If Superman does it.....

Superman telling US president he does not want to be US citizen anymore....

Would political bloggers be best served by forfeiting their citizenship?  I do not know whether the answer is to become a citizen of the world, but I can tell you that sometimes my eyes look like those of Superman during a Chavez cadena....
(hat tip FW who also dryly comments that Superman was an illegal alien to begin with, when the Kents found him).

Cartas a la MUD: Gadafi y franco tiradores en Venezuela; no soy yo, lo dicen otros

Pues bien, todavía nada sobre Libia, Gadafi y franco tiradores en preparación. ¿O es que no es con ustedes el asunto?

Miren, Julio Cesar Pineda, que fue embajador allá, les pide que reconozcan al movimiento rebelde organizado. O por lo menos que expresen su apoyo a la gesta, quejándose de los maltratos y matazón que propina Gadafi a los civiles, a bombazo y tankazo limpio. ¿Es mucho pedirles que por lo menos expresen simpatía oficial con esa gente?

Minimum wage hike for fake prosperity

It is difficult to overstate how idiotic and useless is the recent decreed wage increase.  Never in the economic history of Venezuela was such a measure been so populist and yet so useless and so bearing of dire consequences for those who think today that they got their long due.  We can start with today's cartoon of Weil at Tal Cual to illustrate at the very least how useless the minimal wage increase is:

There you go, your new minimum wage!

Little signs that things are not well in Venezuela

Reading El Universal today was a depressing exercise.  I counted at least a dozen articles, from economy to the red pages, that related how bad things are turning in Venezuela.  With no hope for improvement in sight.

Cartas a la MUD: ¿Por que no le dan duro a Chávez con el genocidio de Gadafi?

Nos enteramos hoy que una misión Libia, del lado de Gadafi, llego a Caracas para pedir ayuda.  Son varios, nos dicen.

¿Y ustedes no van a decir nada?

Keiko and Ollanta

If you want to read something that will affect more our future than the preceding post, you  can go and read the trashing that Jaime Bayly does to Vargas Llosa who had the temerity to chose Ollanta Humala over Keiko Fujimori.  Now, certainly Mario can chose whomever he wants for Peru, but after having said two weeks ago that having to chose between Ollanta and Keiko was like choosing between Cancer and AIDS it seems indeed a little bit indecent for him to choose this fast when he has still 1,5 months to make up his mind.  Not only he has all that time to make a rational decision, but someone with his notoriety should use that time  to sell himself to the highest political bidder in order to extract as many democratic guarantees from Keiko and Ollanta as possible.  As such Vargas Llosa endorsement is not only a major blunder for himself, showing him way more whimsical and impulsive than we would have thought, but it might even hurt Ollanta as Vargas Llosa is not the most popular politician in Peru.

Kate and William

Is there anyone among the readers of this blog that can possibly care less about that darned wedding than yours truly?  Admittedly I am at a disadvantage by mentioning the embarrassing business......

Hugo, ¿Es que tampoco te va a constar Siria?

Hugo, el de Miraflores y Alo Presidente, ¿hasta cuando vas a seguir apoyando a asesinos?  O será que nos estás mandando un mensaje, que nos quieres asesinar también a nosotros el día que reclamemos nuestra victoria electoral.  Que suerte que tienes con una MUD tan alcahueta que a penas te reclama tu apoyo a los asesinos de las FARC y a esos otros asesinos que son los hermanos Castro, sin hablar de ese criminal de origen argentino a quien afortunadamente ya le dieron lo suyo en Bolivia hace años.  Imagínate tu, ni pío dicen sobre tu apoyo al carnicero de Trípoli y a ese de Teheran.  Hechale pichón Hugo, apoya a tu hermano Asad.  Total, ¿fuera de Venezuela que es una raya mas pa'un tigre tan rayado como tu?

When taxation without representation becomes mere highway robbery: Chavez robs the Venezuelan treasury

This week is holiday in Venezuela and traditionally even Chavez had a more moderate approach in what still remains a traditional country, albeit not very religious anymore.  But strapped for cash Chavez decided to use the holiday lull to make a preemptive strike in what basically accounts to a mere robbery of the public treasury to use it as he pleases.  Really, I kid you knot, with the new decree law announced last night Chavez will have a few extra hundreds of million USD (up to a couple of billion depending how oil prices vary) to spend as he wishes, without legislative control, without any form, of accounting whatsoever.  And that money he steals it directly from locally elected authorities, that is town halls and governorships.

