Sunday morning chavista moment: the NYT flushes Weisbrot

The latest opus of NYT's Simon Romero could just be another run of the mill set of observations of all that is wrong in Chavez's Venezuela, as we are now getting used to see everywhere: the world knows and it is catching up, so we can be pleased, those of us who have been writing such criticism for half a decade. However what makes this article worth noting is that it writes straight that all in Venezuela is about Chavez amassing more power, not about the country long term interests. With the added bonus that even some high profile Chavez sycophants agree with it.

The title of the article says it all: "Chávez Seizes Greater Economic Power". Mas claro no canta un gallo. This complemented with a lapidary single sentence paragraph:

One significant measure is foreign investment, which has hit record levels in several other Latin American countries but has fallen in Venezuela.

Next we can read these numbers that Romero refers too, where we learn that Peru, with a comparable population and not much oil receives TEN times more foreign investment than Venezuela. Not to mention that now many studies rank Venezuela close to last, if not last, in parameters such as transparency and climate for business. Whatever Chavez is doing he is not attracting real business investors, the real ones, those that do create real jobs. The only investors Chavez attracts are folks that want to have a colonial type access to raw materials, such as China Cuba and Iran. Tanto nadar para ahogarse a la orilla.

There is thus no need to discuss further this article, the sustained point is clear. But there is another very nice moment in it. See, Simom Romero, God bless him, is still trying to find some objective way to present his articles (as I noted in my previous "press review" on the Reyes laptop.) I do not know why he bothers at this point but it does pay some dividends though, not necessarily those that chavismo will expect.

His "balance" here was presenting Mark Weisbrot point of view. Mark Weisbrot is a paid lobbyist of Chavez in the US, which is an OK job over there. Sometimes when I get tired of blogging I just wish that I could find a sponsor myself to at least treat me to a couple of days at the beach :)

Mark Weisbrot, a Washington-based economist who is broadly supportive of Mr. Chávez’s economic policies, estimates that the public sector accounts for less than a third of the economy even after the latest nationalization wave. “The present government is so far mainly just reversing some of the privatization that took place in the 1990s,” Mr. Weisbrot said.

Let's see. First, how come that Mr. Romero does not quote some minister to defend such policies? That answer I know: the government ONLY speaks to supportive media, in Venezuela and abroad, the type of media that leave their declarations up without any "balance" from somebody else included. Thus poor Simon must resort to paid Chavez lobbyist for an "official" point of view.

Second, considering that Weisbrot is talking to the NYT and not to some local rag, look at his argument, or rather lack of argument: the government is mainly reversing previous privatizations; the public sector accounts of less than a third.

Either Mr. Weisbrot is an ignoramus, or he is a liar, your choice. The "both" is also allowed in the poll.

I am not going to offend the intelligence of the reader by rebating the painfully obvious silliness and lies of Weisbrot. Pena ajena. No, it is much more interesting to observe the very lameness of the Weisbrot argument, that even a long term noted supporter of Chavez cannot come up with a better argument such as "comprehensive energy policy" "comprehensive means to allow for subsidized housing" "the comprehensive tools to ensure access to food to the lowest population sectors".

See, even Mr. Weisbrot knows very well what the truth is: Chavez need to control EVERYTHING and he needs desperately new patronage systems to shore up his popularity, such as doubling or trebling the payroll of the newly nationalized industries, and the hell with notions of competence and competitiveness. He knows that so well that he does not have the heart to come up with a better justification which he knows will be trashed soon by Chavez next actions. So Mr. Weisbrot cut his losses and went straight to the lameness that he knows will be his lot from now on. After all, he is paid the same for brilliance or for stupidity.

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PS: translation of Venezuela saying used in this article: clearer does not sing the rooster; so much swimming just to drown reaching shore; embarrassed for others missteps.

-The end-

The Interpol "day after", a press review of Chavez links with the FARc and his histrionic abilities

[Updated]

Thus yesterday the Interpol confirmed that the Raul Reyes laptops carried indeed documents made, elaborated, handled by Reyes himself or his assistants and NOT by the Colombian government. Of course, well informed people did not need such a confirmation as all the evidence has been pointing out for a very long time to an affinity of Chavez for the FARC. The only real surprise yesterday was the totally, absolutely unhinged reaction of Chavez (including his tasteless attempt at ridiculing the journalist of France Press after she put the finger on the sore point of why Venezuela did not discuss the issue with he Interpol). I mean, after all, the Interpol ONLY said that the documents were not tampered with, that they were not put inside the computers by Uribe AFTER the lap tops were seized. The Interpol DID NOT say the documents were meaningful: after all they could have been made during episodes of boredom during long jungle nights when Reyes was fantasizing and writing the all Colombian FARC novel... Why would Venezuela not check on the work of Interpol?

