The Devil's Excrement

Not much to say about today’s decision by the Constitutional Hall. This is what they decided at an illegal meeting, with no quorum and in a decision signed by only three Justices. It simply ratifies last Thursday’s order to the Electoral Hall not to do anything. Ratifies that we live in a totalitarian country with no rule of law.

This decision is illegal, immoral and violates all prior jurisprudence. The Constitutional Hall’s convoluted argument is that they named the electoral Board, so that they have jurisdiction. If they had not named it, they would have found a different argument. When you have no scruples or morals, it is always easy to find a reason, legal or not.

Thus, the law of the jungle prevails now in Venezuela. We have jumped into a new void of illegality and totalitarism. The outlaws win again, except only the perverse could consider it a victory to plunge a country deeper into fanaticism and polarization. The recall referendum was the only peaceful road to resolving, either way, the political conflict in this great and suffered country. It appears as if there will not be such a resolution now and we do know who was responsible. Hopefully, history will judge these three Justices as traitors to their oath, the people and the Constitution.

We have gone from a diffuse Constitutional Dictatorship to a well defined totalitarian regime with no laws. The country is now in the hands of the President of the Supreme Court Ivan Rincon. The same man who in April 2002 offered his good services to become President and replace Chavez. But he was not chosen, but came very close to playing the role of Pedro Carmona in that tragic soap opera of errors, even resigning to “facilitate the transition” after he was not picked. This sorry character will now decide when and if the full Court meets to consider the conflict. He could take months to do it. It is unclear if he was bribed, offered to be lifetime President of the Supreme Court or extortioned by the Government to act the way he has. We will probably never know.

What we do know is that this regime and its lackeys are willing to twist the law and their morals to fit whatever situation is required to preserve Hugo Chavez in power. Whether it is the recall referendum, human rights violations or jailing opponents, there is nothing that will stop them now.  Ivan Rincon will now, once again, delay, postpone and manipulate. Despite his obvious bias, he will not recuse himself or morally accept to step aside. And the country will fall into an abyss of violence, because of this weak an amoral man.

The only vestige of democracy left in Venezuela is a limited ability to be critical of the Government. Limited, because the media is constantly threatened by the Government. Limited, because the government boycotts media sympathetic to the opposition, refusing to place ads in them. Limited, because reporters are constantly threatened and attacked and the precautionary measures of the Human Rights Commission of the OAS have been all ignored. Limited, because when there is repression on the streets, an inordinate number of reporters ends up injured or even dead.

So, the next step will be for the Government to shut down a TV station using any argument, using the same lack of scruples that they the Justices of the Constitutional Hall have shown in the last few days. Supporters of the Government will back the measure against these traitors who happen to be fellow Venezuelans. Opposition supporters will go out to support the media. Who knows what will happen then. Protesters will be called common criminals. Victims will be called accidents. Desaparecidos will be ignored.

In the meantime, the democratic will and rights of 3.4 million Venezuelans have been disposed of by the Electoral Board, the Supreme Court and the Government. And there is no one to restore them.

Not much to say about today’s decision by the Constitutional Hall. This is what they decided at an illegal meeting, with no quorum and in a decision signed by only three Justices. It simply ratifies last Thursday’s order to the Electoral Hall not to do anything. Ratifies that we live in a totalitarian country with no rule of law.

This decision is illegal, immoral and violates all prior jurisprudence. The Constitutional Hall’s convoluted argument is that they named the electoral Board, so that they have jurisdiction. If they had not named it, they would have found a different argument. When you have no scruples or morals, it is always easy to find a reason, legal or not.

Thus, the law of the jungle prevails now in Venezuela. We have jumped into a new void of illegality and totalitarism. The outlaws win again, except only the perverse could consider it a victory to plunge a country deeper into fanaticism and polarization. The recall referendum was the only peaceful road to resolving, either way, the political conflict in this great and suffered country. It appears as if there will not be such a resolution now and we do know who was responsible. Hopefully, history will judge these three Justices as traitors to their oath, the people and the Constitution.

We have gone from a diffuse Constitutional Dictatorship to a well defined totalitarian regime with no laws. The country is now in the hands of the President of the Supreme Court Ivan Rincon. The same man who in April 2002 offered his good services to become President and replace Chavez. But he was not chosen, but came very close to playing the role of Pedro Carmona in that tragic soap opera of errors, even resigning to “facilitate the transition” after he was not picked. This sorry character will now decide when and if the full Court meets to consider the conflict. He could take months to do it. It is unclear if he was bribed, offered to be lifetime President of the Supreme Court or extortioned by the Government to act the way he has. We will probably never know.