Chavez has become a scarecrow for basically anything....

And of course, some conservatives nuts are the best at using Chavez now that they are deprived of the old commies and gay are shouting back. Barackuo Obamez, geez, the creativity....

The Venezuelan electricity crisis summarized for Canada

Since it is Semana Santa in Venezuela, light writing to be expected around here.  So for your enjoyment a little summary of the electricity crisis in Venezuela for our dearest Canuck audience.

Portrait of a cynical fascist: Eugenia Sader

Yesterday something quite extraordinary happened: one of Chavez ministers revealed to which extent the moral decomposition of the higher echelons of the regime has come.  Namely, Eugenia Sader, the health minister, also issued from the highly immoral ranks of the Venezuelan army, and thus a true witness of the inhumanity and corruption now existing int eh Venezuelan armed forces.

The point comes during a press conference as she is asking to comment about the nurses of Venezuela who have been protesting for a month, on hunger strikes and sewn mouthes because, gasp, they want to make more than minimum wage, and re-gasp, they want the regime to fulfill the promises it made them and which were never fulfilled.  But the regime is not willing to pay its dues and since it has no money, indentured public servants are becoming the norm.

You do not need to understand the video below, just watch the face, the grimace of Sader as she says that she cannot lower herself to comment on people demanding their rights.  That is the portrait of a fascist, and cynical one if you forgive me the intended redundancy.

Who will win the 2012 primaries (in Venezuela, not the US of A)

Since the date has been set, since there is nothing that we can do about, since all the ranting is done, since all the advice to the MUD has been offered graciously, there is nothing left but start preparing for that momentous day, assuming that we will make it there with a purpose.

This first ever real total primary in Venezuelan history will also be bewilderingly complex, at least for an outsider point of view.  So this very first post is going to try, with graphs, to enlighten the non Venezuelan reader (and refresh the neurons of the Venezuelan ones).  The first thing to know is that the primary is not going to be that complex after all: if there is a multitude of possible candidates now, by the end of 2011, as I hope to show below, there will be at most 6 viable presidential candidates, and by late January 2012 it is to be hoped that that number will have shrunk to 3-4 maximum, giving us hope that the winner will cross, without discussion, the 50% result.  The best way to understand what I mean is to look at Venezuelan political history since 1950.

Let's start with an explanation on how to read these slides.  I have not tried to give an accurate interpretation of right or left.  This is because, as I have explained elsewhere, in Venezuela there is a political "tradition" that we are all on the left, all preferring the common good, at the expense of the individual if necessary.  That this was "the talk" but that in practice the result was quite different is another topic of discussion.  Also, some political parties have shifted so much between "right" and "left" that their classification is basically nonsense, reflecting the crass opportunism that has ruled Venezuelan politics, in particular since the 90ies.  I must say that I did not include all the parties that have had any significance in Venezuelan history, limiting myself to mention those that I think were mentioned at some point in this blog.  You thus must read these slides from top to bottom, reflecting the evolution of political parties, their influence, their by products, etc...  avoiding to impinge absolute accuracy from these slides: I am just trying to give you an Ariadne thread to find your way through the coming months.

Primaries in February 12: right now, no use for them.....

Now that I have vented my anger at the idiocy of the opposition for postponing so late the primaries (which means that if a second round were to be necessary it might not take place until March or April!), it is time to evaluate the situation a little bit closer.  After all I have not written a real electoral post since my discussion in Spanish over the primaries.  Little good did it do....  Not that I was expecting anything, mind you, just sad of having been proven once again that the MUD victories are at the very least as much in spite of the MUD than becasue of its actions.

Needless to say that at this point I am very pessimistic as to the opposition winning in 2012, for three reasons basically

In support of Juan Cristobal against AD and Ramos Allup caught red handed begging at US embassy

My fellow colleague Juan Cristobal over at CCS has been receiving quite a beating for his un-nuanced condemnation of AD as being caught through Wikileaks as begging for funds at the US embassy in Caracas.   This has generated quite a firestorm of comments.  Besides makign me glad that my policy of comment moderation naturally dampens the flood of comments, it also forces me to take his defense with a special post because I do not want my opinion being just one in a 100.  One is a prama donna or one is not, and, besides, this is too important to limit itself to a single blog.

