The Devil's Excrement

I usually like to digest news before I write about them and the decision by the Venezuelan Government to suspend all “commercial” relations with our neighboring country is certainly an ongoing event that requires understanding and care, but I am sure people want to know what everyone thinks. So here are some thoughts about it even before the Colombian Government has responded to the decision (Will update post rather than create new ones at least for the next two days):

-First, it is strange to suspend commercial relations rather than diplomatic ones. Is Chavez planning to shut down the border? How do you stop commerce if you don’t do that?

-What can Chavez say, if it was bounty hunters, after all, Uribe announced a $2 million reward on Jan. 1^st. for anyone turning in a FARC representative.

–What about the accusation by the Colombian Attorney General of a connection between former Peruvian intelligence Chief Montesinos, also captured in Venezuela and Granda?

-Second, Uribe may be the wrong person to pick a fight with. He did not get to where he is by being a wimp, on the contrary. This leads to two possibilities: Either Chavez is underestimating him, which I doubt, or Chavez simply wants to pick a big fight with Colombia to distract attention to other problems such as:

·          Why was Granda living in Venezuela?

·          How did he get his Venezuelan nationality?

·          How did they take him all the way from Caracas to Colombia without anyone knowing? If the Colombians did it, how can they act with such impunity?

·          If Venezuelan military did it, whatever happened to the “unity” of the Bolivarian military?

·          Whatever happened to Chavez saying Uribe knows nothing about it?

·          Whatever happened to Chacon saying the Colombian Government knows nothing about it?

·          All the other problems.

Will Chavez blink first?

Will Uribe blink first?

What do you think? Will Uribe apoglogize? Is this going to escalate? Is that what Chavez wants? Stay tuned!

Friday Night: 8:55 PM Caracas time: Aja! Just as I expected, Colombian President Uribe says his Government acted follwoing the law and without violating Venezuela’s sovereignty. Now what will Chavez do, reiterate or fall back? My guess: He will push forward. By the way, you ahve to love how Uribe says that Granda is a well known terrorist who has massacred the Colombian people and that paying ransom is accepted worldwide in those cases.

Humorist Laureano Marquez joins the astrologers and prophets that I criticized and complained about a month ago, with his own predictions for 2005 in today’s front page of Tal Cual. I will not bore you with the full article, it has many nuances that may be hard for a foreigner to fully understand, but here are some good ones that inject a note of humor into our complex situation:

-In February, the CNE voids the election won by Carlos Andres Perez in 1988, with which it is solved that the “gocho” was never President for a second period and thus, Chavez never attempted a coup against him, which goes to show that there was never a military coup in 1992, solving in this way one of the great dilemmas of our history: That a coup plotter accuses of coup plotting other coup plotters or said in our own creole way: “Cachicamo diciendole a morrocoy conchuo” which translated means “Armadillo calling a turtle thick skinned”

-Changes in the Cabinet in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.

-At the next Iberoamerican summit a large Venezuelan delegation of more than five hundred people will sign a document rejecting summits.

-Alo President will beat its won record in a program in which Chavez interviews himself.

-Around November, the opposition will threaten with reorganizing itself which will raise lots of objections from the citizens that are against the Government who consider that, without an organized opposition, the fight against the Government is gong much better.

Humorist Laureano Marquez joins the astrologers and prophets that I criticized and complained about a month ago, with his own predictions for 2005 in today’s front page of Tal Cual. I will not bore you with the full article, it has many nuances that may be hard for a foreigner to fully understand, but here are some good ones that inject a note of humor into our complex situation:

-In February, the CNE voids the election won by Carlos Andres Perez in 1988, with which it is solved that the “gocho” was never President for a second period and thus, Chavez never attempted a coup against him, which goes to show that there was never a military coup in 1992, solving in this way one of the great dilemmas of our history: That a coup plotter accuses of coup plotting other coup plotters or said in our own creole way: “Cachicamo diciendole a morrocoy conchuo” which translated means “Armadillo calling a turtle thick skinned”

-Changes in the Cabinet in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.