What we do know is that this regime and its lackeys are willing to twist the law and their morals to fit whatever situation is required to preserve Hugo Chavez in power. Whether it is the recall referendum, human rights violations or jailing opponents, there is nothing that will stop them now.  Ivan Rincon will now, once again, delay, postpone and manipulate. Despite his obvious bias, he will not recuse himself or morally accept to step aside. And the country will fall into an abyss of violence, because of this weak an amoral man.

The only vestige of democracy left in Venezuela is a limited ability to be critical of the Government. Limited, because the media is constantly threatened by the Government. Limited, because the government boycotts media sympathetic to the opposition, refusing to place ads in them. Limited, because reporters are constantly threatened and attacked and the precautionary measures of the Human Rights Commission of the OAS have been all ignored. Limited, because when there is repression on the streets, an inordinate number of reporters ends up injured or even dead.

So, the next step will be for the Government to shut down a TV station using any argument, using the same lack of scruples that they the Justices of the Constitutional Hall have shown in the last few days. Supporters of the Government will back the measure against these traitors who happen to be fellow Venezuelans. Opposition supporters will go out to support the media. Who knows what will happen then. Protesters will be called common criminals. Victims will be called accidents. Desaparecidos will be ignored.

In the meantime, the democratic will and rights of 3.4 million Venezuelans have been disposed of by the Electoral Board, the Supreme Court and the Government. And there is no one to restore them.

Today MVR Deputy William Lara asked the Constitutional Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court to remove Tal Cual Editor Teodoro Petkoff from the advisory board of the Electoral Board known as the Committee for Political Participation. The Board has actually played a very limited role in the CNE’s decision as proven by the fact that Petkoff has opposed most of its rulings. Lara argued that Petkoff was involved in conspiratorial activities against the Electoral Board. Lara bases his accusations on an illegal taped wireless conversation between Petkoff and a lawyer broadcast by the government’s TV station VTV. In it, Petkoff says that not recognizing the CNE might be the only way to get the Electoral Board out of the game.

Of course, the true reason behind Lara’s request might be the fact that Tal Cual in yesterday’s edition essentially laughed at the limited intellectual ability of Lara, who it called “intellectually dense” for penning the following sentence in an article in Caracas newspaper El Mundo:

“Then what does that black guy Powell want? He is just a spokesman for the true leader of the Democratic Coordinator, George Bush. Simple, that the CNE give it 2700 centers for ratifying the signatures during five long days, to transform them in terrorism centers and then create civil disturbances in the country with the use of stone throwing lazy bums, tire burners and –remember April 11 2002-sharpshooters strategically placed ready to act in the precise moment; and then go to the OAS to invoke the right to make a massive and well-armed visit to Venezuela to impose governability made in the USA”

Dense? I think this guy is intellectually challenged or should I just say retarded?.

I am reposting this from last night to include the wonderful cartoon from the cover of today’s Tal Cual of the Inmoral Council members as well as completing the story with facts I learned today

Those three icons of immorality, corruption and inaction that conform the “Moral Council” , the Attorney General/Prosecutor Isaias Rodriguez, the People’s Ombudsman, German Mundarain and the Comptroller Clodovaldo Russian,which up to today has done absolutely nothing during its existence, decided today to open a procedure against the members of the Electoral Hall of the Supreme Court. Obviously they did not do anything against the three Justices of the Constitutional Hall who “only” faked a meeting, wrote a letter based on a non-existing sentence and decision and attempted to overstep their legal powers, violating the rule of law.

These stooges were so diligent that they are not supposed to act unless they were asked by the National Assembly, but showing a dilligence that they have failed to exhibit in the last four years they acted on the ad by the leaders of the Assembly. Amazingly, it was that ad that should be investigated, as public funds were used to pay for an ad expressing the personal opinion of the leaders of the Assembly and not the Assembly itself. In fact, the point is moot, the Moral Council will never be able to get the two thirds majority required to censor the Justices of the Electoral Hall.

Separately, one of them ordered the capture of the opposition Mayor of the Baruta municipality of Caracas. The same prosecutor who liberated the shooters of Puente El Llaguno are now jailing a Mayor for the events of April 2002. Mayor Capriles Radonsky is accused of participating in the attack of the Cuban Embassy when Chavez was briefly ousted in April 2002. Reportedly, it was the Cuban Ambassador that actually called Capriles for help. Will he be a witness for the defense? I doubt it, it will require some integrity that he does not have.