Sieg Heil!

Chavez's militia marching, separate from the red crowd. Caracas, April 13 2011.  Front page El Nacional yesterday.

Carta a la MUD: por qué van a perder las elecciones

Ya el asunto no se trata de que si las primarias son en octubre o en mayo del 2012.  Ya pasamos ese punto antes de su anuncio anti-clímax de ayer.  El asunto es que ustedes cada día inspiran menos y menos confianza.

Comparando estilos de dictadura de Carmona y Chávez

Ayer era el 13 de abril y el chavismo estaba celebrando. Bueno, el núcleo duro porque un montón de las personas que se veían en las calles se les había dicho de marchar o pasar por el departamento de liquidación. Mi pareja fue uno de ellos, a mi me consta de que fue así.

Como algo de retribución se me ocurrió releer el infame decreto de Carmona Estanga del 12 de abril y compararlo con lo que es la situación de Venezuela hoy en día. Ya saben, para ver cuál de Carmona y Chávez es el peor dictador.

Artículo primero: nombrar presidente a Carmona. Bueno, eso es exactamente lo que Chávez habría hecho en 1992 si no se hubiera cagado en los pantalones en el Museo Militar. 0-0.

There are definitely problematic neural connections in the brains of chavistas

These days the mood of chavistas seem to be oscillating dangerously between shit scared and batshit crazy.  If you forgive me the vulgarity.  My S.O. and his co workers of a ministry that shall remain nameless were forced to go to yesterday's April 13 march, which apparently, free subway and all, was not as spectacular as previous editions.  Rain?  Fatigue at the ever repeated rittornello? Public workers diving to escape into the first subway station they could manage to do?  He still managed to send me a few pictures and I chose two that truly represent how out there in space chavismo is navigating.

Supporting Qaddafi

"Murderers of Libya's people, Obama and Clinton"

Paying for a little bit of self promotion

Not me, Eva Golinger. Since the article is in French I will oblige and give you the fun parts below.

Ramos Allup of AD trashed, TRASHED by the US embassy in Caracas

In what is going to be one of the most interesting Wikileaks on Venezuela El Pais of Spain publishes  a devastating analysis of US cables on AD leader Ramos Allup, as being basically one of the main reasons why the Venezuelan opposition does not go anywhere fast ....  If you cannot read Spanish, you have the MUST READ worst cable in English here and an excerpt below:

My S.O. has to go and march today to celebrate the establishment of the Chavez dictatorship

It is April 13 and chavismo is celebrating.  Well, the hardcore anyway because a whole bunch of the people you will see in the streets have been told to march or else.  My S.O. is among them and hopefully he will send me pictures of the deal....

As a revenge of sorts I decided to read the infamous Carmona decree and compare it with what is the Venezuelan situation today.  you know, to see which one of Carmona and Chavez is the worst dictator.

Article one: naming Carmona president.  Well, that is exactly what Chavez would have done in 1992 if he had not shat his pants at the Museo Militar. Deuce.

Brazil in Peru (and elsewhere?)

Well, El Pais of Spain details for us that Brazil is quite involved in Peru's business and thus there is really no surprise behind the heavy support they provided to Humala.  If we add to this new intemperate words of Mario Vargas Llosa then Humala's chances are not only improving but he might get less scary.  The question here is to evaluate his real hold on the people behind him.  Lula had that "advantage", the PT had time long enough to develop a few local fiefdoms, powerful enough to have Lula as "their man in Brasilia" rather than the mighty leader having his men in the states....

Lessening the two evils

And thus the choice of Peru is becoming the choice of a continent.  We hoped for the last minute surprise of PPK edging Keiko Fujimori but it was not to happen.  And thus in what is almost a text book case of two extremes joining, a majority of Peruvians have voted for totally unacceptable extremes and they imposed upon the more civilized stock the nasty duty to chose the less stinky option they left us at the toilet of history.  See, I am already using "us" and I am not Peruvian.

