And yet you would not believe that there was such a massive devaluation if you read only the headlines of Google news. Words like "unification" pop up to hide the fact that about half of the imports of Venezuela will now cost 65% more in USD than they did today.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The "Chucho Melean" saga
I do not know how the invasion and organized land robbery of the Sur del Lago farms by the regime will end up, but one thing we are going to get is a fabulous saga by Milagros Socorro. In Codigo Venezuela, the e-zine she is now editing, she has started to tell the tale in a series of installments. The first one is up, in Spanish unfortunately but do not miss it and try the Google translation tool if you must. It is more, much more than just the narrative of the last couple weeks: it is a slice of Venezuelan social history and mores!
No more ambassadors for the US and Venezuela
Thus the other shoe dropeth. After the vehement refusal of Chavez to receive the new ambassador, Larry Palmer, the US decided to reply in kind by revoking the diplomatic visa of Alvarez in Washington.
End of years petitions
Well, I am busy with end of year stuff and too depressed to write significant posts. So for you two petitions to sign. The first one is from a group of academics and the second one heavily sponsored by Diego Arria. So there, you have two type of petitions to sign with very different tones but all designed to protest Chavez Advent dictatorship. Sign one or two but do sign, will you?
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
For your "dia de los inocentes" entertainment
There is a little podcast that we did Fausta and yours truly about the dictatorship set in Venezuela. Even someone informed like Fausta was speechless on occasion. Have fun with it.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Una de las razones por la cual Chavez y sus focas no respetan la navidad
Si, es verdad, una de las razones por la cual Hugo Chavez siempre sale con vainas en diciembre es que sabe que la gente de bien, la gente de tradiciones, la gente de familia, la gente seria, deja un poco de lado sus menesteres cotidianos ese mes para dedicarse a su familia, sus amigos, y hasta a materias espirituales para algunos. Por lo tanto el sinvergüenza ese aprovecha el descuido para cerrar televisoras y hasta imponer dictaduras, sabiendo que no recibirá la respuesta que se amerita e impondrá su odio.
Pero también hay otra razón y esa nos la describe Yoani Sánchez de una manera sobria y al punto: esa gente, los chavistas de poder, no creen en nada, y menos en los hombres. No se pierdan su escrito de como el pueblo poco a poco logra recuperar la navidad en Cuba.
Pero también hay otra razón y esa nos la describe Yoani Sánchez de una manera sobria y al punto: esa gente, los chavistas de poder, no creen en nada, y menos en los hombres. No se pierdan su escrito de como el pueblo poco a poco logra recuperar la navidad en Cuba.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Carlos Andres Perez dies
After Chavez, Carlos Andres Perez has been the most controversial president in the last century (twice elected, in 1973 and 1988). And he also was the first populist president of Venezuela even though with Chavez we had to redefine the populist terminology....
Saturday, December 25, 2010
The Christmas 2010 post
Sorry guys, I am like the country, the Xmas spirit is totally missing this year. Drive through Caracas streets or even most of Venezuela streets and there is almost no lights, no cheers, no nothing. Everyday we look more and more like a XXI century socialist barrack.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
AFP journalist hurt while taking pictures of brutal police repression in Venezuela
Los culpables de la dictadura: Luisa Estela Morales Lamuño
Por lo tanto no vale la pena recodar hoy los detalles de sus diversas barbaridades tales como la negación de la separación de poderes o cuanto caso de sólido soporte constitucional usted se negó a oír porque simplemente no le daba la gana, o se lo prohibían desde Miraflores.
No, usted anotó esta semana méritos particulares al haber permitido el desarrollo del juicio de un tal Mazuco. Vamos a estar claros: yo, personalmente, no creo que exista ningún policía "inocente" en Venezuela. Es mas, dudo que haya muchos países donde haya un número significativo de policías "inocentes". El trabajo lo dificulta y lo que se juzga en un policía son sus intenciones y las circunstancias. Se lo digo para que usted vea el significado de la palabra objetividad que parece usted haber olvidado hace mucho, si es que jamas lo supo.
No, el asunto es que usted permitió que el juicio se desarrollara como se desarrolló. Después de años de atraso, llegó una premura obscena, con testigos de última hora sin identificar, y encapuchados, resultando una condena entre gallos y media noche, a pocas hora de la Noche Buena. En otras palabras, sea inocente o no, el señor Mazuco, diputado electo de la república que es un honor que posiblemente usted nunca tendrá, no merecía un juicio que solamente se puede calificar de castro-estalinista, al mejor estilo de las infames purgas de aquellos días.
Por tolerar que se desarrolle un sistema judicial de tiranía usted se merece ampliamente pertenecer a esta lista de las personas del régimen actual que algún día tendrán que rendir cuentas ante una verdadera justicia. Y su caso se agravará porque usted tiene la potestad de anular ese juicio infame desde ya, sin ni siquiera esperar tramites engorrosos. Porque si hay una persona que nunca podrá alegar "yo no sabia" o el clásico "yo seguía ordenes" es usted. ¿O es que usted tampoco sabe lo que es ser presidente de un poder judicial? El drama suyo es y será que usted no solamente no tiene escusas pero al momento de la publicación de esta condena usted tiene el potencial de redimirse.
Díganos pues lo que piensa hacer.
¡No me ayudes tanto, pana!
With friends like this who needs enemies? That Washington Times article is offensive on so many levels that I would prefer them NEVER to write about Venezuela. As for HACER to reprint this as it, well....
The coup d'etat in Venezuela is more than just a notion, and forget about X-mas
Chavez and his acolytes keep going at a dizzying speed in their legislative coup d'etat. If there is no point in going over the details as the end goal is clear, no more challenges to Chavez powers, ever, it is more interesting to observe some reactions that are becoming stronger and stronger.
Let's start with Human Rights Watch that might not use the word coup d'etat explicitly but that has read carefully three of the new laws specific for the elimination of freedom of expression, and information along the way.
The opposition is finally taking stock of the situation and now denounces outright the coup d'etat in progress. That means X-mas is over and Chavez Grinch managed to steal it completely. The bastard, every year it seems manages to steal Christmas from us.
Today, Maria Corina Machado, the Representative elected with the most votes on September 26, read a damning communique, which I am sure will be translated soon in the English section of El Universal. It was read in front of all the new opposition Representatives which did not leave for vacation holiday and will be there, I hope, all through the holidays organizing resistance.
Meanwhile Chavez announces that the holiday plate at the arepera socialista will be only 18 Bs. (somewhere between 4 and 2 USD according to the currency exchange you believe in). That is fine and dandy except that these areperas socialistas are very scarce, 11 country wide, and probably will be closed for Xmas. But when has naked totalitarian populism bothered with such details? by the way, if you were trying to reproduce the "plato navideño" for 18 Bs at home, even shopping at Mercal you could not manage it. Why the A.S. can do that? You guessed it, for the same reason our gas is at a few cents a gallon, pure demagoguery.