-At the next Iberoamerican summit a large Venezuelan delegation of more than five hundred people will sign a document rejecting summits.

-Alo President will beat its won record in a program in which Chavez interviews himself.

-Around November, the opposition will threaten with reorganizing itself which will raise lots of objections from the citizens that are against the Government who consider that, without an organized opposition, the fight against the Government is gong much better.

Washington Post Editorial on Venezuela:

Noe Pernia is a reporter for Channel 2 News in Caracas, known as “El Observador”. Because of the muzzle Bill he was not able to report correctly the news on the Granda case. He writes this in today’s Tal Cual:

Jesse did not say the truth, neither did I

By Noé Pernía

I tried to construct a story, a simple story that would help TV viewers of El Observador understand the labyrinth of the Minister of The Interior and Justice since on Thursday the 6^th., the day of the wise men, he replied to the lawyers of Rodrigo Granda in Bogotá and said that if the guerrilla leader had entered the country , he would have done it using a fake ID card.

Cristobal Fernandez Dalo, refuted him on Friday the 7^th. with the Official Gazette in hand showing that the revolution nationalized Granda on July 9^th. 2004. That is, no fake ID card, the high flying and arrogant man was quite legal in these lands.

On Sunday the 9^th. Hugo Chavez gave a hand, like a good father to Lt. Chacon Escamillo and explained that the nationalization is void, “of all voidness”, because Rodrigo Granda used fake documents when he requested it.

At the end of the day, Fernandez Dalo established the agenda of the Head of State and his protégé the Minister of Interior and Justice.

Jesse did not tell the truth and sadly, neither did I. He did not say it because he trusted the revolutionary theology that anointed him with the gift of infallibility and he jumped into the precipice with his made up stories about a fake ID card.

This reporter did not tell the truth either because thanks to the muzzle law, my story t o show Jesse’s handicap was bounced back. That is, the news program for which I work for committed a sin of omission and just like Chavez, gave the Minister a little hand , without wanting to do so,

But nothing prevented the glorious Lt. Chacon Escamillo of adding himself to the Hall of Fame of the liars that is led by Pedro Carreño, José Vicente Rangel and the three sun General Lucas Rincón.

Remember when Carreño decreed the death of Montesinos?, and when Jose Vicente the VP said the Peruvian fugitive had never been in Venezuela? , and Lucas’ story with the damn resignation of Chavez? And let’s not talk about the protection that “presumably” the regime gave the airplane hijacker Ballesta in 2001.

One should take classes from these pontificators of information garbage! And to think of all the “advise” and “little scoldings” that they throw at us reporters because “we don’t tell the truth”.

If they lie like that in a delicate case that implies binational diplomacy, what can one expect when one hears that the total number of crimes in Caracas has gone down? The lessons of journalistic ethics that Lt. Chacon Escamillo gives in his press conferences on Tuesdays, well could be worth a sketch in Saturady Night Life. (Or the local equivalent)

As a reporter of crime, my duty is to go to your press conferences Mr. Minister, but when you see me laughing, you will know exactly why.

Jan. 31 2002. Reportedly, Granda shows up at Caracas’ International Airport to meet his wife and daughter.

Aug. 11. 2002. The second in  command of the Venezuelan intelligence police shows up at the airport to allow Granda’s wife and daughter to enter the country, under orders from the then Minister of Interior and Justice Rodriguez Chacin. Reportedly Granda showed up too.

Nov. 13 2002. Colombian President Uribe warns Chavez that he will enter Venezuela if any Venezuelan Government official was found to be protecting a leader of the Colombian revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC)

Dec. 15^th. Colombian Police announces that FARC Foreign Minister Rodrigo Granda was captured in a city near the border with Venezuela.

Dec. 17^th. 2004. El Universal reports Rodrigo Granda was actually captured in Venezuela.

Dec. 23^th. 2004 It is confirmed that Rodrigo Granda was captured in Venezuela, by Venezuelan police and taken to Colombia.