Anyway, this morning during my cup of tea I decided to make a quick press review to see how people reacted to the Chavez Chow (that is how he has taken to pronounce the world show, as in media show).

In the US

Let's start with the Miami Herald, the paper most likely to be following closer LatAm issues. Alejandra Labanca writes a long article were she skips over the main Chavez insults, though noting that the pseudo press conference lasted 4 hours (see last post). Instead she already looks to the possible US reaction (or rather likely lack of reaction as oil is too important) and what will happen during the EU-LatAm summit to start today in Lima where she expects major leaders to say to Chavez "enough is enough" (a more diplomatic "Porque no te callas"?). It is also to be noted that the paper offers the long account by the AP of Chavez threats in case the US Ecuador Manta base is replaced by one in the Guajira. I suppose he can buy submarines to blockade Colombian harbors (submarines ARE NOT defensive weapons) but Colombia cannot post its allies where it pleases them.

The Wall Street Journal who already had two days ago a major "leak" on the implications of yesterday revelations limits itself to an editorial that ends in wondering what supporters of chavez in the US such as Delahunt will do. Interesting question indeed. Maybe likely Democrat nominee Obama will enlighten us about his positions since many of his supporters are Che/Chavez lovers?

At the Washington Post Juan Forero who has seen the light from his past as a Chavez supporter does not even pretend to be objective: he catches up with the previous WSJ revelations of Cordoba and relates the insults of Chavez towards the Interpol as his only retort to the whole scandal. Indeed, the Noble/ignoble disgusting bad pun to make for a sitting president had to be duly noted. He also mentions the very lame reply of Ecuador foreign minister. An important detail as Ecuador who is probably as compromised in the affair as Venezuela escapes the bulk of international criticism courtesy of the stupid tantrum of Chavez yesterday.

At the New York Times Simon Romero writes already from Lima, attending the serious business at hand. As usual he gallantly strains to be objective against all odds and omits the Noble/ignoble moment as a token conciliatory gesture. He also cites a Chavez supporter, Greg Grandin, for balance in guessing that the US will not sanction Venezuela for the time being. Greg Grandin by the way who has a bone with the NYT coverage of Chavez. But Romero does call it straight, "a set back for Chavez" and mentions his qualification of the Interpol release as a "show", something that even hacks like Grandin will have a hard time justifying.

In Europe

Over there they are not as sanguine and the event is even omitted from the pages of the London Times, or Paris Liberation who prefers to discuss how Sarkozy irritates Colombians with the French obsession for Ingrid Betancourt. But other papers do take up the story.

Le Monde starts with a picture of Chavez and Ivan Marquez, reminding thus that computer files or not, the links between Chavez and the FARC have been public knowledge for a long time as Uribe flushed skilfully Chavez late 2007 during his brief role as a mediator. Marie Delcas does not bother about objectivity: her article is simply a damning listing of some of the findings in the computers, something like the WSJ's Cordoba version for French public. At Le Monde Chavez is deciphered.

At the Guardian Rory Carroll writes a more neutral article that could have been equally written before or after Chavez press conference. I suppose that considering that the press conference of Chavez took place at the time where European editions were closing limited what he could say even though he knew very well what was coming. See, Rory Carroll has already been taken as a target by Chavez himself so he knows... Still, he is very clear in that Chavez has a lot of explaining to do and that at the Guardian it will be a very hard sell.

At El Pais we do get two articles like at the Herald. One deals with the Chavez press conference though El Pais, like the NYT, avoids writing down the worst insults of Chavez. I suppose that again it is the only way they can show some objectivity... El Pais has also a poll as to whether its readers think Chavez is in bed with the FARC: I recommend you vote here. But El Pais also looks ahead the Lima summit, clearly the next round as Chavez apparently has decided to put a Scarlett O'Hara moment, put his ball gown and face the gossiping crowd. But it will be tough: we learn that this summit not only will be problems plagued but that Angela Merkel has declined the conciliatory offer from Lula to smoothen a meeting with Chavez. She told that she can handle everyone on her own. Indeed, the ex victim of the Stasi is used to thugs who treat her of Nazi. Thus even Lula will arrive limping because of Chavez insults to Merkel, the fate of enablers while more straight shooters like Merkel, Uribe and Garcia apparently are hoping to enjoy the summit...