Let's start with Human Rights Watch that might not use the word coup d'etat explicitly but that has read carefully three of the new laws specific for the elimination of freedom of expression, and information along the way.
The opposition is finally taking stock of the situation and now denounces outright the coup d'etat in progress. That means X-mas is over and Chavez Grinch managed to steal it completely. The bastard, every year it seems manages to steal Christmas from us.
Today, Maria Corina Machado, the Representative elected with the most votes on September 26, read a damning communique, which I am sure will be translated soon in the English section of El Universal. It was read in front of all the new opposition Representatives which did not leave for vacation holiday and will be there, I hope, all through the holidays organizing resistance.
Meanwhile Chavez announces that the holiday plate at the arepera socialista will be only 18 Bs. (somewhere between 4 and 2 USD according to the currency exchange you believe in). That is fine and dandy except that these areperas socialistas are very scarce, 11 country wide, and probably will be closed for Xmas. But when has naked totalitarian populism bothered with such details? by the way, if you were trying to reproduce the "plato navideño" for 18 Bs at home, even shopping at Mercal you could not manage it. Why the A.S. can do that? You guessed it, for the same reason our gas is at a few cents a gallon, pure demagoguery.
Recordar es vivir: Un caudillo con la cara pintada
En estos días tan álgidos cuando el regimen del golpista del 92, Hugo Chávez, ensambla una dictadura que pronto pudiese ser ferrea, es bueno recordar que ya en 1998 habían mentes lucidas que predijeron lo que iba a pasar en Venezuela. Uno de ellos fue Carlos Alberto Montaner cuyo articulo para Cambio 16 (¿creo?) fue publicado tambien en El Universal el domingo 9 de agosto de 1998. Mi Papá, arreglando viejos archivos, me enseño hoy aquel artículo que ambos habíamos tomados en serio en aquel entonces, aunque ya estábamos resignados a la inevitable frivolidad de un electorado que iba a votar por Chávez porque le daba la gana, con animo de venganza difusa, sin mas motivación real que como se dice en inglés to cut your nose to spite your face, cortarse la nariz para que se arréche la cara.
Por su importancia en aquel momento aunque ignorado por la clase política venezolana, y por lo relevante hoy en día me permito reproducirlo en su integridad aquí abajo.
Por su importancia en aquel momento aunque ignorado por la clase política venezolana, y por lo relevante hoy en día me permito reproducirlo en su integridad aquí abajo.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Chucho Hernandez Melean is negotiating, and some are unhappy
There was a turn of events in Sur del Lago that have left a few people confused, but not your blogger. Chucho Melean, the hero du jour, has decided that it was not time to immolate himself yet, that he should try to negotiate with the regime first.
See, Chucho Hernandez Melean is going to be 94 next February; he has been around. When he was 10 Gomez held all power and Venezuela was at peace. Roads did not reach Sur del Lago. When he was 20 he saw the madness of oil prospecting while he was digging his trenches in the lands he could take over for free because no one wanted them. He survived the "revolucion de Octubre" and all of its failed promises while the original Venezuelan social contract started to fray. During his most productive years Perez Jimenez was ruling. When he thought he could plan his retirement, roads, electricity, health care arrived Sur del Lago, but also agrarian reform and, later, FARC banditry. He thus went along quietly completing one of the most successful farm complex in Venezuela while the country slowly sunk. He treated right everyone, from the military leeches seeking gifts to, we suppose, less wholesome parasites.
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| "minister" Loyo in Chucho's kitchen!!!!!!! |
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Los culpables de la dictadura: Maria de Queipo
Al escribir sobre usted debo reconocer que los méritos legales para ponerla presa el día en que la justicia regrese a Venezuela no son tan obvios como los de sus colegas ya descritos. Pero sus des-méritos éticos son posiblemente mayores.Lo que usted ha hecho con la ley de educación, y lo que se propone hacer con la ley de universidades es destruir la educación critica en Venezuela, criterio indispensable para poder formar los científicos y creadores necesarios para desarrollar un país y sustentar la democracia.
Lo que usted propone es establecer un sistema donde lo único verdadero es lo que diga el gran líder, aunque sean las mas atroces burradas, que las dice. En su sistema el barrendero tiene la misma autoridad para decidir que se enseña y que se investiga que el que dedicó su vida a entender las inquietudes universales. El problema verdadero de su modelo es que ese barrendero mítico no existe ni existirá, porque los barrenderos de verdad son gente honorable. El barrendero o barrendera que usted tiene en mente es un delegado o delegada del poder central para desprestigiar al que tenga que ser desprestigiado, a desnudar lo que había en la papelera del científico no conforme cuando venga el día de su juicio público por la comuna popular.
En el mundo que usted propone no se podrán hacer méritos académicos, ni serán necesarios ya que el único mérito será la lealtad al sistema. Ya lo vemos con la llegada de su hija al tribunal supremo que por méritos académicos superiores no parece haber sido. Ustedes se pagan y se dan el vuelto.
Si bien es posible que usted nunca vaya a juicio, el juicio al cual usted no escapará es el de la historia donde usted terminará junto a todos esos farsantes que acompañan a Trofim Lysenko y otros aduladores que pudieron trastocar impunemente el porvenir de su país porque nunca tuvieron que demostrar que sus teorías tenían sentido científico alguno, ni las apoyaba la realidad experimental.
Pero en el país de Pudreval todo es posible, incluido la putrefacción mental que usted propone a las universidades, abono indispensable al florecimiento de dictaduras.
In Venezuela they restrict Internet access but in the US they make sure access is complete!!!
Where is the real democracy in Internet usage? In Venezuela where today this blogger has become a potential criminal or in the US where the FCC is voting on making sure that no Internet provider can block sites from competing services?
You decide!
You decide!
The time has arrived!
Dear readers
Censorship on Internet has just been voted. There is one article that lists all the prohibitions on any media including Internet. There is a translation with a mention of appropriate past posts that could be considered violations according to the censors, such as the Golinger tart. (1) Let's start first with the offenses this blog has and will make again.
1. To start or promote hate and intolerance for religious reasons, political or sexual differences, for racism or xenofobia.
Am I to understand that criticizing Iran fundamentalism, their stoning of women, their hanging of gays is a demonstration of religious intolerance on my part?
2. Incite or promote the apology to delinquency.
Are historical comparisons, frequent in this blog, to be questioned? Criticizing the delinquency of the regime is included? Because let's be clear about this: if you support a noted corrupt official you are violating that item. Heard that Aporrea?
3. Constitute pro war propaganda
So, if I congratulate the Colombian government on their operations against the FARC I could find myself in jail? If I support operations against the Taliban I am promoting war?
4. Create restlessness in society or perturb public order
If the opposition organizes a march and that I support it and that I defend the, say, students that defended themselves against police brutality, am I promoting the perturbation of public order? If I report that there is no milk or flour on the shelves, am I promoting perturbation of public order? The newspapers can report food scarcity but can a blog say so? Can a tweet report where food is available and thus generate a stampede through massive retweeting?
