I am away for a few days, but I have been going around something I read right before I left Caracas that left me simply speechless, and I quote a translation from Spanish as precise, as I can do one (Pardon the length, but all words should be included, bold is mine):
“The boligarchy is nothing more that the singular or collective grouping of those who throughout this process have devoted themselves to amassing immense fortunes in the name of the revolution or simply of the ongoing revolutionary process…Many of them show off their wealth which they did not have before the arrival of the Government in December 1998″
“These people are professional thieves, white collar and gray collar, with shirts which are roja, rojita in the best style of of those who have disguised themselves of a symbol, have managed to take advantage of the honey pot of power for their own personal benefit…behind a well protected facade, what these criminals that act in the name of the Bolivarian revolution have done is to enrich themselves with the money from the State”
“These people should be denounced, separated from the socialist process led by President Chavez, all privileges obtained from their political connections should be removed from them and they should be tried as common criminals…The tragedy that the Bolivarian process carries on its back is the impunity that exists in practice and the lack of sentencing to those that can be shown in convincing manner of proven acts”
This text could have come from, for example, this blog during the last few years, or From Daniel’s, or Caracas Chronicles, or Alek Boyd’s, or so many others.
This is what we have been saying in English and for which we have been accused of being paid by foreign Governments or something ludicrous like that. We have also been insulted, called liars and so many other things for saying pretty much the same thing over and over during the last few years.
PSF’s and other pro-Chavez specimens regularly come here and comment on accusation of corruptions by us, saying we hate Hugo, invent things and it is all lies.
Who said this? Who wrote this? Who is the author?
Well, this was quoted by El Nacional on Wednesday, section V, page 7 (by subscription) in an article written by Andres Rojas, quoting a book (which I have not seen) written by none other than Jorge Giordani, entitled “Everyday Impressions”, which was written during the last year and a half.
Yes, the same man that has been Minister of Chavez’ Cabinet for nine out of the last eleven years, that not once, never, has denounced any act of corruption and has been a staunch defender of Chavez, his policies and his revolution, makes the same accusations we did, but he had the power to make this formally, he had the contacts to do what nobody in the Chavez Government has done and try to clean up the robolution.
But he never did it!
Because he is such a fanatic, so irresponsible, so unethical and so immoral, that he never once said anything. He has allowed these “thieves” these people with “rojo, rojita” shirts, to “amass immense fortunes”, yes, to steal from the same Venezuelans who trusted Chavez and his robolution.
And in some sense he is also stealing from us, because the same article says Giordani has written and published three books during the last year and a half. He is paid to be Minister full time. He has been Minister of Planning form 1998-2002 and from 2004 to 2009 and now he is jointly Minister of Planning and Finance. With the way the country is going, the economic disaster, the crumbing infrastructure, 30% inflation and the robolutionaries stealing us blind, Mr. Giordani somehow thought he had the time to relax, and while we paid him his salary and perks as Ministers, he devoted his spare (!!) time to write three books.
We are always told that Giordani is “honest”. Well, he is not. Honest people would not have allowed any of what he writes about to take place in silence. Anyone honest should have either resigned long ago, denouncing what he is saying in his books or stayed in Government to fight. Instead, he has done nothing. He even comes and publishes these books quietly and to date, he has made nor formal accusations. He seems to know exactly who he is talking about.
Like the boligarchs he criticizes, Mr. Giordani is as dishonest and irresponsible as them and he too has been robbing us blind for the last eleven years!
The Devil's Excrement 
October 21, 2010 at 11:01 am
m_astera, I wasn’t considering the possibility of designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, and while I agree that one could make a solid case, the potential consequences don’t seem to include cutting off oil purchases: “the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.” See http://www.state.gov/s/ct/c14151.htm . So I still believe that stopping oil purchases is a decision the U.S. executive cannot take, and the legislature will not.
Indeed, it could be a private decision. It would be interesting to see a company refuse to buy Venezuelan oil and use that as an advertising plank. I suspect the reason they don’t is because they sense – or have done surveys which confirm – that it wouldn’t get much traction. Too many Americans just don’t care.
