The Devil's Excrement

Over the weekend I became aware that I had been again nominated to the Weblog Awards as one of the best Latino, Caribbean or South American blog. I was honored to win the award last year, but I believe that it is in the interest of bloggers and blogging that other blogs have the chance to win. I started this blog with a mission in mind and I think I have done as much as I can in letting the world know what is happening in Venezuela by writing about it in English. But it is time for others to be recognized. I tried to contact the people who organize the Awards to withdraw my blog, to no avail, thus the reason for this post.

Perhaps the problem of Venezuela after the recent election is “passe” and you should go and vote for Val Prieto of babalublog who has been bringing us the problem of Cuba, a long standing problem which seems to be near a resolution, with passion and an open mind. If politics is your game, I recommend you vote for Val in recognition of his effort, his insight and his persistence. I know I will. If you are fed up with politics in our region, then vote for Luz de Luma, whose blog is more of a celebration of life, the life that all of the countries and citizens in our region deserve.

In one of the strangest pieces of news to come out of Venezuela, the President of development bank Bandes, Edgar Hernandez Behrens announced that the bank will open an office in Bamako. For those of geographically impaired, Bamako is the capital of Mali in Africa. Hernandez Behrens said that a commission had traveled to that country and would open the office to give that country a US$ 10 million line of credit.

It was unclear why a Venezuelan Government Development bank is so interested in Mali and Hernandez Behrens never explained it (because its poor?)

Bandes’ foray into Mali development comes after its recent incursion in Argentina, via a loan to milk cooperative SanCor. I wonder if any of the Bandes people have visited Venezuela recently.