Veneconomy intepretation of the recent official words

Yesterday's editorial of Veneconomy "sin desperdicio". [My comments]

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“Following a confession, no further proof required!” So goes a Spanish saying that hits the nail on the head in the case of the statements made by three officials in Hugo Chávez’ administration, all published in the press this Friday. The opinions voiced by José Vicente Rangel (Vice President), Erika Farías (Food Minister) and Rafael Ramírez (Energy & Petroleum plus PDVSA) leave no doubts as to what awaits the country if Chávez is re-elected on December 3rd. It is crystal clear.

The statements made by these three very senior officials make clear that the government (and those representing it) couldn’t care less about what the Constitution, the laws, the rule of law or, much less, the citizens of this country have to say. They also prove that government institutions are being brazenly placed at the service of a single political group, one that represents less than 50% of the population. They also confirm that the political project these people are espousing is dictatorial, autocratic and “red, very very red…”

For example, the Vice President of the Republic, José Vicente Rangel, corroborated an announcement made several months ago by Education Minister Aristóbulo Istúriz: The system of education that they intend to impose on the country “is not neutral.” It is political education based on an ideology that is in line with “21st century communism.”

Food Minister Erika Farías, in turn, minced no words about their intolerance towards political dissent when she stated that if “the enemy” (i.e., those who do not back Chávez) were to get in the way, they will be “demolished” by the Ministry that she heads. [Erika Farias is an interesting case: she is the typical activist with really no training in anything but who through sheer activism, deep political comittment, has reached a ministry for which she has no background for; that is, she is what we must expect in the future, poltical hacks named to monitor public workers work rather than named to implement real programs. That people like Farias reached such positions is by itself quite scary]

The outrageous-statement-of-the-week award, however, goes to the political harangue that Minister of Energy and Petroleum cum President of PDVSA, Rafael Ramírez, let loose before a group of senior and second-level government officials employed by the state-owned oil company. A video of the event was made public by Gerardo Blyde, a member of the campaign staff of unity candidate Manuel Rosales, and the lawyer Alberto Arteaga.

Ramírez’ diatribe not only advocates unlawful behavior, it is in open violation of the Constitution, the Criminal Code, the Anti-corruption Act as well as the American Convention on Human Rights. The brazen way in which he told his subordinates to “rid your heads of any idea that we could be punished,” shows just how sure they are of the impunity they enjoy with their hold over the judiciary and all the institutions under the control of their political forces.

Could it be that the members of government are beginning to understand that the (legal) victory of their candidate may be at risk? These virtual confessions by trusted officials of President (and candidate) Chávez seem not to be gratuitous, but rather part of a strategy aimed at coercing and instilling fear. Or it could also be a ploy to foster abstention and try to discourage people from voting, especially those who oppose a political project that goes against the very nature of the Venezuelan people.

Whether Venezuela follows the course of communism as preached by Chavez or chooses to take on the task of rebuilding democracy may depend on the success or failure of this strategy.