Update: I realized later that a conclusion of sorts was needed. And this one is very simple: not a single major paper tried to defend, justify, excuse, or give the benefit of the doubt to Chavez. Be they from the center right or the center left from any country mentioned. Only the NYT did cite Grandin, and not for an excuse of Chavez, clearly as a challenge to see if any pro Chavez guy would come up with anything credible. And even there, with such low expectations, it failed as the only thing cited from Grandin was that it did not matter whether Chavez was guilty or not, nothing would happen. Which, if you ask me, is a direct implication that Grandin thinks that Chavez messed up big time. In one year, since Chavez closed RCTV, he has lost any good will from the folks that count and even from inside his own camp where clearly some allies might not have not abandoned him but now seem unwilling to support him at any turn.

But even there Grandin might be wrong. If we look at another more hawkish paper, IBD, we can see that they are already focusing on the implications of yesterday events. Simply put, they regard with a cool eye the need to make do without Venezuela's oil. This will indeed cause problems for the US but infinitely worse problems for Chavez. for them, in spite of all the risks involved, it might be worth it to declare Venezuela a rogue state. I do not agree with that however there are plenty more documents coming from that computer now that the codes have been cracked. IBD might turn out to be right and at the very least, if Venezuela is not declared a rogue country its leaders should be issued international arrest warrants. I have in mind the present defense minister, the interior minister and Tachira current governor, just for starters. There is plenty of evidence from their own words. And of course Chavez who might have escaped jail in 1995 but who is doing all what he can to return there.

Let's hope that some chavista read the news and understand them otherwise if no one reins in Chavez, Venezuela is running straight into major trouble.


-The end-

The Reyes computers were not tampered

As expected, Interpol certified that the computers taken at the Reyes camp had not been tampered with. Note: that does not mean that the info in the Reyes computer is proof enough of Chavez collusion with the FARC, it ONLY means that whatever evidence comes out of that computer is not something made up by the Colombian secret service. Not that it matters much anyway, we all know of the close ties between the terrorists FARC and Chavez and the Reyes laptop is just icing on the cake.

The response of Chavez? He calls a press conference where he spends the best part of his time in bad jokes and bad puns on the Interpol spokesman, officer Noble: Noble-ignoble (I will spare you the rest).

Now, of course this assumes that I am watching a press conference. I arrived home and turned on the TV at Globovision. Well, they are passing the "press conference" in full. I arrived, got comfortable, made myself a cup of tea, toasted one after the other two pieces of bread with cheese, ate them, turned on the computer, and Chavez is still answering the question he was already answering when I stepped in. This not a press conference, it is a convocation by Chavez of the foreign press corps to listen to his side of the story. Period. But he must be somewhat embarrassed because he is not doing it in "cadena".

Now, I will propose a thought experiment.

Imagine that you are notified that your chat pal computer has been taken into custody by the police and that files about you are going to be made public from his computer. Apparently with that chat buddy you discussed and exchanged enough files that it will be said of you that you cheated on your wife with another married woman, that in addition you were a regular at a given gay bar, that you embezzled your boss by about 60K dollars while also selling some of the business secrets to the competition for about 200K. And to make it more palatable there are possible evidences of your contacts with your local pusher and some bookie of ill repute.

Now, there are two possible scenarios.

1) It is not true. You go to the police department, you declare your innocence and you demand that your lawyer witness any legal expertise. In addition you give evidence that your chat pal is full of problems and is making all that up for money or something. Note, you do not just say such things of your chat pal, you sustain why your chat pal is in trouble and must resort to such practices with files on your own. And you go next to your boss and demand a full account of any transaction that involved your person, open all your financial accounts for scrutiny and even ask your local tax agency to audit you for any possible unexplainable gain.

2) It is true. You have two options: you either leave the country ASAP if you can or if you cannot leave, you deny everything and lock yourself up at home waiting for the best. In this second option you also try to get a trial lawyer and you pull any string you have to make TV or radio appearances where you cry and pose as a victim thinking that at least, if you are taken to court you will be able to plead insanity or something to get a reduced sentence by creating sympathy for you.

According to you, which is the scenario that best applies to Chavez antics this week?

I rest my case...


-The end-

The bunker syndrome

OK, I could not resist the latest Weil, reflecting how far the perception of Chavez in his bunker is percolating.

Nothing to worry! I will use this only if I lose elections.

