Remember Maletagate? When the case was being discussed, we all learned that Antonini (the guy with the suitcase with $800,000), Duran and Kauffman were involved, among other things, in a housing project, whereby an Uruguayan company would sell prefab houses to Venezuela, as part of their aid to the revolution to solve the housing crisis.
Well, in the Comptroller’s report to the National Assembly, there is mention to one such contract, but the specific name of the company in Uruguay is not specified. But the coincidence of countries (The Comptroller does say it was a Uruguayan company) is simply uncanny.
The Comptroller’s report says that the Ministry of Housing paid US$ 155.47 million to this Uruguayan concern to provide 12,000 prefab housing kits and the corresponding technical assistance. That comes to about $13,000 per prefab house, or Bs. 27.855 at the rate of exchange at that time, not extremely cheap for a prefab house then, but no outrageously expensive either.
Guess how many houses were built?
11
Not 11,000, just eleven, like in 6+5, or 7+4. That’s it. ELEVEN.
That’s about US$ 14 million per prefab house. Even worse, the same report by the Comptroller says that even the eleven houses built had to be finished with local construction material, because not a single one of the prefab kits was sent complete.
Fortunately (I guess), only 45.47% of the contract was paid, adding to it some US$ 13.17 in “operating expenses which the Comptroller says: “there is insufficient documentation to determine the exactitude, sincerity and legality of these operations”.
Where is the Prosecutor on all this? Who was in charge of the Ministry? The Project? who were the intermediaries? Were they the same individuals involved in Maletagate? Will they go after anyone?
These are all silly questions. Clearly there is no intention of going after anyone. This is, like Pudreval and others, a project set up to rob and steal, not to get anything done. And those involved are high level Chavistas that nobody wants to go after. Why doesn’t the Comptroller say which Uruguayan company was involved? Which Minister approved payment? Come on! These guys could even be running for office in September, but Chavismo has no interest in barring them from running.
Such are the ways of the robolution, spend 155 million dollars to solve a problem and not even begin doing it. For all intents and purposes, 11 out of 12,000 is as good as saying no houses were built. But a few Chavista millionaires were certainly created.
And that the robolution is very good at!
The Devil's Excrement 
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April 4, 2011 at 9:34 pm
[…] Uruguay when oil was only $50 dollars a barrel and not $100 like now? Was that also the time when we bought 12,000 houses from them? Is Deputy Herrera living in one of the twelve […]
October 27, 2010 at 8:21 pm
[…] then went all over the place signing agreements to build housing. As if the Uruguay case did not prove anything. But how can you justify buying housing abroad, that could be built from […]
August 25, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Those statements by Russian qualify him to replace the “see no evil” monkey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hear_speak_see_no_evil_Toshogu.jpg
Now if only Hugo would join him as the “speak no evil” partner.
August 24, 2010 at 11:20 am
How the Chavez robolution spent $155 million on housing and got ……
I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog :)…
August 24, 2010 at 10:32 am
extremely pathetic
August 24, 2010 at 6:22 am
Not to worry folks. This is another storm in a tea cup.
See, our comptroller assures us we imagine too much.
http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/169142/afirmo-que-en-venezuela-existen-menos-niveles-de-corrupcion-que-en-otros-paises-del-mundo/
The corruption is elsewhere, not here.
August 23, 2010 at 3:11 pm
It is not on the Internet, I have a copy, the papers published it too, El Universal:
http://economia.eluniversal.com/2010/08/13/eco_art_contraloria-dectecta_2004557.shtml
and the only place on the Internet where I have found the text (Just looked!) was here:
http://janetyucra.blogspot.com/2010/08/viviendas-uruguayas.html
August 23, 2010 at 2:00 pm
And the really sad part about this blatant robbery/waste of the public’s money is that it is being paid for with borrowed money which today’s children and possibly their children will have to work to pay back.
August 23, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Miguel,
Can you provide a link to the report from the Comptroller, and the specific mention in it of what you are saying. I would love to circulate this widely, but with the source of the information available.
Thanks!
August 23, 2010 at 11:48 am
Deana: In my humble opinion, Venezuela is screwed. That is bad. But the really ugly thing is that Venezuelans will probably have to be screwed to the point where those that “don’t care” start to hurt seriously and then get desperate. And then get shot by the Army as happened in 1989.
Then, when we really score a glancing hit with NATIONAL FAILURE there will be a chance to begin building a country on a sane enough basis. That is the “good” part.
Panfleto Negro once said: “The Spectacle is You”.
http://www.panfletonegro.com/volante/2010/08/05/enterate-el-espectaculo-eres-tu/
That is true. So true of all Venezuelans. Sadly, it will be an even starker truth for Venezuelans, particularly those who still cling to chavismo for convenience or belief. Call me vengeful. I don’t wish it, but I expect that someday I will watch (from abroad I hope) images of a much larger and bloodier version of the Caracazo that will make fireworks for all the world to watch.
August 23, 2010 at 11:38 am
Yes, I Tweeted about it last Saturday, they are still looking for the money.
Such nice people!
August 23, 2010 at 11:34 am
MO
Venezuela sent 100million dollars to Honduras for emergency problems related to hurrican, etc. Only 2 million dollars arrive. Where are the 98million left? The press said it was “transfer” to the precidency office (Mel Z)
Have you read about it?