Is this a new wave of persecution against opposition leaders as announced yesterday in a local paper?

I am reposting this from last night to include the wonderful cartoon from the cover of today’s Tal Cual of the Inmoral Council members as well as completing the story with facts I learned today

Those three icons of immorality, corruption and inaction that conform the “Moral Council” , the Attorney General/Prosecutor Isaias Rodriguez, the People’s Ombudsman, German Mundarain and the Comptroller Clodovaldo Russian,which up to today has done absolutely nothing during its existence, decided today to open a procedure against the members of the Electoral Hall of the Supreme Court. Obviously they did not do anything against the three Justices of the Constitutional Hall who “only” faked a meeting, wrote a letter based on a non-existing sentence and decision and attempted to overstep their legal powers, violating the rule of law.

These stooges were so diligent that they are not supposed to act unless they were asked by the National Assembly, but showing a dilligence that they have failed to exhibit in the last four years they acted on the ad by the leaders of the Assembly. Amazingly, it was that ad that should be investigated, as public funds were used to pay for an ad expressing the personal opinion of the leaders of the Assembly and not the Assembly itself. In fact, the point is moot, the Moral Council will never be able to get the two thirds majority required to censor the Justices of the Electoral Hall.

Separately, one of them ordered the capture of the opposition Mayor of the Baruta municipality of Caracas. The same prosecutor who liberated the shooters of Puente El Llaguno are now jailing a Mayor for the events of April 2002. Mayor Capriles Radonsky is accused of participating in the attack of the Cuban Embassy when Chavez was briefly ousted in April 2002. Reportedly, it was the Cuban Ambassador that actually called Capriles for help. Will he be a witness for the defense? I doubt it, it will require some integrity that he does not have.

Is this a new wave of persecution against opposition leaders as announced yesterday in a local paper?

Somebody has placed about one hundred pictures from the repression of Feb. 27^th. to March 6^th. in these five ofoto albums, simply click on view photos: Album 1, Album 2, Album 3, Album 4 and Album 5. Thanks to Alfredo S. for sending it. Here is an example that “nothing” was happening in Venezuela that week and that it was just a bunch of common criminals like me. These tanks were there BEFORE the march had even begun:

Somebody has placed about one hundred pictures from the repression of Feb. 27^th. to March 6^th. in these five ofoto albums, simply click on view photos: Album 1, Album 2, Album 3, Album 4 and Album 5. Thanks to Alfredo S. for sending it. Here is an example that “nothing” was happening in Venezuela that week and that it was just a bunch of common criminals like me. These tanks were there BEFORE the march had even begun:

Last Friday I reported on the story of Juan Carlos Zambrano who was tortured and killed by the military in Zulia state. The same military had raped his wife. I also said then that his brother Michel was missing. Michel has now been released, after spending a week in detention. He is now being protected by the Venezuelan Observatory on Human Rights. In today’s El Nacional (by subscription) (A-8) Zambrano tell his side of the story.

Zambrano says that he managed to see his brother when he went to find him that week. He was also detained him and they began to torture both him and his brother. He stayed at the military camp for seven days and learned of his brother’s death from the same officers. He witnesses his sister in laws rape which was performed by soldiers wearing amsks. Through the videos of the soldiers at the camp, Michel has identified all three of the soldiers who caused his brother’s death. He also said that five people were tortured, including him.

Jorge Govea, Head of the Observatory said that for the deaths of Juan Carlos Zambrano and Eva Carrizo are responsible Generals Castor Perez Leal and Wilfred Silva who led the repressive wave that week in Zulia state, concluding:

“It is perhaps ironic that the armed forces use as propaganda that they are an army for the people that favors those that have the least. This has been exposed as being only an advertising slogan since that institution has turned its back on the people and is assuming roles that do not correspond to it. The Government is handling a doctrine of public order and citizen safety which is antiquated, antidemocratic and in the best style of the gorilla Governments of Latin America. Both Zambrano and Carrizo (killed on Zulia state with a shot on her back) were “pueblo’, from fairly low backgrounds and were assassinated without compassion.

Seven people are still missing from the wave of repression their names are: Omar Arturo Morales (28); Juan José Pérez (27); Juan Ernesto Sánchez (37); Andrés Bastidas Guedes (32) ; José Luis Rodríguez (33); Eduardo José Miranda (30) y Julio César Gómez (34)