Dec. 29^th. Minister of Interior and Justice Chacon: Venezuelan Government investigating whether Granda was really in Venezuela and was detained on Dec. 15^th.

Jan. 4^th. 2004 The FARC says Granda was kidnapped in Venezuela as he was attending the II Bolivarian Congress of the People.

Jan 5^th.  Minister of Interior and Justice says there is no record neither in the consulates, nor in the identification office of Rodrigo Granda ever entering the country legally. This is repeated by other Government officials. The Minister says “someone” was kidnapped that day, but they don’t know who.

Jan. 6^th. Pro-Chavez Deputy denies saying that Granda lived in Venezuela.

Jan 7^th. Minister of Interior Chacon says there is unequivocal proof that Granda was kidnapped in Caracas.

Jan. 7^th. Granda’s lawyer ratifies he is nationalized Venezuelan and participated in local Congress.

Jan. 8^th. Spokesman for FARC says Granda was able to move freely in Venezuela.

Jan. 8^th. Former President of Congress says Granda was given the Venezuelan nationality last summer by the identification office. (The same one that told the Minister he had never been in Venezuela three days earlier)

Jan. 9^th. Colombian reporter says he was with Granda right before he was kidnapped in Caracas.

Jan. 9^th. President Chavez admits Granda was kidnapped in Venezuela and was nationalized Venezuelan.

Today: The President of the Assembly says that Colombia knew Granda was here. Colombia says it has not violated Venezuelan territory. Chavez insists Granda was kidnapped in Venezuela. Attorney General begins investigating how Granda was captured and how he obtained the Venezuelan nationality. Chavez’ party MVR says Granda’s case is being used to murk up Venezuelan/Colombian relations.

Reminds you of Who is on first, What’s on second base and I don’t know is on third by Abbot and Costello.

Jan. 31 2002. Reportedly, Granda shows up at Caracas’ International Airport to meet his wife and daughter.

Aug. 11. 2002. The second in  command of the Venezuelan intelligence police shows up at the airport to allow Granda’s wife and daughter to enter the country, under orders from the then Minister of Interior and Justice Rodriguez Chacin. Reportedly Granda showed up too.

Nov. 13 2002. Colombian President Uribe warns Chavez that he will enter Venezuela if any Venezuelan Government official was found to be protecting a leader of the Colombian revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC)

Dec. 15^th. Colombian Police announces that FARC Foreign Minister Rodrigo Granda was captured in a city near the border with Venezuela.

Dec. 17^th. 2004. El Universal reports Rodrigo Granda was actually captured in Venezuela.

Dec. 23^th. 2004 It is confirmed that Rodrigo Granda was captured in Venezuela, by Venezuelan police and taken to Colombia.

Dec. 29^th. Minister of Interior and Justice Chacon: Venezuelan Government investigating whether Granda was really in Venezuela and was detained on Dec. 15^th.

Jan. 4^th. 2004 The FARC says Granda was kidnapped in Venezuela as he was attending the II Bolivarian Congress of the People.

Jan 5^th.  Minister of Interior and Justice says there is no record neither in the consulates, nor in the identification office of Rodrigo Granda ever entering the country legally. This is repeated by other Government officials. The Minister says “someone” was kidnapped that day, but they don’t know who.

Jan. 6^th. Pro-Chavez Deputy denies saying that Granda lived in Venezuela.

Jan 7^th. Minister of Interior Chacon says there is unequivocal proof that Granda was kidnapped in Caracas.

Jan. 7^th. Granda’s lawyer ratifies he is nationalized Venezuelan and participated in local Congress.

Jan. 8^th. Spokesman for FARC says Granda was able to move freely in Venezuela.

Jan. 8^th. Former President of Congress says Granda was given the Venezuelan nationality last summer by the identification office. (The same one that told the Minister he had never been in Venezuela three days earlier)

Jan. 9^th. Colombian reporter says he was with Granda right before he was kidnapped in Caracas.

