gets enough time to do what is supposed to be his real job, improves economic, social and cultural ties between the two countries. Incidentally venezuelanalysis posts next to that article on Alvarez a "delightful" article by an Venezuelan professor where now the opposition is described as "the liberal/colonial (and racist) thinking of part of the Venezuelan opposition, including many of its intellectuals". Later in the text the parenthesis are dropped, as Mr. Lander seems to make up his mind... Way to promote the dialogue that your El Supremo wants, Mr. Lander!

Meanwhile hurricane Ivan left the Venezuelan shores. Our Southern position usually leaves out of reach of hurricanes except once every dozen years or so when the tail end of one brushes our shores. This time some flooding and four people killed only, thankfully for a country where so many people live in precarious housing (pictures). If Ivan left us, hurricane Hugo is till around to create mischief.