5. Do not recognize the authorities legitimately constituted
When I list three representatives as accusing them of promoting a legal coup d'etat, am I violating that item? When I say that Rafael Ramirez is a crook, am I attempting against the security of the nation?
6. Lead to homicide
Even that one I cannot escape because if I write that I wish that Chavez or Cilia Flores end up in jail to rot for their sins I am actually exposing them to homicide! at least in notoriously infamous Venezuelan jails.
7. Lead to or promote the non-compliance of the current legal order
This is perhaps the worst one because promoting a mere boycott becomes already a crime!!!!!! Even suggesting the call for a constitutional assembly becomes as of today a crime!!!!!!!!! This is the catch 22 because if calling for a constitutional assembly happens and such an assembly is elected then it would subvert the current order and as such is a thought in the future crime, or something of the sort. You can be sure that the Cuban advisors will find a way to use this item #7 widely against web pages, blogs et al.
Thus the time has arrived, censorship of Internet is here. Now, needless to say that I have not the vaguest intention to abide by these illegal rules that I do not recognize (which as of now makes me already a criminal). However I need to start seriously to think about proxies, codes etc... and I will need help from readers. More on that later, but this post for the time being to let you know that censorship has arrived in Internet, and the worse kind because before I am punished it will be the net provider that will be punished first and thus the regime forces the providers to become censors, a hallmark of totalitarian regimes, forced informing..... The cowardice of this regime is for all to see.
--------------------------------------------------
1) The Spanish version in the voted draft unless some last minute changes were made.
1. Inciten o promuevan el odio y la intolerancia por razones religiosas, políticas,por diferencia de género, por racismo o xenofobia.
2. Inciten o promuevan y/o hagan apología al delito.
3. Constituyan propaganda de Guerra
4. Fomenten zozobra en la ciudadanía o alteren el orden público.
5. Desconozcan a las autoridades legítimamente constituidas.
6. Induzcan al homicidio.
7. Inciten o promuevan el incumplimiento del ordenamiento jurídico vigente
Censorship on Internet has just been voted. There is one article that lists all the prohibitions on any media including Internet. There is a translation with a mention of appropriate past posts that could be considered violations according to the censors, such as the Golinger tart. (1) Let's start first with the offenses this blog has and will make again.
1. To start or promote hate and intolerance for religious reasons, political or sexual differences, for racism or xenofobia.
Am I to understand that criticizing Iran fundamentalism, their stoning of women, their hanging of gays is a demonstration of religious intolerance on my part?
2. Incite or promote the apology to delinquency.
Are historical comparisons, frequent in this blog, to be questioned? Criticizing the delinquency of the regime is included? Because let's be clear about this: if you support a noted corrupt official you are violating that item. Heard that Aporrea?
3. Constitute pro war propaganda
So, if I congratulate the Colombian government on their operations against the FARC I could find myself in jail? If I support operations against the Taliban I am promoting war?
4. Create restlessness in society or perturb public order
If the opposition organizes a march and that I support it and that I defend the, say, students that defended themselves against police brutality, am I promoting the perturbation of public order? If I report that there is no milk or flour on the shelves, am I promoting perturbation of public order? The newspapers can report food scarcity but can a blog say so? Can a tweet report where food is available and thus generate a stampede through massive retweeting?
5. Do not recognize the authorities legitimately constituted
When I list three representatives as accusing them of promoting a legal coup d'etat, am I violating that item? When I say that Rafael Ramirez is a crook, am I attempting against the security of the nation?
6. Lead to homicide
Even that one I cannot escape because if I write that I wish that Chavez or Cilia Flores end up in jail to rot for their sins I am actually exposing them to homicide! at least in notoriously infamous Venezuelan jails.
7. Lead to or promote the non-compliance of the current legal order
This is perhaps the worst one because promoting a mere boycott becomes already a crime!!!!!! Even suggesting the call for a constitutional assembly becomes as of today a crime!!!!!!!!! This is the catch 22 because if calling for a constitutional assembly happens and such an assembly is elected then it would subvert the current order and as such is a thought in the future crime, or something of the sort. You can be sure that the Cuban advisors will find a way to use this item #7 widely against web pages, blogs et al.
Thus the time has arrived, censorship of Internet is here. Now, needless to say that I have not the vaguest intention to abide by these illegal rules that I do not recognize (which as of now makes me already a criminal). However I need to start seriously to think about proxies, codes etc... and I will need help from readers. More on that later, but this post for the time being to let you know that censorship has arrived in Internet, and the worse kind because before I am punished it will be the net provider that will be punished first and thus the regime forces the providers to become censors, a hallmark of totalitarian regimes, forced informing..... The cowardice of this regime is for all to see.
--------------------------------------------------
1) The Spanish version in the voted draft unless some last minute changes were made.
1. Inciten o promuevan el odio y la intolerancia por razones religiosas, políticas,por diferencia de género, por racismo o xenofobia.
2. Inciten o promuevan y/o hagan apología al delito.
3. Constituyan propaganda de Guerra
4. Fomenten zozobra en la ciudadanía o alteren el orden público.
5. Desconozcan a las autoridades legítimamente constituidas.
6. Induzcan al homicidio.
7. Inciten o promuevan el incumplimiento del ordenamiento jurídico vigente
Second cadena of the day
The university Romulo Gallegos is graduating some medical personnel, surgeons we are told. The kind of personnel that I do not want near me if I am sick or injured, now that we know the kind of education they are getting. But the excuse is good enough for a cadena to silence Globovision, to silence the speech of Zulia governor that was passing as the cadena started.
But Chavez can do as many cadenas as he wants, the Sur del Lago is a battle that he is far from having won.
PS: I will spare you the new bolivarian socialist version of the Hippocratic oath according to Chavez....
But Chavez can do as many cadenas as he wants, the Sur del Lago is a battle that he is far from having won.
PS: I will spare you the new bolivarian socialist version of the Hippocratic oath according to Chavez....
Monday, December 20, 2010
A ridiculous cadena to hide the Sur del Lago protests
Sur del Lago people are resisting. The legislative assembly of the state moved down there to seat, the representatives elect are stirring the pot, the regime sent a Cuban general! A Cuban general to direct the repression, how appropriate!!!
So, all of this is playing in Globovision and apparently whoever has access to Globovision is watching. That is too many people, no matter how many. So Chavez has prepared a cadena that has just started for the graduation of some of the new National Police that reaches its first year of existence. As far as we can tell the new National Police has made no dent on the crime rate of Venezuela however it has shown that it has been well trained for repression as we could see from the protest in Caracas subway about three weeks ago.
In other words the cadena is useless but it serves a censorship purpose, the more so if as it is quite possible the regime decides to strike against the people blockading the roads.
So, all of this is playing in Globovision and apparently whoever has access to Globovision is watching. That is too many people, no matter how many. So Chavez has prepared a cadena that has just started for the graduation of some of the new National Police that reaches its first year of existence. As far as we can tell the new National Police has made no dent on the crime rate of Venezuela however it has shown that it has been well trained for repression as we could see from the protest in Caracas subway about three weeks ago.