Tonight I was very briefly watching Buenas Noches in Globovision, another example of shitty choice between utter idiocy and utter evil at VTV.  I watched it because as I was surfing I got there just as they started talking of Peru's election.  Kiko, in his unreconstructed superficial leftism said he was going to go for Humala while his side kick Carla Angola refused to take an outright stand, indicating as such that she was going to Keiko.  And thus was there the trap set by the left, that you could not possibly consider Keiko over Ollanta, because, you know, she is the daughter of a dictator...  You laugh?  Even Quico fell for that one, going as far as confusing a banal campaign clip as the dark designs of Keiko Fujimori.  It is fitting that this 11 of April I learned more about how come Chavez became president than I had learned in a long time.  See, Kiko Bautista was an open supporter of Chavez in 1998 while I was already telling to whomever cared to listen to me that Chavez was hell upon us.  And Quico Toro is a well known comeflor seen as stepping on his own toes occasionally.

OPORTUNÍSIMO regalo de 11 de abril: dictador Gbagbo arrestado en Costa de Marfil

Me parece una coincidencia maravillosa que hoy, 11 de abril, por fin cae Laurent Gbagbo, dictador de Costa de Marfil, que fue obligado a ir a elecciones por la comunidad internacional, que las perdió y que trató de atrincherarse.  Después de traer aun mas miseria a ese infortunado país con su negativa a jugar a la democracia lo único que logró es terminar siendo arrestado y probablemente en vías de le La Haya, lo que hubiese podido evitar si hubiese aceptado el resultado electoral y pactado con Ouattara, el legítimo vencedor.

Que esto sirva de lección a otros en los trópicos que se la pasan hablando pendejadas, de milicias y de que "no volverán".  Quienes volverán o no se puede discutir, pero todo tiene su final y todos son sustituidos algún día, incluso por comilitones si es necesario.  Si quieren pasar a la historia por la puerta grande, no hay nada mejor que el buen gobierno y la vocación democrática.  Milicias, violencia y corrupción solo los llevarán la despeñadero, y muchas veces al país también.

Aquí a la derecha una foto de Gbagbo en camiseta que me recuerda a otra joya tropical que también poso en camiseta algún día de un mes de abril no tan lejano.....

Servicio público: en un día como hoy

Tenemos el deber de recordar a nuestros distinguidos lectores lo que pasó en un día como hoy, en el 2002 para ser mas precisos.

Muchos hechos son oscurecidos por  el tiempo, pero no importa que tanto se trate de reescribir la historia, esto permanece cierto, hasta que se pruebe lo contrario, por una comisión de la verdad:

Exit polls in Peru: worst case scenario becomes true!

UPDATED 2.   When I wrote yesterday about Peru I said that if Humala got more than 30% of the vote his chances for the second round would be believable.  First exit polls give him 31-32%.

I'll see your Makled and I raise you a Lobo

Chavez, Santos and (OMG!) Lobo

One thing is certain: Colombians now take only cash with Chavez.  Once burned, you know, twice shy....

Chavez really, really wants narcocelebrity Walid Makeld back to Venezuela where a mock trial will silence, for a few weeks at least, all the narco charges pressed against some of the highest military ranks of the Venezuelan army, and who knows how many that are into the laundering system of Venezuela, made proficient through extensive washing of corruption dirty clothing.

So Santos had no trouble to force Chavez to seat down with cursed Honduras president Lobo and have the picture published, with a Chavez looking so ill at ease that for a brief instant I had some kind of sorry pity feeling for him.  But very brief, rest assured, as soon as I remembered that he has only himself to blame for all the blackmail that Santos and Colombia are putting him through.

Peru, encrypted chavismo and reelection as a curse

I did sort of follow the Peruvian election, but now I regret that I did not follow it closely as it has turned out to be quite interesting, and significant for the future of our region.  But first, let's dismiss the Peruvian election before we get into the real good stuff-

ZeeZap! Splat! Electric crisis back with a vengenace.

Today pretty much 3/4 of the country were left in the dark.  Some areas like Yaracuy only for about an hour or less, some are still not quite back there.  So, in spite of all the governmental propaganda, the electric crisis catches us right where it left us last year, and even worse since the regime announces that there will be a rationing "only for tonight" so that they can hook up who knows what, a novelty we never had before and that only leaves us thinking that today "accident" was in fact much worse than expected.

