La "Trocha Mocha"

We interrupt more important discussion on Venezuelan electoral problems to report on yet a new example of chavismo incompetence, lack of prevision and basic instinct of "taparear" all (Warning! From the title the reader might guess that there will be several expressions from Venezuelan Spanish that cannot be translated; readers are welcome to supply my lacking).

In January the main Viaduct to Caracas was closed. The viaduct fell once and for all on March 19. The government promised early January to build an alternate, and provisional way (La Trocha) for the Carnival vacation. It was built, albeit inaugurated one day late. This road, highly imperfect, was promoted as an adequate solution to hold the country until a new viaduct is built sometimes in 2007.

The experience of La Trocha has been rather dismal. Personally the only time I took it I could appreciate how insufficient it is to handle Caracas traffic, how many hours we should still spend in line in a round trip adventure (you must reach the Trocha by 6:15 AM if you want to avoid major blockade, advised me the experts; return trips are always aleatory and depend on the mood of the National Guards on charge that PM).

But the problem is that the Trocha was presented as some feat of engineering that it was not. Chavista pages praised the efficiency of the government even as experts denied access to the government had no recourse but to go to private networks to offer their warnings, if anything to clean their conscience.

Well, today all those predictions came to an end as a couple of days of rain were enough to send the mountain down and force closure of the day. Lamely the minister in charge (who should have resigned as early as January 6) sort of claimed that the Trocha was closed preventively so as to bring down some annoying and threatening rocks. Indeed…

I have been watching mesmerized Globovision filming the rocks semi constantly falling from as high as 300 feet from above the road, which is covered with debris and rocks for at least a quarter of a mile. Egg on the face, not only of the minister but on the chavista chorus which welcomed the Trocha as hot stuff. For once Chavez had more sense than his followers and did not bother to inaugurate the "Trocha". The minister promised to try to reopen it tomorrow morning. Nobody is buying.

Of course in Alo Ciudadano there could not be missing a woman caller complaining of the incessant criticism against Chavez now "that ministers show up". Besides that in the past ministers did show up in disaster areas, the interviewed party of the moment reminded her that Chavez has been in office for 8 years and it would be time to stop blaming all the errors of the current administration on the past governments.

Oh, well... Now we can all go back to take the Old Road, as I reported on it last January, with pictures. That is, if you are careful to leave home at least 3 hours before your flight or job schedule.