October 19, 2010 at 4:51 pm
AIO-If the political will were there, I think the support given to the FARC and the ETA plus whatever goodies showed up in the computers seized from Jojoy’s bunker could make the case for supporting terrorism.
(whatever became of those juicy hard drives, anyway? Not only didn’t the left-wing press touch that issue, it seems to have disappeared completely. Hmm. Must have implicated someone untouchable, eh?)
There is plenty of oil available in the world, and at a good price. And it wouldn’t take an act of Congress to shut down Venezuelan oil sales, simply a business decision by the oil industry. Within months they would be begged to come in and save the country at any price.
I see HC as a useful idiot and boogeyman being groomed to take over the role Fidel has played so well for so long.
October 19, 2010 at 9:09 am
It’s not at all about balls and knees, but because of U.S. law. Right now, the U.S. limits trade with only Cuba and North Korea. Do you think Venezuela fits in that group? You might be tempted to say so, but not until you see the criteria that put those two countries in that group:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode19/usc_sec_19_00002432—-000-.html
The country has to be a nonmarket economy (you can make all kinds of arguments that such is true domestically, but good luck making the argument that Venezuela is affecting trade in any way – except by ensuring fewer products reach the international market), or significantly limits the emigration of its citizens. Venezuela simply doesn’t fit the definition.
The U.S. does hold the position of power in the bilateral trade, but Congress has made it illegal to exercise that power. Any changes would take…an act of Congress. Plus by limiting oil supply, gas prices would shoot up. Show me a Congressman who’s going to stand in front of their constituents and tell them why they passed a law that forced up oil prices. Now show me 269 (218 in the House and 51 in the Senate) of them. Not gonna happen.
October 19, 2010 at 6:15 am
How was it?
“X can have Y on his knees but Y has X by the balls”
October 18, 2010 at 9:58 pm
GWEH wrote: “Conventional wisdom is that chavez has USA by the balls. Its actually reverse. As his only source of hard-cash dries up and all US trade halts, you have problems everywhere that could escalate real easily. ”
Exactly. I’ve been saying that for a long time, even wrote it in another email today. At any point in the last eleven years that the US wanted to shut Chavez down, all they would have to do is quit buying oil. So why hasn’t that happened?
October 18, 2010 at 5:58 pm
AIO and Firepigette:
I must admit that I stole the term from a cousin. We were once discussing the reason to be chavista among some ‘intelligent’ people or family members. He stated ‘hey, they are not chavistas, just bolivarians, they LOVE Bolivares”.
I insist… they have no other god than their enormous and vulgar enrichment.
October 18, 2010 at 3:11 pm
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-S-300PMU2-Favorit.html
October 18, 2010 at 2:13 pm
it’s ironic that Venezuela with probably the highest level of suspicous/illicit air traffic in the world (mostly of twin-engine aircraft hauling cocaine), may soon have the world’s most advanced air-defense missile system.
October 18, 2010 at 2:04 pm
I see Iranian S-300 missile crews in Vzla
October 18, 2010 at 2:01 pm
correction: recon satellites
October 18, 2010 at 2:01 pm
S-300 sale to venezuela leads to cat-and-mouse with the gringos as system would have to be accounted for with recon sallites and humint a pain-in-the-ass for the gringos.
October 18, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Gweh,
You can pass these links through machine translation to get some stuff
http://www.iarex.ru/news/9661.html
http://grani.ru/Politics/Russia/m.182689.html
http://www.rb.ru/topstory/business/2010/10/18/104052.html
will write about these things perhaps at the end of the week
October 18, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Island, Chavez cannot bust the embargo for it would cause automatic sanctions to kick in against Venezuela that would put him in a bind real quick. Conventional wisdom is that chavez has USA by the balls. Its actually reverse. As his only source of hard-cash dries up and all US trade halts, you have problems everywhere that could escalate real easily. Venezuela is a very hot potato.