Perdidos en el espacio - Lost in Space

Impossible to do a better cartoon about the opposition mess in deciding when and how to hold primary elections.

Imposibe dibujar algo mejor sobre la indecision de la MUD en cuanto a fijar fecha y modo de primaria.

Primaries in a month-- Better in two-- What about December?-- Danger! Danger!.. I would say September 2012

¿Con Makled? ¡que hagan lo que les de la gana!

Mucha bulla para con ese señor Makled "presunto narcotraficante" preso en Colombia y vendiéndose al mejor postor.  Todo ese asunto me deja frío, no indiferente, pero si frío.  Total, ¿que va a pasar?

Primero, por una vez estoy de acuerdo con la vocería del PSUV: Walid ladra y ladra pero todavía no hemos visto la primera prueba contundente.  O sea, el tipo tiene para tumbar al gobierno y hasta ahora no soltó ni para tumbar la secretaria de la alcaldía del alto Apure, y eso con los 5 aviones diarios de droga que salen de allí a quien sabe que lugar.  El malandro ese o no tiene lo que dice o se lo va a soltar a Chavez una vez que estén reconciliados, aquí,  y con alguna casa por cárcel.

Amigos, ¡cáiganse de esa mata!  en un país de lambucios donde los votos se compran con bolsas de comida gratis, al gobierno NO lo tumbó PUDREVAL.  ¿Y ustedes creen que los lambucios esos le van a parar a una narco-gritería opositora?

¿Trabajadores migrantes a Venezuela? ¿Desde Belarus?

¿Hablarán ruso?

En otro caso insólito del bolivarianismo chavista leemos una comunicación desde Belarus donde nos narran que estudiantes de la universidad de Brest van a ser contratados para construir no se sabe bien que en Venezuela (1).  Lo interesante de esa nota es que aparentemente creen que en Venezuela hay sitios del país donde se habla ruso: "the students would be sent as builders to the regions of Venezuela where the population speaks Russian". Aunque luego se precisa que habrá gente hablando ruso esperando, lo que me sorprendería casi tanto, ¿a menos que sean cubanos?

Aparentemente el trabajo no es tan voluntario como parece ya que el articulo usa términos como "compulsory" y "tours of duty". Pero eso si, esta pagado buenísimo para el nivel de vida de Belarus "students are offered an unbelievable salary in Venezuela." Este último se lo traduzco para que entiendan claro: "se le ofrece a los estudiantes un sueldo increíble en Venezuela." (énfasis mía).  Les van a dar Internet, viáticos, la comida, los pasajes y 1500 dolares mensuales, de esos dolares verdes del imperio.  En verdad, no se si para Belarus ese sueldo es increíble pero en Venezuela muchos profesionales solo pueden soñar con un sueldo así.  ¡5, CINCO, sueldos mínimos mas Internet, comida y alojamiento!  ¡Se cuenta y no se cree! diría un amigo Puerto Riqueño mio.....(2)
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Post Data: Kepler  en su blog ha escrito mucho sobre los turbios negocios con Belarus, inclusive sobre esa empresa con nombre de Belzebut.
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1- El enlace proviene de un sitio "disidente", Charter 97, que promueve la democracia en Belarus, contra el dictador pana del rey  Hugo, el sabanetor.  ¡Escualidos de allá, pues!  Lo que nos da mas razones para confiar de la información.

2- Y si lo ponemos a la tasa innombrable pues serian 10 sueldos mínimos por lo menos. ¡El bonche que se van a dar esos catiritos!

Más allá de lo anecdótico [Hugo Chavez en Uruguay]

Invitada de hoy, un especial de nuestra corresponsal en Uruguay, Milonga, lectora asidua de muchos años. Sus impresiones de la visita de Chavez por esos lares.

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¿Chavez charúa?

El paseo de Hugo Chávez y su chequera de petrodólares a cambio de ignotos premios y zalamerías esta semana por las bandas del sur, despertó risas y fuertes reacciones.