That is that, the disgusting blackmail that will be the only electoral theme of Chavez until November: vote for my candidates or else. And that includes from the the PSUV "primaries" to the "runoff" of November. Observe that in the cartoon Chavez is actually talking to one of his supporters as he wants them to support any candidate he designs. The Lara disaster when Barquisimeto Mayor Falcon was out and back again in barely 48 hours must have been very stinging to Chavez ego...

-The end-

The art of transforming oil in human waste: Venezuelan diplomacy

Ah! One good thing about chavismo is that there is never a dull moment and even 10 years into office we can still be astounded by the latest "barbaridad".

It all started this week end through a few articles form El Nacional (subscription only). In one article we learned that out of 97 Venezuelan embassies only 15 are served by professional diplomats, that is, trained staff with a career record which justifies them to become ambassador at some point. In other words 84% of Venezuelan embassies are directed by a political appointee of some chargé d'affaires that might or might not be a political employee. Now, let's not be more Catholic than the Pope here: an embassy is always a nice reward for a big political benefactor and the US is certainly a country used to such type of rewards. However no matter what political appointee is sent to the Court of St. James's, the second in command is always a career diplomat.

So, what is a career diplomat? A legal spy, something invented long ago to allow countries to do reasonable spying on each other. Overtime embassies and diplomacy became also an extension of the local chamber of commerce wanting to buy or place goods. Thus the training is easy to guess: languages, table manners, ability to mimic native customs, a certain ability to do market surveys, demonstrated capacity to write complete reports, and many more, but one above all: professional discretion. This last one is not learned quickly and that is why there is such a thing as career diplomats: they are the ones that can pass out drunk if needed for the sake of their country without spilling a single bean.

OK, I did exaggerate some for effect but I trust the point is clear: someone fresh out from some ministry post or some army barrack IS NOT a born diplomat. Which is exactly what is happening in Venezuela today. You are a Chavez minister and your failure was particularly galling? no problem, you are dismissed during an Alo Presidente and a few weeks after your name is proposed for the embassy at Podunkonia. There your only real obligation will be to promote the glories of the Bolivarian revolution, create a groupie association to welcome Chavez were he ever to visit Podunkonia, identify possible recipients of payments to ensure votes at the UN that favor Chavez and such activities. Not for you of course to hold boring meetings where trade is promoted: this is done directly in Caracas with the local embassies, once juicy commissions are decided though discrete intermediaries.

In short, since you are not put there to defend Venezuela interests but to defend Chavez interests alone, you need no stinking diploma to justify your entry into the diplomatic career. Chavismo through the voice of Ali Rodriguez was not embarrassed to confirm this (1). From that interview published in EL Nacional last Monday we can read the following pearls:

- The wanna-be diplomats are sent to Cuba to study what they need for their career. [since when is Castro's Cuba a reference to make diplomats?]

- "Diplomacy has to be politics" "To diplomacy to project internal politics". [Quite clear, no? Venezuelan diplomats role is to promote the image of Chaevz since all that is done inside Venezuela is to promote the image of Chavez]

- "A college degree does not make a diplomat" [we know, we know, devotion to Chavez is the ONLY credential required if you want to get a state job in Venezuela]

- "The need for academics and of career diplomats is a silly prejudice" [Well, I suppose that we should thank him for his frankness]

- "[Cuba] has more embassies in Africa than Europe" [a new meaning for 'mine is bigger than yours']

Of course the results of such a diplomatic corps eventually become a disaster for the country who holds such values. We have two examples kindly provided as soon as these El Nacional articles were published.

Angela Merkel, German chancellor, a victim of the Stasi, had the misfortune to state an elemental truth: Chavez was not the voice, the spokesperson of South America. Of course, Yo, El Supremo was deeply offended in his silly pride and could not resist himself to insult Merkel publicly in the most outrageous terms we can think of. If Chavez had someone like me working for him he would have received the following memo:

Dear Comandante Presidente

The words of the Merkel woman must be countered. We suggest that you stress her links with the devil president of the US. You should suggest that she is too close from Bush to have any valid opinion as to whom is a leader anywhere in the world.

Under no circumstances mention her name in the same sentence as the words Nazi, Hitler, or fascism: this would only result in Germans rallying behind her and a possible reaction of support from the European Union.

Patria, Socialismo O Muerte.