October 18, 2010 at 1:10 pm
trying to figure out what it really means
October 18, 2010 at 1:09 pm
Igor Sechin is a scary man and is behind this radical move
October 18, 2010 at 1:04 pm
GWEH.
Of course he’ll just ship them right back to his buddies in Iran
October 18, 2010 at 12:40 pm
This is what they call a “game changer” This is a whole other game. Some of you may consider learning russian!
EFE | Chávez asegura que comprará los misiles S-300 que Rusia le negó a Irán
El presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, aseguró hoy que Caracas comprará las baterías con misiles S-300 que Rusia se negó a suministrar a Irán, debido a las sanciones impuestas por el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU.
“Compraremos los S-300 y otro armamento a Rusia. Ese proceso va muy bien”, afirmó Chávez, que se encuentra en su primera visita oficial en Ucrania, a la agencia Interfax-Ucrania.
Analistas militares rusos ya adelantaron la pasada semana durante la visita de Chávez a Moscú que Venezuela podría recibir los S-300, ya que Rusia está buscando un nuevo comprador.
Rusia anunció a principios de octubre la anulación del contrato de venta a Irán de sistemas de misiles antiaéreos S-300 y el inicio de negociaciones para compensar económicamente a Teherán.
El presidente ruso, Dmitri Medvédev, prohibió el pasado 22 de septiembre por decreto el suministro a Irán de armamento pesado, en cumplimiento de la resolución 1929 del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU.
Rusia e Irán firmaron en 2007 un contrato de suministro de cinco S-300 por unos 800 millones de dólares, pero el Kremlin congeló la operación por motivos políticos, en medio de la nueva etapa de relaciones con EEUU.
Los S-300 son considerados mucho más potentes que los también sistemas antiaéreos Tor M-1 que tanto Venezuela como Irán compraron hace unos años.
El primer ministro ruso, Vladímir Putin, anunció el viernes tras reunirse con Chávez que Rusia suministrará en breve 35 tanques a Venezuela, la primera partida de los 92 carros de combate solicitados por Caracas.
Aunque Putin no lo precisó, los expertos consideran que se trata de los tanques T-72, que sustituirían a los MX-30 franceses y que ya han sido adquiridos por más de una treintena de países, entre ellos Irán y Siria.
Tantos esos tanques como las lanzaderas múltiples Smerch serán adquiridas por Venezuela gracias al crédito de 2.200 millones de dólares que Moscú concedió a Caracaspara la compra de armamento pesado.
En abril pasado durante su visita a Venezuela, Putin afirmó que este país planeaba comprar armas rusas por valor de más de 5.000 millones de dólares.
Venezuela, que según fuentes venezolanas desde 2005 ha adquirido armas rusas por un monto de 4.400 millones de dólares, se ha erigido como principal cliente latinoamericano de la industria militar rusa, lo que preocupa a EEUU y Colombia.
Vía EFE
October 18, 2010 at 9:29 am
I can believe he has plenty of spare time for writing. After all, he doesn’t have any work to do in between carrying out various orders from Hugo. Since that guy is busy with so many things, there are naturally some extended lulls in Giordani’s workload.
I can also believe that those are Giordani’s words. He’s not criticizing all who have taken money, but those who “show off their wealth.” He knows that this is a potential Achilles heel, and could ruin for everyone more discreet the oportunity to keep fattening their offshore accounts, meaning their eventual overseas retirement could be less comfortable than they really want.
Liz, kudos! I’ve also had trouble using the Bolivarian in Venezuela’s new name, but now I see how appropriate it is. The Bolivarian Robolution.
Roger, one clarification: corruption does equal poverty, but only for others.
October 18, 2010 at 5:30 am
Giordani is writing this 900 000 millions dollars late….
October 17, 2010 at 5:26 pm
CORRUPTION EQUALS POVERTY!!!!!!!!
October 16, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Liz said
“but not because they follow Bolivar… but because they love Bolivares,”
jaja…correcto
October 16, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Chavistas call themselves bolivarians, and in the end that’s what they are; but not because they follow Bolivar… but because they love Bolivares, our national currency.