Los negocios de Chávez con los países de América del Sur pueden ser descritos como “turbios”, para decir lo menos. En Uruguay estamos acostumbrados a sus chabacanerías. Esta es su sexta visita desde que el Frente Amplio venció las elecciones. Es la sexta vez que firmamos un acuerdo para explorar los pozos maduros de la bacía de Orinoco (supongo que sean los mismos); que firmamos otro compromiso para cambiar petróleo por lácteos (y que para nuestra sorpresa devino en una deuda con PDVSA de casi 700 millones de dólares, la mitad del patrimonio de nuestra empresa de combustibles, ANCAP. Venezuela vende actualmente 40.000 barriles diarios de petróleo a Uruguay en condiciones “preferenciales de financiamiento”); que se dona 10 millones al hospital universitario; que pone plata para mantener el deficitario banco venezolano BANDES en nuestro país; que hace un convenio para ayudar a Envidrio, una empresa fundida de fabricación de botellas de vidrio ahora de propiedad de los empleados, que Chávez ayudó a reflotar. ¡Ah! Y no nos olvidemos de ALUR, el polo alcoazucarero en el norte del país, ahí donde el fundador y líder del movimiento Tupamaro, Raúl Sendic, inició la revuelta guerrillera con los plantadores de caña de azúcar del Departamento de Artigas en los años 60. Se habla de una inversión de 100 millones de dólares por parte de Chávez, acuerdo firmado con Raúl Sendic Júnior, director de la empresa estatal en los dos gobiernos del Frente Amplio…

That Social Democrat curse: we must all be on the left

We suffer politically in Venezuela from a curse that we cast in the 1958-1960 era, when we got rid of our last right wing dictatorship while trying to make sure Fidel Castro Communism would not take over us.  We failed at both since right now we suffer of a new attempt at a fascist neo-totalitarian system while Fidel Castro has succeeded in turning Venezuela into a Cuban protectorate.  But I digress.

"A" left celebrates its newly found "unity" today in Barquisimeto

The curse that Venezuela suffers is that no political party has dared to call itself anything beyond "right of center", and even when it happened, very reluctantly, it doomed from the start any chance of success to reach power.  AD of course already inherited its ADECO appellation from being linked to Communism (AD-COmunista).  When Rafael Caldera became serious about reaching power he self styled his COPEI into "Social Christian" even though its origin was way more into a conservative religious place.  Since they both were "center left" all new parties defined themsleves as further to the left (MAS: Movimiento al Socialismo; Causa R: radical left, PPT: more leftist secession of CausaR, etc, until Chavez and his outright XXI century socialism, a.k.a. communism light so far, Castro inspired).

Why such a self imposed restriction?

Los Culpables de la dictadura: Carlos Escarrá

Entre las diferentes categorías de los que participan en la creación de regímenes totalitarios hay los vividores, y usted claramente pertenece a estos.

Si, es verdad, usted ha ofrecido muchas de las leyes que han cuartado la libertad en Venezuela, pero usted no ha sido muy original en ello, usted se limitó solamente a darles un barniz legal.  Eso si, con toda la vileza que sea posible insinuar.  Pocos se han arrastrado tanto para ser aceptados por la cúpula del régimen.  Y todavía, con todo lo que usted a hecho para ganar favores, a penas lo dejan sentarse en la Asamblea Nacional. 

Pero eso no le importa mucho a usted porque al fin y al cabo lo que le importa al acomplejado que usted es, es el roce con el poder, la gloria, y la prepotencia impune.  No mas tenemos que oír de su viaje reciente a Washington donde usted se rehusó a quitarse los zapatos en en la seguridad del aeropuerto.  Lo hacemos todos, TODOS, incluyendo los diputados del Congreso Norteamericano, cuando viajamos en los EE.UU.  Pero usted no lo quiso hacer porque usted es un malcriado, acostumbrado a nuestro aeropuerto nacional donde hay una rampa especial para los cubanos y la gente de su calaña que ni enseñan el pasaporte, ni se les registra el equipaje.  Menos lo harán con sus zapatos.

Es por eso que usted colabora activamente con la dictadura, por vividor, para tener privilegios, para poder insultar a quien quiera impunemente, dentro y fuera del país.  Usted tiene su puesto bien merecido en esta lista por grosero y abusador, como ejemplar de nota de la basura que nos gobierna, de la basura que quiere nos volvamos.