(Este post está en español aquí)
Dramatic article about Barinas State in the New York Times. It shows Barinas is just Venezuela’s problems magnified and enhanced by the nepotism, inefficiency, crime and neo-capitalism of the Chavez family. Some highlights:
“An intensifying nationwide crime wave over the past decade has pushed the kidnapping rate in Venezuela past Colombia’s and Mexico’s, with about 2 abductions per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Interior Ministry.”
“This is what anarchy looks like, at least the type of anarchy where the family of Chávez accumulates wealth and power as the rest of us fear for our lives,”
“Politicians once loyal to the president who have broken with him and his family here contend that Mr. Chávez’s family has amassed wealth and landholdings through a series of deals carried out by front men.”
“In the meantime, while the family wraps itself in the rhetoric of socialism, we are descending into a neo-capitalist chaos where all that matters is money”
“A new soccer stadium, built under the supervision of Adelis Chávez’s at a cost of more than $50 million, is still unfinished two years after its first game in 2007”
and the grandfinale:
“More than a decade into the Chávez family’s rule in Barinas, the state remains Venezuela’s poorest, with average monthly household income of about $800″
The Devil's Excrement 
July 23, 2009 at 10:00 pm
[…] Barinas: El neo-capitalismo Chavista triunfa por encima del Socialismo del Siglo XXI Julio 24, 2009 (This post in English here) […]
July 22, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Coast Guard team from Miami helps seize cocaine off Venezuela coast
http://www.miamiherald.com/459/story/1152682.html
July 22, 2009 at 10:44 am
Is that $20 million figure in the NYT article correct? I thought, just with the Stanford Bank they had lost over $33 million..
July 22, 2009 at 8:37 am
It brought to mind “Harold and Kumar escape From Guantanamo”.
July 21, 2009 at 7:15 pm
in the video above, when the minister of justice starts talking about “super marihuana” it reminds me of Stacy Keach in ‘Up in Smoke’.
July 21, 2009 at 6:40 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbdepnfNdBU&
Tareck vs USA
July 21, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Eva Golinger drafted this statement:
http://www.embavenez-us.org/news.php?nid=5118
http://www.mre.gov.ve/Noticias/A2009/comunic-099.htm
the English version is much better than their usual
July 21, 2009 at 5:23 pm
That post is really good. Someone in favor of the government will add that the earthquake today in Barinas was also caused by the Empire….
http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/68239/temblor-de-46-se-registro-al-noreste-de-barinas-esta-madrugada/
July 21, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Off topic- Another abuse of power:
http://economia.eluniversal.com/2009/07/21/eco_ava_gn-decomisa-material_21A2523765.shtml
July 21, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Don’t forget that thses people also use social networking sites to get information about their intended victims, such as routines, family member names, vacations etc etc. A real creepy side to the whole facebook thing.
July 21, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I was told first hand that the kidnappings are part of an organized crime cartel that buys and uses the tax information to track and target wealthy people. Some GN and Police groups set check points close their target’s addresses to pick them up and ask for ransom. the amounts match the wealth of the family so they know it can be paid. They also target families with foreign heritage because they tend to leave the country after the kidnapping. It is really a apocalyptic scenario in developing
July 21, 2009 at 8:29 am
Miguel, how dare you talk about domestic issues when the regime wants to talk about Honduras! You are a perfect example of why the regime is taking over half of the radio stations in the country. You are the root cause of the problem with your hysteria about crime.