This is something I have said from day one! This people have no ideology but the love of money.
October 16, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Bloody Mary, I’m sorry but I didn’t quite understand what you said about Giordani’s motivation in writing about corruption under Chavismo. Is he trying to sanitize his tarnished image for posterity? Is it an exercise in self-deception? Is it a Machievellian ploy to get rid of political rivals within Chavismo? Is he preparing the ground for a purge?
(Since we are not privy to details, I’m aware that at this point in time comments about Giordani’s motivation are just speculation, but I still felt like asking….)
October 16, 2010 at 3:25 pm
“get all the principled politicians, who are in jail, out of jail”?
Heh? Gordo, I have to give you the news: Francisco de Miranda died in 1816. He suffered a stroke and did not recovered. I am sorry, but we haven’t got any principled politician in jail now, as far as I know. We may have a couple of political prisoners like that judge A. (what’s her name?)
Being in jail, anyway, does not make you a good politician, even if it was for your principles. It takes more. Not everyone is a Mandela…even Mandela, with all his principles, could do so much.
We should demand more of politicians, but we should also see to it we get a common front and network of people trying to push for more honesty and work and will to progress.
We need less caudillos.
October 16, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Oh yes, Chavez didn’t invent corruption. Politicians getting rich is not a new thing. Chavez probably has no idea how to deal with it. So, here is my recommendation: get all the principled politicians, who are in jail, out of jail, and put them in the most important positions… and they will do the rest!
October 16, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Kolya,
First, this must be true, because is in black and white and we haven’t heard an answer from Gordani (it would be very easy to prove that the statement is incorrect or false).
Second, I think that what Gordani is trying to do is to look self reliefe by believing he is doing something…
What a depriment, degenerated, and despicable character
October 16, 2010 at 3:02 pm
First of all, a Chavista who disagrees or happens to say the wrong thing at the wrong time is in deep trouble. I believe it is wrong to chastise them as criminals just because they aren’t a principled martyrs.
Second of all, it’s easy to get world class engineers, scientists… they are unemployed all over the world. Importing these people from Cuba is insane! Venezuela can be 100% world class in one generation with good schools and universities that have high expectations. It’s a fact that anyone with an inferior education and poor role models will suffer. It’s not their fault.
As I said before, economists who study oil economies say that oil drives out all other industries for a variety of reasons. Oil consumes all the capital for exploration, drilling, operations. Imports are cheap compared to domestic production because oil revenues drive up labor costs, cost of capital, etc.
October 16, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Miguel and others, can we safely assume that Andres Rojas accurately transcribed what Giordani wrote? Is Giordani indeed the author of the words you quoted?
If yes, what’s the motivation behind it? I have little doubt that Giordani is dishonest and spineless, so why would he write and publish such a thing while still being a member of the cabinet?
October 16, 2010 at 1:48 pm
There might be a thing such as a Sincere Socialist or a Sincere Communist. And it must be recognized that not all of us are entirely sincere and consistent with the things we believe, and make compromises.
And maybe Giordani is not an hypocrite in the sense that he truly believes that communism is the best way for humans to organize in society. Maybe not, then.
The problem with people like Giordani is worse.
They believe in a system that is hypocritical to the core. They believe in a process that is full of lies and uses raw force, at it’s best shape. They believe in collective property by stealing individual liberty. They believe in a path that encourages doublethinking and doublespeaking.
It’s good for them in the Revolution, when it is used to gain advantage over “unbelievers”, and to generally cheat, rob, imprison and even murder them.
Then they are surprised when somebody uses all of this for immediate advantage, and for gaining power, at times by ending the careers of true “believers” and the Revolution.
Too late, Jorge. Too late to get honesty.
October 16, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Should be “how it got there”.
October 16, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Johnny-
+1, great info; those surveys pretty well reflect my experience. But ditch the caps next time.
Something I’ve been thinking about and trying to articulate lately, the difference between a first world and a third world country. Here’s what I have so far:
The difference between a first world and third world country, economically: In a first-world country, the people produce things of value and take pride in doing so. In a third world country the people take no pride in producing anything, the only goal is to scam the system and become a wealthy parasite.
