Random notes on what the hell is going on, TSJ included

I suppose that when I try to make sense out of today's Venezuela I should always start with the following opening statement:

Extraordinary corruption has eventually turned Venezuela into a narco-state. Those in charge, for lack of a better word, are so compromised that there is no way they can surrender power through elections or any other action because they know that jail, or worse, is in their future as soon as the dozens of body guards paid by the state are removed from around them.  This is a camarilla that cannot leave the country anymore, so entrenching at all costs is the word.  

If you do not understand the text above, then you understand nothing about Venezuela.

This being said let's try a few comments on the current situation.

Peaceful protests bother you? Just ban them. And force punitive delation.

Once again today we have proof that the judicial system is totally at the service of the executive, that separation of powers is a concept of the past in a revolution where even a dead Chavez seems to be the lone ruler. In an unanimous decision (does anyone remembers a time when a chavista high court ruled with at least one dissent voice?) the constitutional hall has decided that article 68 of the constitution does not apply and that now any protest, ANY, must get a permit.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

The Washington Post today carries one article and one editorial that could reflect a vision of what Venezuela could be, or will be.

A distant mirror?

In Colombia, it seems that finally justice is edging toward punishing all, Paramilitary and FARC terrorismS (plural intended). The general attorney might be asking for the extradition of Chiquita executives who had no qualms paying the paramilitary AUC for protection. It will be interesting to see if the demand is indeed proceeded and more interesting to see if the US will accept the extradition. Time of truth for both?

Of course, this is a totally unlikely scenario for Venezuela currently. The judicial system is a shambles and a shame. No sane country would accept extradition to Venezuela for any crime that has nay political connotation. It will be years, (decades?) before the submission of the judicial system to Chavez can be reverted to an objective system where the guilty are guilty and the innocent are innocent. Right now justice is politically directed as you can see it from the scandalous trial of Simonovis, Forero and Vivas. All procedures have been violated in the desperate quest of the government to keep them in jail while chavista guilty parties of the April events of 2002 enjoy the pleasures of life , including an embassy position for Lucas Rincon who announced the resignation of Chavez on TV. Yesterday we were regaled by one of the delay tactics of the prosecution: apparently there was a taped video that included a few minutes of National Guard shots during April. But the video was taken from TV and taped over the start of some silly movie also taped from the TV set. Well, the tribunal had to watch the whole movie while people wondered what the Nazional Guard shots segment itself were bringing to the case (there must be thousands of such home made videos of people watching TV these April days...). Apparently the prosecution knowing it has no case against them is trying desperately to delay the trial, à la Anderson case.

that is, if you are anti Chavez you will be screwed, the more so the more innocent you are.

A not so distant mirror?

Mugabe has suggested that he might seek yet another 6 year term (which he will probably finish in a wheel chair with IV drip on the side) and he has promised nakedly that opposition leaders will be beaten by police with iron bars. How long until Chavez announces that for Venezuela? should we make a blog poll?

At least the antics of Mugabe are finally steering even the excessively complacent African Union into uttering some mild reproach. But see, poor Mugabe has no oil whereas oil is a powerful anesthetic for the OAS who has sunk into such irrelevancy that even if Chavez decided to walk out, it might make not the slightest effect whatsoever. Let's put it this way: the OAS mediocrity makes the UN look good.

-The end-