In other words the cadena is useless but it serves a censorship purpose, the more so if as it is quite possible the regime decides to strike against the people blockading the roads.
Milagros Socorro monitoring Sur del Lago
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| Chucho Melean, walking cane and all |
It is truly a sad day when a country uses its armed forces to rob citizens of their life's work, because in case you do not know, for the last year the regime has stopped paying any compensation for whatever it takes, letting you know you are lucky to take out your truth brush as you leave. The cowardice of the regime is reaching new unsuspected lows.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The "bolivarian media" has some effectivity
Is Google becoming useless? One may wonder..... Or is it that the opposition media is just unable to put its act together?
Enabling law in Canada
Front page here and the details there. Please, leave a comment if you can to help me keep the job, even if it is unpaid :)
The Sur del Lago region is resisting the potential narco-guerrilla take over
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| Dangerous escualidos defending their job |
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Dictatorship or not? Redefining our terms of endearment
This post is not a reply to my esteemed colleague Juan Cristobal, but he certainly demands, unwillingly perhaps, that we all clarify our terms before entering our new life under Internet censorship and official dictatorship.As far as this blogger is concerned we have been under a dictatorship for quite a while, in fact, as soon as Chavez refused to recognize the 2007 referendum result by making up laws in direct violation to the people's will and constitutional requirements. That he was already, since 2003, ruling as an autocrat is one thing, but we needed to be clearer about an actual date at which he left the constitution to call him in earnest a dictator. At the very latest Chavez became a pre-dictator in 2007 when he refused to recognize the referendum results and started enacting laws whose principles had been clearly rejected at the polls. Maybe it is nitpicking of my part but for me, truly, Chavez as a dictator started in February 2004 when for the first time the Nazional Guard brutally shot protesters for no real reason. Of course all of these considerations are under Venezuelan understanding of the constitution where minor violations by the big boss are not looked upon as fully damning. Dictatorship in Venezuela can be defined as the time when the violations are just too many. In a truly democratic, rule of law, country, Chavez would have been declared a dictator when he forced an unconstitutional referendum in 1999 to change the constitution.
The Komissar, a figure we need to get used to
This is my first post under Venezuela's new dictatorship, a neo-totalitarian version adapted to the XXI century reality. We do not know how successful will Chavez adventure be but from now on we must assume that this blogger is writing at his own risk as anything that is posted from now on can be taken against him. But more on that in an oncoming post.
To open this new period in the life of this blog, or at least whatever life is left to it, I have this extraordinary video that I filmed from my TV screen, courtesy of Globovision (and taken from the official VTV, so it is "politically correct", chavista wise). I do not know whether it is available already but I could not wait to bring it to you.
This video is taken during a land grab, an expropriation of a productive farm, a robbery, whichever way you wish to qualify it. It happens following the orders of Chavez as to the lands in the Southern area of Maracaibo lake. It is carried in this particular farm by the agriculture minister himself, Juan Carlos Loyo.
In this extraordinary video, so telling of the mental structure of chavismo today, he behaves like a red Komissar of the USSR of yore. He harangues a crowd probably made of bureaucrats dragged to the scene. Probably some employees of that farm, and an extraordinary amount of military as if it were some invasion or something. All, ALL must listen to the political harangue, red t-shirt included with the picture of famous murdererer Che, and a big gun at the belt that Globovision helpfully circles in red as it is a violation of TV laws at this time of day, by the way. The message is clear, we have not seen such a disppaly of raw arrogance and naked blunt power since the good old days of the Soviet Union.
You do not need to understand the words, it is standard chavista fare, harking back to the 2002 "coup" that is not even an argument anymore as whatever Carmona Estanga tried to do then has been done since, and much worse, by Chavez. Just concentrate on the body language of what is little bit more than a beefy brute, empowered for verbal violence and waiting for more real violence, butch leather wrist band included. And the body language of the attendants.
By the way, Loyo is a totally incompetent guy, ill prepared to exert the position of Agricultural Minister but willing to to the dirty job of expropriating whatever Chavez indicates. His name jumped to the front stage when Diego Arria farm, La Carolina, was seized early this year. That got him the promotion that he exhibits today.
To open this new period in the life of this blog, or at least whatever life is left to it, I have this extraordinary video that I filmed from my TV screen, courtesy of Globovision (and taken from the official VTV, so it is "politically correct", chavista wise). I do not know whether it is available already but I could not wait to bring it to you.
This video is taken during a land grab, an expropriation of a productive farm, a robbery, whichever way you wish to qualify it. It happens following the orders of Chavez as to the lands in the Southern area of Maracaibo lake. It is carried in this particular farm by the agriculture minister himself, Juan Carlos Loyo.
In this extraordinary video, so telling of the mental structure of chavismo today, he behaves like a red Komissar of the USSR of yore. He harangues a crowd probably made of bureaucrats dragged to the scene. Probably some employees of that farm, and an extraordinary amount of military as if it were some invasion or something. All, ALL must listen to the political harangue, red t-shirt included with the picture of famous murdererer Che, and a big gun at the belt that Globovision helpfully circles in red as it is a violation of TV laws at this time of day, by the way. The message is clear, we have not seen such a disppaly of raw arrogance and naked blunt power since the good old days of the Soviet Union.
You do not need to understand the words, it is standard chavista fare, harking back to the 2002 "coup" that is not even an argument anymore as whatever Carmona Estanga tried to do then has been done since, and much worse, by Chavez. Just concentrate on the body language of what is little bit more than a beefy brute, empowered for verbal violence and waiting for more real violence, butch leather wrist band included. And the body language of the attendants.
By the way, Loyo is a totally incompetent guy, ill prepared to exert the position of Agricultural Minister but willing to to the dirty job of expropriating whatever Chavez indicates. His name jumped to the front stage when Diego Arria farm, La Carolina, was seized early this year. That got him the promotion that he exhibits today.
La República muere en el aniversario de la muerte de Bolivar
Hoy se conmemoran los 180 años de la muerte de Bolivar. En este día somos testigos del final oficial de la democracia en Venezuela cuando la Asamblea NaZional nos indica que el regimen de Chavez esta aquí para quedarse sin importarle la voluntad del pueblo.
The Republic dies on the anniversary of Bolivar's death
Today we commemorate the 180th anniversary of Simon Bolivar's death. Also we are witnessing how the Nazional Assembly of Venezuela makes it official that democracy is over in Venezuela and that the Chavez regime is here to stay, regardless of the will of the people.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Freedom of thought is also gone in Venezuela?
MAJOR UPDATE Janiot does Escarra
It is not enough that freedom of information and expression are being killed this week in Venezuela, freedom of thought is also questioned. In what must be a first for any self described democratic country, a new law voted in a rush today will punish any representative in the National Assembly to switch sides, to vote according his or her conscience. You need to read the AVN brief note to measure the fact in full.