Using that definition, it’s pretty easy to classify not only where a country stands economically, but how it go there and which direction it is heading.
October 16, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Of course Giordani is a rat bastard! But I think that he is cleaning his hands with his book a la Poncio Pilatus (or whatever his name was).
What amazes me is that he sure thinks that his “socialist” policies would have worked if not for the corrupted boligarcs.
Amieres is right. The sad TV episode of crying by Giordani…. what a loser….
October 16, 2010 at 11:02 am
Island, the article is wednesday’ El Nacional Estrategia section page 7 if I recall, havent bought the book, but will when i get back
October 16, 2010 at 9:13 am
Firepigette,
It was not my intention to cause controversy. I apologise.
Miguel is the one presenting the topic for discussion. It is his blog, so he can comment on the facts he is presenting in any way he chooses. It is not for anyone to criticise the style of the presenter. I worked with Miguel for many years, and I think I can still hear his familiar tone of voice when he goes on a rant. But I don’t think I know anyone else here, and therefore I struggle to understand the background to some of the emotive language. I guess that is all I tried to say, obviously in a clumsy way.
As for content, I agree that Mr. Giordani is very dishonest in view of his track record. To criticise or expose his colleagues in government is not sufficient to extricate himself from political responsibility for his actions or inaction in office. I don’t know why various government representatives or supporters are exposing each other these days; one possible explanation is that public funds are becoming scarcer, and they now have to compete more robustly for funds. Perhaps this was one reason why the president ordered the intervention of companies owned or run by his own supporters (Venoco, the airport, etc.). The style in which this competition for funds is conducted could be regarded as distasteful, or even reprehensible, by many. It appears, from this show of disunity, that the government is becoming less stable.
The last line of the blog says “Like the boligarchs he criticizes, Mr. Giordani is as dishonest and irresponsible as them and he too has been robbing us blind for the last eleven years!” It is interesting to see who it is Mr. Giordani is exposing, and in this way try to get an insight into what appears to be an internal power struggle. One presumes that the side he does not criticise is the winning side.
Did I manage to say this without the use of emotive language? It’s hard.
October 16, 2010 at 8:48 am
Miguel.
Where is the Spanish original?
October 16, 2010 at 6:44 am
Meh, one mans thief is another mans upwardly mobile revolutionary.
LOL!
Johnny you must meet my good friend Joseph Mendiola and great thinker like yourself who needs to be heard.
October 16, 2010 at 6:41 am
Giordani is a person of weak character. I’m sure he has thought of publicly denonuncing those that steal, but he fears Chavez and he doesn’t have the guts to confront him either publicly or in private.
I still remember his tears in a live transmission when Chavez asked him a question and for no reason he started to cry. He probably realizes the big farse he is part of, but he doesn’t have the guts to leave it.
October 16, 2010 at 6:34 am
Lim,
“More privately, perhaps shouting at the house dog, who will not understand the point we are trying to make, but who will commiserate with us in our moments of sadness.”
This not a complete sentence.What are you trying to say here?
You also say and I quote :
“There are better places to show rage or indignation”
But yet you do not criticize Miguel for his well deserved show of indignation in this post.
While writing in CAPS might be considered offensive to some,this is about style.
I should think it better to concentrate on content.
October 16, 2010 at 6:15 am
Well said, Roberto.
It is polite to show respect for others in this forum by refraining from emotive or loud language, which add nothing to the argument. There are better places to show rage or indignation, but this is not it. Mass demonstrations are pretty good for that kind of thing. More privately, perhaps shouting at the house dog, who will not understand the point we are trying to make, but who will commiserate with us in our moments of sadness.
October 16, 2010 at 6:02 am
Chavez brings immunity to the collaborators that show loyalty to him. So they can rob meanwhile they are trusted follower, that is why this revolution do not have solution.
In another case, Cubillas can be terrorist meanwhile he is absolute Chavez’s follower.