Jan. 9^th. President Chavez admits Granda was kidnapped in Venezuela and was nationalized Venezuelan.

Today: The President of the Assembly says that Colombia knew Granda was here. Colombia says it has not violated Venezuelan territory. Chavez insists Granda was kidnapped in Venezuela. Attorney General begins investigating how Granda was captured and how he obtained the Venezuelan nationality. Chavez’ party MVR says Granda’s case is being used to murk up Venezuelan/Colombian relations.

Reminds you of Who is on first, What’s on second base and I don’t know is on third by Abbot and Costello.

I have mentioned Carlos Machado Allison in this blog before. He is retired from Universidad Central de Venezuela, was President of the Venezuelan National Fund for Agrarian Research and is currently a Professor at Venezuela’s premier Management School IESA, where he specializes in studying agriculture. He is just finishing a book called “Agriculture in Venezuela”. Today he is interviewed in page 3 of El Nacional and I wish I had time to translate the whole thing, here are some excerpts:

“The agricultural states are the poorest of the country”

On the state being the biggest landowner:

“This is true; it has so much that it does not even know what it has. Some say it has 8 million hectares, other say 20 million. But there is no census…”

Is controlling the land, controlling production?

“Exactly the opposite. What the Government has to do is to promote the pure and simple sale of the enormous extensions it has, get rid of the bureaucratic load that it implies being the owner of land, mostly unproductive and end the legal fight of who owns them”

Do you think the state can reactivate the agricultural sector when it distributes the intervened land?

“In this country, rural people have always been discriminated against and I think it is impossible to develop in a place where people are not the owners of what they have. If I am not the owner of a farm, I am not going to invest in it. If the land continues belonging to the Government and they offer to end them to me I am not going to produce beyond the “conuco” (Parcel of land owned by small farmers). The policy should be one of regularizing not intervening the land.”

The Governors say these measures are to fight against the large farm state and guarantee a basic supply of foodstuffs.

The first thing that has to be made clear is that the number of latifundios (large farm states, defined as more than 5,000 hectares) in Venezuela is small. These farms are located in the plains or in Apure; they have hard soils, lateritic ones, with lots of iron and alumina.

The lands being intervened are not fertile?

“Yes, they are not very fertile and flood easily…”

Why do you think the Government will fail producing sugar?

“The old sugar plants were privatized when they were essentially closed, almost scrap metal, after the Government realized that producing sugar is a bad business. The private sugar concerns survive importing sugar, which in the international markets has a low price and they make money packaging and distributing the product and using part of the molasses in making rum.”

The Minister of the Environment assures us that this agrarian reform will be successful because the conuco will be reborn

“That is an old and wrong philosophy which perhaps she discovered in North Korea or China. But when 90% of the population is urban in a country, the conuco can not function as an economic unit because a truck that sells in the city …has to visit 50 conucos to pick up ten kilos of tomatoes. With this urban concentration food production ahs to be a volume business.”

What will happen if the state distributes the land as conucos?

“I know a group of people that produces cocoa in five hectares in Barlovento (East of Caracas) They make about one hundred thousand bolivars ($50) with that production. The guy sells sunglasses in the streetlight of Caucagua and the cocoa ends up being the Christmas gift for the family. They would need to integrate a very high number of hectares to justify the introduction of machinery and technology. …If you leave those farmers in Cojedes, in the open plains, with those difficult soils, without water, no technology or capability, working five hectares of sugar cane, he is going to starve to death.”

The Government assures us that promoting self sustainability guarantees our feeding

“There are no self sustaining countries in food in the world. Some almost make it, they are the poorest countries on the planet, like Ethiopia, where nothing is exported or imported, but people don’t eat either.”

The future could be sweet

“We have the best cocoa in the world, we can create added value and produce chocolates for export, or rum, suggest Machado Allison.”

There you have it, this is what an expert who knows the realities of agricultural production thinks and he does nothing but study this problem. The rest is misguided idealism and yearning for a past long gone.