August 23, 2010 at 10:19 am
firepigette, great comment. There are just too many of us who sell out thier country for twenty pieces of silver. It’s really sad.
August 23, 2010 at 9:16 am
I wonder who in Uruguay received the bulk of the $70 million plus that was acutally spent on pre-fab housing?
Chavez knows where all the money went. The money went to people Chavez wanted it to go to.
August 23, 2010 at 8:42 am
The nerve of those Colombian business men.
They are asking for clear rules on future exports to Venezuela.
They also want to know what significance the payment of $200 million is when the bill is $1,000 million.
http://www.noticierodigital.com/2010/08/empresarios-colombianos-piden-reglas-claras-para-futuras-exportaciones-a-venezuela/
Don’t they know that in Venezuela nothing is clear?
August 23, 2010 at 8:23 am
From today’s Toronto Star:
• Here’s the yin and yang of a Venezuelan vacation.
Yin: Gas costs 20 cents a litre.
Yang: The odds of you being shot in the head while you’re filling up are about 1-in-3.
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/851145–5-things-the-ambassador-of-death
Funny thing is that gas is actually way cheaper than 20c/litre in Venezuela. Maybe he thought the real number wouldn’t be credible enough…
August 23, 2010 at 8:07 am
I find it interesting that there are those who live in Las Minas and are poor antiChavez yet refuse to become Chavista LITE, just for a job.
Then I know middle class who have become upper middle class, through Chavista contacts.
In my opinion all those who say they have to pretend to be Chavistas in order not to lose their jobs are as guilty as those who steal fortunes.
The results vary but the ethics are the same,
and it’s the ethics that corrupt.
August 23, 2010 at 7:54 am
MO,
Your words can be used to define XXI Century Socialism:
“a project set up to rob and steal, not to get anything done”
Thanks for your post, latelly they are so good that is little to add or coment.
August 23, 2010 at 5:50 am
One of my best friends told me in the mid nineties:
El problema, amigo, es que los venezolanos no solo son muy putos,
sino que son los putos más baratos que hay.
He hardly ever uses strong language, but in those moments he did.
I remember very well how we in late 1991 were discussing a coup could take place in early 1992.
I wonder if Jesse Chacon is still getting his salary as a minister. Where is it we can check that out? (although I suspect he will receive the money even if nothing appears in tax records)
August 23, 2010 at 5:03 am
hi every person,
I identified devilsexcrement.com after previous months and I’m very excited much to commence participating. I are basically lurking for the last month but figured I would be joining and sign up.
I am from Spain so please forgave my speaking english...
August 23, 2010 at 4:03 am
My in laws were visiting recently, so when I asked how things were, father in law replies sarcastically: “Fucking excellent! Now we have a minister in the family!”
I replied: “How come? Lenin has been promoted?”
FIL: “No, Ricardo has been appointed housing minister by Chavez…”
Me: “Ricardo? Housing minister? Is he not a forest engineer? What the fuck does he know about housing?
FIL: “He may not know much, but he’s good friends with Jaua. I tell you, in the last couple of weeks, since the regime let it be known that he was the new housing minister, people that haven’t talked to me, or called, in 20 years started ringing…”
For the record, Ricardo Molina Peñaloza, new minister of housing, is completely incapable of sorting out the housing problem in Venezuela. He’s just another utterly incompetent radical, who will laugh and applaud every utterance from the caudillo. The saddest part is, that such people are running Venezuela. There’s no hope for the land of grace, no hope whatsoever.
August 23, 2010 at 1:40 am
[…] mind you, it’s totally possible this was all a scam and the money was stolen. There are scams in Venezuelan foreign aid. Still, when you’re running a government that only exists because […]
August 23, 2010 at 12:42 am
I LOL’d with Roger’s comment!
August 23, 2010 at 12:16 am
“Such are the ways of the robolution, spend 155 million dollars to solve a problem and not even begin doing it.”
You forgot to mention the part where they brag about how much money they have spent in “building houses for the poor” and include that amount in the total.
August 23, 2010 at 12:14 am
All true, and yet, NO BODY really cares. What I mean is, those getting the money certainly don’t want things changed. The poor are also happy (“thrilled?”) with the direction of the country. (As previously mentioned, they just want the rich brought down to their level. And check, that is happening.)
Which leaves us with the core opposition – who certainly care, but represent no more than 25% of the population.
And the Nini’s. They are the independent and swing ‘voters’. Unfortunately, they don’t care either. And if they haven’t figured it all out by now, in English, Spanish or any other language, then guess what?
THEY’RE NEVER GOING TO.
Which means, simply, that Venezuela is “LOST” and you (the 25% of the oppo) are totally screwed. FLEE WHILE YOU CAN.
Don’t worry about leaving it all behind. Worry about getting out with your loved ones while the getting is good. (See Cuba, Pedro Pan, et al)
August 22, 2010 at 11:55 pm
We really need these things circulated more in Spanish.
August 22, 2010 at 11:44 pm
11? That’s incredible. Million dollar houses…
August 22, 2010 at 10:35 pm
I would think that money bought a few high price homes in Caracas and say Key Biscayne. So in Bolispeak one could say that much of the money went into housing.