I agree 100% with this post, reflects exactly what I think about Robolution, except that there was no socialistic process whatsoever, XXI century socialism is the excuses to plan an make rich all in the high positions of this Regime. No idealistic movement at all, this is only robbing business as usual procedure.
October 16, 2010 at 2:52 am
Yet another study shows that people who use ALL CAPS in their comments are generally ignored because it is believed they are shouting.
October 15, 2010 at 9:22 pm
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT A STUDY FRON THE EARLY 60S SINCE SUPRESSED OR IGNORED, SAID THAT AROUND 70% OF US VENEZUELANS ARE THIEVES AND BELIEVE THAT THOSE WHO MAKE MONEY DO IT BY STEALING, THAT IS WHY WE ARE THIEVES. MOST OF THOSE WHO RUN THIS GOVERNMENT ARE THIEVES AND ACT ACCORDINGLY STEALING WHAT OTHERS HAVE BUILT UP WITH HARD WORK OVER TIME.
ANOTHER SUPPRESSED OR IGNORED STUDY OF THE 70S ABOUT OUR MOTIVATIONS ACCORDING TO THE THEORIES OF DAVID MCLELAN, SHOW US TO BE VERY HIGH IN THE NEED FOR POWER AND VERY LOW IN THER NEED FOR ACHIEVEMENT, WE HAVE SEEN THIS REFLECTED IN OUR POLITICAL PARTIES, ALL ARE “YO Y MI PARTIDO” 41 OF THESE SUPPORTED THE MUD SLATE IN THE EASTERN CCC CIRCUIT, ANY WONDER WE ARE AUTOCRATS AT HEART. IT’S REALLY “QUITATE TU PARA PONERME YO” AND IS IT A WONDER THAT THE LAST PRESIDENT WE HAD INTERESTED IN ACHIEVEMENT OVER POWER WAS PEREZ-JIMENEZ, HE WANTED POWER TOO, BUT POWER TO ACHIEVE AND HE USED IT AND GOT RESULTS. SINCE THEN ACHIEVEMENT AMONG POLITICIANS HAS GONE DOWN HILL, NOT AMONG ALL VENEZUELANS, MANY OF THE ACHIEVERS HAVE LEFT AND ARE ACHIEVING WONDERFUL RESULTS ELSEWHERE.
A THIRD STUDY OF THE 80S, I BELIEVE, SHOWS THAT 70% OF US DO NOT BELIEVE IN OURSELVES, THEREFORE WE BLAME OTHERS FOR ALL THAT GOES WRONG IN OUR LIVES AND LOOK FOR A PROTECTOR TO BELIEVE IN, ANY WONDER THAT CHAVEZ OBTAINED NEAR THAT 70% OF THE VOTE, THE FACT THAT HE IS NOW IN A MINORITY DOES NOT MEAN THAT 20% MORE BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES, RATHER THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW “MESIAH” TO DO WHAT THEY FELL POWERLESS TO DO ABOUT THEMSELVES.
OVER 70% OF US DROP OUT OF SCHOOL AND NEVER LEARN A TRADE OR JOB, WE JUST WANDER AIMLESSLY FROM “PUESTO” TO “PUESTO” OR “LO QUE SEA” WE ARE NOW A GREAT CONTINGENT OF STATE EMPLOYEES WHO ONLY HAVE TO SHOW LOYALTY TO THE REVOLUTION TO HOLD DOWN THE JOB.
IN A PRIVATE STUDY I FOUD OUT THAT ABOUT 30% OF US HAVE UNDIAGNOSED BARRIERS TO LEARNING AND TO PRODUCTIVE WORK, SO WE END UP AS DISFUNCTIONALS.
IF YOU SEE THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION PICTURED HERE, YOU ARE PROBABLY RIGHT.
IF YOU SEE OUR PRESNT GOVERNMENT PICTURED HERE
A FOURTH PRIVATE STUDY SHOWS THAT UNFORTUNATELY OVER 30% OF US, HAVE SERIOUS AND UNDIAGNOSED BARRIERS TO