Obviously either no one was able to write such a memorandum or worse, was unwilling to mail it to Chavez. Thus sure enough Merkel benefited from a supportive opinion at home and the president of the EU went one further deploring all forms of populism in particular the leftist brand now seen in Latin America. (2)

That the president of the EU is right now held by a Portuguese, Jose Barroso, is a delicious coincidence as I present the second evidence as to why such organization of foreign policy can only result in trouble and public humiliation for Venezuela. With great fanfare the government has announced a deal to buy lots of food from tiny Portugal in exchange for oil. For this, the prime minister of Portugal, Socrates, made an official visit to sign for the juicy contracts. In all of this charade nobody in the diplomatic corps of Venezuela seems to have noticed how humiliating was the show.

See, first we should explain how come that after 10 years of glorious bolibanana revolution we need to knock Portugal's door to buy its agricultural surplus. And I am not talking olive oil or canned fish here, we are talking pasta! soy oil! powdered milk! Things that we would never associate a priori as great Portuguese exports!!!!!

Second we would like to know how come Venezuela is spending its oil money in food that, after a brief transit, will end up in the sewers instead of buying development high technology items such as trains from Germany. With those imports Portugal will get more money to finance its agro-industrial complex (since it has one and apparently Venezuela as a lesser one than Portugal) while Venezuela will get food which will last, well, you know, a few hours. With these exports, bought to private capitalistic companies in Portugal, that country might be able to produce even more food while in Venezuela private food producers will face yet a new unfair, subsidized competitor and thus lose money, and thus invest even less in Venezuelan agricultural production and thus eventually force the government to import yet more food.

Hard working, business savvy Portuguese will be laughing all the way to the bank... But in Venezuela the government is clueless about its admission of failed agricultural policies when a small country, half the people of Venezuela, a fraction of Venezuela area, is able to rescue it form some of its food shortages! I suppose that among the chavista hardcore some will find the news wonderful, but I am pretty sure that among the very few remaining chavista with some sort of a brain there must be a realization that we used to depend on the local Portuguese grocer for our food and now we must ALSO depend on the country itself....... that has got to be sobering for a few folks.

But I suppose that I should not be so hard on the present Venezuelan diplomacy: after all they did manage the deal with Portugal. Just as they are scouring all around the globe for the food not produced at home. Why Socrates allowed himself to be convinced to go to Caracas to sign is puzzling as many other countries sell food to Chavez without accepting to have their picture taken next to Chavez. So score one for the cheap political acts turned diplomats through a Cuban crash course.

And score all sorts of minuses for them in helping Chavez turning oil into human waste.


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1) Ali Rodriguez is a former guerilla who never lost his extreme leftist views, even though he projected moderation through his speech ways. He got them fulfilled under Chavez. After serving in many critical positions (read: those where money circulated) he ended up as ambassador to Cuba where he was also treated for diverse ills. Considering that the Havana job is today the main foreign post for Venezuela, where Chaevz dispatched his own brother for years, you know that Ali Rodriguez knows of all subventions, legal or illegal, all stolen monies, all secret accounts, etc... Ali Rodriguez is someone who will end up in jail if Chavez eventually leaves office, even if he never stole a coin for himself.

2) Mirjam Gehrke at DW of Germany even writes "To compare Angela Merkel to Adolf Hitler was disrespectful and ignorant. The reference was so stupid in fact, that the chancellor herself wouldn't respond to it." Yeah well, they are all finding out eventually how ignorant Chavez is. They could have saved lots of time had they be reading this blog :)


-The end-

New blog: Caracas Gringo

Over the year too many folks have complained about this blog, from poor English, to overtly biased going through faulty research and more opinion than information. Whatever... For those never happy there is a new blog which will make this one look like a true voice of moderation on forgiveness for certain chavista errors. Unfortunately for the chronically unhappy crowd, that blog does not accept comments so any bitching, you will have to keep it for you.

Please, welcome Caracas Gringo, a much better and realistic blog than any PSF venture, including the pro Chavez Cowboy in Caracas, the paradigm of PSF on the make.

-The end-

Waiting for the Reyes computer exam

As it is often the case we can rely on Tal Cual's Weil for the perfect cartoon to summarize the nervous tension (breakdown?) of Chavez as we all wait for the official Interpol report on the Raul Reyes computer, to be revealed tomorrow.

- You can be manipulated. We can believe nothing from you
-Oooops! Sorry, I thought you were Reyes laptop

That is right, never would Chavez allow the Interpol to audit PDVSA production numbers numbers or the CNE electoral rolls...... just to name a couple of things that we all Venezuelans would love to know the truth about.

-The end-