This so wrong on so many aspects that one must wonder if they realized what they were deciding when they planned that law. There must dozens of constitutional violations in such a law, so obvious that we do not need to dig into it. I mean, if that precedent were to be accepted we could conceive in the future laws that would forbid freedom of religion since you would not be able to convert to a different religion.
It is not enough that freedom of information and expression are being killed this week in Venezuela, freedom of thought is also questioned. In what must be a first for any self described democratic country, a new law voted in a rush today will punish any representative in the National Assembly to switch sides, to vote according his or her conscience. You need to read the AVN brief note to measure the fact in full.
This so wrong on so many aspects that one must wonder if they realized what they were deciding when they planned that law. There must dozens of constitutional violations in such a law, so obvious that we do not need to dig into it. I mean, if that precedent were to be accepted we could conceive in the future laws that would forbid freedom of religion since you would not be able to convert to a different religion.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
As the Chavez regime forces the march toward dictatorship repression starts in earnest
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| Carlos Correa injured, from the Espacio Publico NGO |
You may observe the agenda of the Nazional Assembly for the coming holiday season, packing crucial laws that require extensive examination, consultation and debate in a mere handful of days. Nazional Assembly indeed.
Today a group of NGO tried to go to the Nazional Assembly to present a petition and was received as the picture on the right indicates.
Repression has started.
Los culpables de la dictadura: Mario Isea
Mario Isea sabe muy bien lo que hace con esta ley y sabe muy bien los derechos humanos que se van a violentar en Venezuela como consecuencia de la aprobación de esa ley. La imposibilidad de recibir fondos de organismos internacionales, la dificultad de conseguirlos en Venezuela, la imposibilidad de conseguir los fondos necesarios para contrarrestar la billetera sin fondo del estado van a hacer que muchas organizaciones no gubernamentales que se dedican a vigilar la pulcritud electoral, la suerte de los presos comunes e inclusive documentar la criminalidad que sufre el país no podrán operar con efectividad alguna. Por lo tanto esta ley contribuye al fortalecimiento de la dictadura de Chavez ya que sera mucho mas difícil reportar y documentar los abusos que se empezarán a cometer pronto en nombre de la estabilidad revolucionaria, si es que se puede usar tal frase.
Por lo tanto en un futuro que esperemos no sea lejano, cuando la democracia y la justicia regresen a Venezuela, Mario Isea tendrá que ser juzgado por sus acciones, por las vidas que ya arruinó y por las vidas que pronto se arruinarán por causa de la ley que el promovió personalmente.
Los culpables de la dictadura: Manuel Villalba
No se controla Internet lo que hay es una observancia sobre el contenido que hay sobre la red lo que es totalmente distinto [...] Hay cantidad de páginas pornográficas es que acaso eso no tiene que ser normado. Aquí no está planteado restringir sino dar un buen uso a InternetSeguidas casi inmediatamente por la contradicción siguiente
Como es un medio de comunicación masivo, de alta penetración en la sociedad, debe ser utilizado en función del desarrollo de esa sociedad venezolana pero lo que hemos visto es como mentes perversas han desviado el bueno uso de Internet y lo han tomado para ofender personas, incitar al odio, crear racismo y xenofobiaYa que gente como el definirá que es racismo, odio, xenofobia y ofensas, podemos ver que las contradicciones internas de este diputado fracasado reflejan la verdad de lo que se busca: silenciar lo mas posible voces criticas del gobierno, como este blog. La pornografía verbal del presidente sera respetada, de esto podemos estar seguros.
Tal vez no haya sido el el creador de las modificaciones a la ley RESORTE y a las leyes de comunicación, etc... Pero si fue el un máximo exponente, sin sagacidad pero con alevosía en la mentira, en promover el final de la libertad de expresión en los medios de comunicación y el Internet. Por lo tanto merece incluirse en la lista de las figuras que violaron la constitución a sabiendas que eso permitiría la dictadura de Chavez, figuras que irán a juicio cuando regrese la justicia a Venezuela.
The International fallout of Chavez coup is starting
The slow motion coup d'état that Chavez is performing these days is starting to be noticed, and big time. I will pass on the obvious, for example the US government that states that Chavez is subverting the expression of the people. That is, the US indicated clearly that Chavez is acting AGAINST the will of the people since he is not recognizing such opinion as expressed in a variety of votes, starting with the referendum of 2007. The legitimacy of the Chavez regime is now been openly questioned, even if under still rather diplomatic terms.
But much, much worse is the communique from the Inter American Court for human Rights, IACHR. This is all but a complete condemnation of the Chavez regime which has already been chastised often enough by the IACHR. What they are doing is finally starting to put the OAS member countries in front of their obligation to promote democracy in the Americas. Below I am putting some excerpts that you cannot miss:
But much, much worse is the communique from the Inter American Court for human Rights, IACHR. This is all but a complete condemnation of the Chavez regime which has already been chastised often enough by the IACHR. What they are doing is finally starting to put the OAS member countries in front of their obligation to promote democracy in the Americas. Below I am putting some excerpts that you cannot miss:
IACHR CONCERNED ABOUT LAW INITIATIVES IN VENEZUELA THAT COULD UNDERMINE THE EFFECTIVE EXERCISE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Los culpables de la dictadura: Cilia Flores
Cilia Flores es la primera culpable después de Hugo Chavez. No me refiero ya a los múltiples delitos que cometió, desde llenar al parlamento con sus familiares hasta cortarle el micrófono a quien quisiese en el parlamento. La culpabilidad de ella es directa, en haber aceptado presidir una asamblea que le dio un golpe al sistema judicial la semana pasada y esta semana al poder legislativo. Y eso al mismo tiempo que esta presidiendo sobre lo que será en escasos días el fin de la libertad de expresión en Venezuela. Solamente con lo que esa mujer habrá hecho en los meses de noviembre y diciembre de 2010 merecerá ir a la cárcel después de un juicio imparcial que no tendrá ningún problema en condenarla tal como se hizo con los criminales de Nuremberg o los que ya van pasando uno por uno en la corte de La Haya.
Cilia Flores, usted es la primera en la lista, pero no se preocupe porque pronto le nombraré a algunos de sus secuaces para que la acompañen.
Chavez slow motion coup d'état: the second part almost there, no more legislative power, near Nazi style
And thus today the Venezuelan parliament voted its own demise, almost completing a full constitutional coup against the legislative power, separation or powers and what not. Like Hitler did in 1933, unable to put up with a parliament that would dare discuss his "legislative" projects, the regime decided to make the oncoming national assembly an almost empty shell. With the enabling law passed today on first discussion (there is a second vote in a couple of days but the result is foregone and in fact the final draft might even be worse than the one voted today) the next parliament will be able to discuss only some minor issues, becoming for all practical purposes an empty box.
The enabling law is a device that allows the executive power to emit decrees that are also laws and can only be overturned by the mechanism that are used to overturn a law. A decree can simply be voted down, a law cannot, the more so if like the tradition is in Venezuela, certain laws must be voted by a 2/3 or 3/5 majorities and can only be overturned by a similar majority. The enabling law under vote this week, with a bemusing speed for its preparation, is designed to give very broad powers to Chavez on economic and security for at least a year, enough to change irreversibly the economic system of Venezuela and make it impossible to finance a political challenge to Chavez in 2012. After Chavez reelection in 2012 the enabling law will become permanent as it became in Germany as WWII became a fact of life.
Nobody of course is fooled about the intentions of Chavez and already El Pais has a complete article on the subject, as a sample. But of course if your heart goes to Chavez you might want to read the propaganda that serves as news in the Bolivarian News Agency, ABA. The reality is that Chavez has absolutely no need for an enabling law to deal with the current humanitarian crisis. That crisis is just an excuse, a wonderful gift from heavens, literally.
I do not want to insult the readers intelligence explaining why this is a coup d'état but since there are some dense chavistas reading this blog and since I have made it a point to make sure the well known fascist tart Eva Golinger has enough material to put me in jail as soon as she can get away with it, I will explain you why.
Legislating at the very end of a legislative term, when you are a lame duck ruling coalition, when your coalition already lost the majority of the popular vote is simply undemocratic. It is not that lame duck parliaments cannot legislate, they certainly can on mundane mattes to ensure that the government of the country keeps running until the new coalition takes charge. But this happens ONLY in presidential regimes during mid term or special elections because there is already a legal and usually legitimate executive power in office. In parliamentary systems there is no such thing as a lame duck parliament, only a caretaker administration that has limited powers to deal only with pressing emergencies, were those to happen, until a new prime minister is sworn in. In any democratic system, an outgoing legislative body cannot pas legislation that will affect the functioning of the oncoming legislature. The Venezuela parliament that was voted out last September, even if it won in seats numbers, could not have gone beyond voting a budget, special credits or stuff like approving ambassadors. What it has done is made sure that the only thing left for the next parliament, at least for a full year, is to vote only on ambassador approval.
As such it is a constitutional coup, a coup against the legislative power following by a very few days the coup against the judicial power.
Thus the biggest part of the coup is done since the already other two "pretense power" are already tightly controlled by the regime at least until 2012. What is left now to complete the coup d'etat is to go after freedom of expression and a few basic human rights. Already some "laws" are being "discussed" and all of the coup should be neatly packed up by Christmas.
The enabling law is a device that allows the executive power to emit decrees that are also laws and can only be overturned by the mechanism that are used to overturn a law. A decree can simply be voted down, a law cannot, the more so if like the tradition is in Venezuela, certain laws must be voted by a 2/3 or 3/5 majorities and can only be overturned by a similar majority. The enabling law under vote this week, with a bemusing speed for its preparation, is designed to give very broad powers to Chavez on economic and security for at least a year, enough to change irreversibly the economic system of Venezuela and make it impossible to finance a political challenge to Chavez in 2012. After Chavez reelection in 2012 the enabling law will become permanent as it became in Germany as WWII became a fact of life.
Nobody of course is fooled about the intentions of Chavez and already El Pais has a complete article on the subject, as a sample. But of course if your heart goes to Chavez you might want to read the propaganda that serves as news in the Bolivarian News Agency, ABA. The reality is that Chavez has absolutely no need for an enabling law to deal with the current humanitarian crisis. That crisis is just an excuse, a wonderful gift from heavens, literally.
I do not want to insult the readers intelligence explaining why this is a coup d'état but since there are some dense chavistas reading this blog and since I have made it a point to make sure the well known fascist tart Eva Golinger has enough material to put me in jail as soon as she can get away with it, I will explain you why.
Legislating at the very end of a legislative term, when you are a lame duck ruling coalition, when your coalition already lost the majority of the popular vote is simply undemocratic. It is not that lame duck parliaments cannot legislate, they certainly can on mundane mattes to ensure that the government of the country keeps running until the new coalition takes charge. But this happens ONLY in presidential regimes during mid term or special elections because there is already a legal and usually legitimate executive power in office. In parliamentary systems there is no such thing as a lame duck parliament, only a caretaker administration that has limited powers to deal only with pressing emergencies, were those to happen, until a new prime minister is sworn in. In any democratic system, an outgoing legislative body cannot pas legislation that will affect the functioning of the oncoming legislature. The Venezuela parliament that was voted out last September, even if it won in seats numbers, could not have gone beyond voting a budget, special credits or stuff like approving ambassadors. What it has done is made sure that the only thing left for the next parliament, at least for a full year, is to vote only on ambassador approval.
As such it is a constitutional coup, a coup against the legislative power following by a very few days the coup against the judicial power.
Thus the biggest part of the coup is done since the already other two "pretense power" are already tightly controlled by the regime at least until 2012. What is left now to complete the coup d'etat is to go after freedom of expression and a few basic human rights. Already some "laws" are being "discussed" and all of the coup should be neatly packed up by Christmas.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Venezuela's gas guzzling community
I do not know whether to be offended by Simon Romero's latest opus or heartily congratulate him. Never minds that it accompanied by a video which I find offensive because it reminds me of all the jalopies breaking down routinely in Venezuela's highways turning them into a hell of gridlock even on a Sunday morning.
Manuel Caballero is dead
Sunday, December 12, 2010
To laugh or to cry with wikileaks?
Thus I accidentally learned that wikileaks has thousands of emails from a top Chavez aid. Considering that such emails could have very valuable information on corruption, drug trafficking, FARC support plus assorted legal violations committed against the Venezuelan population and its human rights, one would suppose that they should be available already. But no, wikileaks is putting them up on the auction block, mercenary style.
And there are actually people defending them and even starting what is pompously called the first web war or something.... Geeeez..... No further comments needed......
And there are actually people defending them and even starting what is pompously called the first web war or something.... Geeeez..... No further comments needed......
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Too good to be true but true: a cable on the chavista paranoia
Because a chavista jerk does not speak properly English he calls he makes his representative friend try to arrest the crew of an American Airlines flight. Do not miss that cable of the US embassy that cannot tell you better what is inside the chavista mind: arrogance, paranoia, ignorance, vendetta, plain idiocy and what not.
And as expected we are going to get another enabling law
Hitler style, Chavez loves enabling laws which allow him to rule by decree, dictating laws that go and stay in the books without any discussion. Considering that the next assembly will be controlled by his folks there is not even the hope of amending them to minimize the damage. So today he formally requested an enabling law to be voted as early as next week. In it he wants to get special powers so that he can dispose of urban land and housing for the victims of the flood and fiscal power to pay for the necessary measures.
Translation: he wants to make it easy to seize any urban building he needs/covets; control/seize any construction business paying for them someday, maybe; take away any authority on rescue or reconstruction from opposition governors so he can say that they did nothing for the victims; and probably more, much more, as far as getting free budgetary control for a year or two even from the most basic assembly inquiry.
In other words he is taking the rain crisis as an excuse to gut the opposition of the only influence it could have in the next assembly, to control what happens with the public monies, EVEN at the local level.
Now, if the intention of Chavez was to really help the people he does not need an enabling law. A mere credit/special-tax law can be enough as he controls already all the mechanisms that would be used to rebuild the damaged area.
Plus imagine all the benefit for the already overwhelming corruption in Venezuela able to use all of that special rebuilding money without any control!!!
Translation: he wants to make it easy to seize any urban building he needs/covets; control/seize any construction business paying for them someday, maybe; take away any authority on rescue or reconstruction from opposition governors so he can say that they did nothing for the victims; and probably more, much more, as far as getting free budgetary control for a year or two even from the most basic assembly inquiry.
In other words he is taking the rain crisis as an excuse to gut the opposition of the only influence it could have in the next assembly, to control what happens with the public monies, EVEN at the local level.
Now, if the intention of Chavez was to really help the people he does not need an enabling law. A mere credit/special-tax law can be enough as he controls already all the mechanisms that would be used to rebuild the damaged area.
Plus imagine all the benefit for the already overwhelming corruption in Venezuela able to use all of that special rebuilding money without any control!!!
Internet censorship in Venezuela: the real objectives
Thus the National Assembly has received this week a law from the vice-president´s office designed to control Internet. With a symbolic discussion the law is expected to be voted next week. I am not going to go into the details on how the law will or will not control the Internet: whatever I have seen on it is rather unclear and will in the end leave it to some umpire named by the government which will have all discretion to decide who violates the law.
Internet cannot be fully controlled in Venezuela because Venezuela does not have a single network entry point. It does have a major entry through CANTV which is state owned and that is already monitoring quite a few people without any judicial order, through Cuban agents most likely. But there are ways to get your messages out without going through CANTV. So messages will go out of Venezuela unless the state blocks outright twitter et al.
Internet cannot be fully controlled in Venezuela because Venezuela does not have a single network entry point. It does have a major entry through CANTV which is state owned and that is already monitoring quite a few people without any judicial order, through Cuban agents most likely. But there are ways to get your messages out without going through CANTV. So messages will go out of Venezuela unless the state blocks outright twitter et al.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Provisional inquiry post
Final Update: this thread is closed. Provisional and unsatisfactory answer posted by Julia and I guess that we will have to live with her hypothesis for lack of a better one.
A picture is worth thousand words
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| Three stooges of the TSJ, including the chair-wheeled president who came with 15, FIFTEEN bodyguards |
Chavez is a brute and a clown, Evo an ignoramus and Ortega a ding bat dixit the Spanish foreign service
One does not know whether to laugh to tears or feel insulted by the mild sudaca view apparently quite prevalent in Spain higher echelons of the government. The latest issue of wikileaks by Spain's El Pais is all the gossip fun that one could have hoped for (less gossipy but way more tragic for Venezuela are the revelations on how the regime is dumping our oil industry for the cash it so badly needs). Next a few gems here and there from the cables:
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Who is the most genuinely concerned politician?
Since the picture of Capriles Radonski deep in water has been circulating, some chavistas decided to at least wet their shoes. The Chigüire Bipolar spoofs that the weather system issued a warning on wet politicians close to you.
But the fact of the matter is that form the Chigüire picture it is clear that the irresponsible politician is Chavez. For crisake, does he need to drag that little girl through the flood waters? Does he not have some stupid military at hand that could carry the child on some drier place? He is truly despicable. And never mind that he has his court at hand while Capriles is truly alone in the mud.
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| Chavez and Capriles, spot the differences! |
Chavez slow motion coup d'état: first part complete, the judicial safely under control
Chavez has started his road to eternal power long ago but in the second half of this year he has started in all earnest his final coup d'etat, a slow motion one, where he will create the conditions that will make it impossible for anyone to ever challenge him seriously. The reasons have already been explained at length by yours truly a few weeks ago. So now it is time to start a series of articles whose general title will be "Chavez slow motion coup d'état: XYZ" where I will describe as they happen the different elements of the coup as they become clearly visible or as they are completed. A nifty 2010 coup tag will also be created. Today we can start with what happened yesterday, the National Assembly naming unconstitutionally (but then, a coup is always unconstitutional, is it not?)
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Finally, Wikileaks says something interesting about Venezuela: how it intervenes in Salvadoran affairs
The cable drip keeps going on and now we are starting to see patterns emerge besides the obvious gossip content. El Pais from Spain, which is the "partner" specializing in cables related to Latin America, is starting to make interesting studies putting together several cables at once to let the big picture emerge. Today we have a fascinating narration about El Salvador, about how the FLMN tries to sabotage the current president Funes, how the secret service of Salvador basically works against its president and exposes the country to future problem by letting, for example, the Venezuelan foreign minister go through the country unnoticed to set the reentry of Zelaya in Honduras a year ago. You can read the five cables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, that will let you know how even Funes is not feeling safe, and with good reasons.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Idiotez del día: Elena Linares del PCV culpa al capitalismo por las lluvias
Uno entiende que los miembros del pequeñísimo y casi insignificante partido comunista venezolano (PCV) traten duro de arrimarse a la candela, pero es que a veces..... Elena Linares del buró dijo que la culpa de las lluvias recientes la tiene el capitalismo por no respetar las condiciones ambientales y no se que mas burrada. Digo yo, ¿esa señora sabe que Venezuela le vende petroleo a los capitalistas? Esa señora ¿sabe que los chinos tienen hoy en día el peor récord de contaminación ambiental del planeta? ¿Sabe ella que los soviéticos destruyeron a su país? ¿Se paseo ella alguna vez por el récord ambiental del régimen que ella apoya? ¿O es que no no ve los tubos de escape de los vehículos en el centro de Caracas? O la deforestación del Avila, perdón, Guaraira Repano? Etc... Pobre mujer, ¡las cosas que tiene que decir para que le llegue la quincena!
Monday, December 06, 2010
Chavéz,el destructor, se lleva también por delante los consejos comunales
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| Cortesía de Tal Cual |
Primero veamos el poder destructor de Chávez, otra vez revelado. Lo que paso en Higuerote ayer cuando sencillamente mando a saquear los alojamientos de los turistas ("apátridas" fue lo que le falto adelantar como escusa) es mas que un simple acaloramiento del individuo, debido posiblemente a las pitas que recibió en otros sitios por los damnificados que ya no le creen el cuento. Lo que la lluvia dejo atrás en Higuerote, Chávez lo termina de destruir al eliminar la industria del turismo de Higuerote. ¿O es que alguien cree que el gobierno va a pagar por la restauración de los apartamentos y casas tomados si es que se devuelven algún día a sus dueños? ¿O es que alguien cree que los lugareños se las van a arreglar sin turistas por quien sabe cuantos meses?
Provea gets the John Humphrey Award
At a time where democracy is basically gone from Venezuela it is good to notice that people outside are watching.
Provea is perhaps the most noted human rights group inside Venezuela (with COFAVIC I would add). Its long trajectory has been dedicated to defend human rights inside Venezuela, way before Chavez was elected president (its first report on Venezuela is from 1996, 3 years before Chavez became president). It goes without saying that if at first chavismo and Provea were not incompatible soon they parted ways and Provea has been one major critic of chavismo Human Rights record. See, regarding chavismo the problem with Provea is that this one considers Human Rights being for all and not for a given group, preferably supporting Chavez. Conflict was thus inevitable as it has been the case with probably any single independent Human Rights group inside or outside Venezuela, all the way up to the IAHRC where chavismo is losing on any case that makes it there to the top.
Thus in this time of trouble at home we must be delighted that Provea is getting the major Canadian award, the John Humphrey Prize, awarded by the Rights and Democracy organization created by Canadian Parliament as a non partisan group to monitor Human Rights worldwide. The name of the award is well chosen since John Humphrey is nothing else but the main writer of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The award includes 25,000 dollars cash prize. It is a very appropriate coincidence because it will thus be the first test case of the new repressive law about to be voted in the Venezuelan parliament which seeks to control and even forbid any foreign funding to NGO, which of course does not stop Chavez to fund any wacko group he feels like funding. But as Provea has been one of the main exponents, chavismo basks in double standards.
Provea is perhaps the most noted human rights group inside Venezuela (with COFAVIC I would add). Its long trajectory has been dedicated to defend human rights inside Venezuela, way before Chavez was elected president (its first report on Venezuela is from 1996, 3 years before Chavez became president). It goes without saying that if at first chavismo and Provea were not incompatible soon they parted ways and Provea has been one major critic of chavismo Human Rights record. See, regarding chavismo the problem with Provea is that this one considers Human Rights being for all and not for a given group, preferably supporting Chavez. Conflict was thus inevitable as it has been the case with probably any single independent Human Rights group inside or outside Venezuela, all the way up to the IAHRC where chavismo is losing on any case that makes it there to the top.
Thus in this time of trouble at home we must be delighted that Provea is getting the major Canadian award, the John Humphrey Prize, awarded by the Rights and Democracy organization created by Canadian Parliament as a non partisan group to monitor Human Rights worldwide. The name of the award is well chosen since John Humphrey is nothing else but the main writer of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The award includes 25,000 dollars cash prize. It is a very appropriate coincidence because it will thus be the first test case of the new repressive law about to be voted in the Venezuelan parliament which seeks to control and even forbid any foreign funding to NGO, which of course does not stop Chavez to fund any wacko group he feels like funding. But as Provea has been one of the main exponents, chavismo basks in double standards.
The goals of Assange
After reading the first cables released by wikileaks one must wonder what was the real objective of Assange. After all, the cables are relatively harmless and indicate a much better behaved US than what the idiotic left thought it was. And as far as direct harm, it looks to me that those harmed will be more often than not non-US folks. Surely that was not the real intent of Assange and the creeps that surround him, no?
Chavez latest hysterical fit throws battered Higuerote region in turmoil
Water, water everywhere still. Chavez, unable to do anything has found yet a new overdrive gear to shout yet more nonsense.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Meaningless partial elections today in Venezuela
UPDATED WITH RESULTS
Today the CNE finally decided to clear up some of the backlog it has, electorally speaking. See, the CNE only manages in priority the elections that interest Chavez. Those that interest the natives are postponed anywhere between some day and sine die. For a variety of reasons I think that these election result are going to be pretty much worthless but since I do cover elections in Venezuela I feel compelled to write a short note.
Today the CNE finally decided to clear up some of the backlog it has, electorally speaking. See, the CNE only manages in priority the elections that interest Chavez. Those that interest the natives are postponed anywhere between some day and sine die. For a variety of reasons I think that these election result are going to be pretty much worthless but since I do cover elections in Venezuela I feel compelled to write a short note.
It rains, Chavez blames el latifundio...
If you needed proof that Chavez is out of ideas, out of touch, out of even the bare minimum common sense, watch THIS VIDEO from El Universal courtesy of D.B. reader. In it you will see first an hysterical woman telling Chavez that she lost her fridge, her furniture and even her stove. Chavez basically mumbles nothing much. Then she says that she lost her small plot of aji (chile). What does Chavez reply? He asks if there are "latifundios" where she lives, that is large landholders. The woman of course says yes becasue anyone in her area has probably more land than what she does! Everything is latifundio compared to her aji plot of land!!! What does Chavez reply? He protests against her asking her how come she is not denouncing latifundios as vehemently as she is denouncing her flooded house and the abandon that the regime has kept her village since Chavez is in office.
I am not going to insult your intelligence commenting further...
I am not going to insult your intelligence commenting further...
Saturday night in times of crisis
So this week I had to fix part of my roof due to the heavy rains that fell in San Felipe. New leaks appeared out of nowhere.... So the roofer guy, whatever it was I could find in such short notice toward the end of the year as all those who are not drowning are spending their end of year "utilidades", hit the Direct TV dish. Not much but enough to lose signal. That, of course, on a Friday afternoon.
Friday, December 03, 2010
Falcon under water, Chavez swiming against the tide, once again
And yet for all the dramatic news and scenery an air of dejà vu pervades the whole thing. In spite of the major disaster of 1999, in spite of the warning of 2005, it seems that once again the regime is caught pants down, nothing prepared, not even able to raise supplies to the point that it has to steal food and water from charitable and other political organizations to distribute them as if it were its own.
So irksome it is for the regime that Tal Cual reports today that firebrand Iris Varela is even accusing Capriles of all sorts of declarations for which there is no record. That is, they accuse him of anything hoping that something will stick. Elias Jaua the Vice President went as far as saying that Capriles was not doing shit, in spite of pictures proving otherwise; and despite the well known fact that Capriles cannot do more than what he does because his revenues have been slashed by the regime and a lot of the state equipment for natural disasters was taken away by Diosdado Cabello when he lost his reelection bid two years ago. Capriles is, well, rubbing the regimes nose in its incompetence, and I guess that a lot of people in Miranda state are not going to buy the regime's line against Capriles, as we can see already from some reports. His reelection is probably now a given..
Thursday, December 02, 2010
A leaky Devil....
I mean, really.... should I congratulate Miguel to be in a wikileak, or should I send him my sympathies?
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Bloggers with a grip
Gustavo Coronel has reached his post 2000. We must congratulate him for many reasons. He is retired and came out of retirement to become a prolific writer whose research articles appear in specialized oil magazines and sites. Out of his blog, writings and opposition to Chavez he has gone places, from congressional hearings to invitations at international events to lecture us of the evils of chavismo. As he wrote a while back, he had planned to retire simply in Valencia but chavismo did not make that possible. As such from forced exile he has become one of Chavez formidable foes outside of Venezuela, been quoted regularly here and there (yesterday he was a "mancheta" in Tal Cual, picture included).
Why Wikileaks stunt will backfire badly
Read James Rubin article at the NEW Republic! I needed to quote this portion below attacking the "hard left" which I would be more generous in calling the "idiotic left".
It is raining, a lot.....
We are starting to face an emergency. Not as bad by far as the one in 1999, but impressive nevertheless.
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