(Image stolen from Jesus Salamanca)
Chavismo may dismiss the charges made by Judge Eloy Velasco today, accusing the Venezuelan Government of collaborating with the ETA and FARC to kill top Colombian personalities, but they have to say something more than “unacceptable” or “delays from a colonial past” as Chavez dixit.
Because serious charges require serious answers and so far that is not what we have had from this side. Because by now Prime Minister Zapatero wants an answer and he is not going to like what he has heard so far. Nor is former President Colombian President Pastrana going to accept the typical cry baby explanations of Chavez and his crew. This is a time for real leaders and “varones” to face the music of their mistakes.
Because Judge Velasco and the Spanish High Court can not be swept under the rug of Chavismo lies and deceit. Judge Velasco has been looking at this case for nine years. He finally found no one, but dozens of smoking guns. And arguing that Reyes’ computers were fixed holds no water, there are many leads that lead Velasco to his charges and Zapatero to give him the green light. Remember, this is the same High Court that everyone cheered when it indicted Pinochet, different Judge, same reputation.
Because the indictment does not mince words, it says that there was cooperation between the Venezuelan Government, the FARC and ETA. Period. And it clearly says and states, that an employee of the Venezuelan Government Arturo Cubillas, who coincidentally happened to be the Head of ETA in Venezuela, trained “ETA members in the Colombian jungle, in exchange for ETA’s help in Spain, locating terrorist targets sought by FARC”, which included Uribe, Pastrana and Chavez’ future Presidential buddy Santos.
How do you like them apples?
I could go on. In one of the training “exercises” Cubillas showed up with a Venezuelan military truck full of my compatriots, serving the cause, I guess.
So, accusing Carlos Andres Perez is no help, nor saying that Reyes’ computers were trumped. Mr. Cubillas and his wife were Venezuelan Government officials. Period. Cubillas was caught red handed. Period. Either you deny a connection to Cubillas or you shut up, but you are not dealing with the fluffy Venezuelan opposition, Uribe, Zapatero, Pastrana and now Santos, want answers. No wishy washy statements about hearsay and the like, real answers, like a “varon”. Which Chavez and his Government don’t seem ready to do.
Except that Zapatero believes the Judge more than he believes Chavez or his bus driver Maduro. And Pastrana knows what Spain’s High Court has done in the past in the face of incredible political odds. So, it has been a bad week for Hugo and his thugs. From the CIDH report, to the High Court sentence to the Cacerolazo in El Valle, Hugo is not hitting his stride. You can fool some of the people all the time, but Chavez wants to fool even his shadow, who sees and hears every irresponsible thing he does or says.
(As for Cubillas, Alek Boyd told us about him long time ago. Were you listening?)
The Devil's Excrement 
November 5, 2011 at 4:33 pm
Particularly well written article.
March 9, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Spain and its economy is not in a good position to get in trouble with the red Gorilla. Besides ZP is not for the task either.
March 2, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Hey, one integral rebuttal of the “yankee conspiracy theory” needs to be known. Judge Baltasar Garzon is still currently pursuing an indictment of six former members of the Bush Administration. Makes it even more preposterous, as I point out here:
http://bryanjohnsonblog.com/2010/03/02/venezuela-state-sponsored-terrorism/
March 2, 2010 at 11:01 am
Martin,
Oh, as for the Obama Administration, I don’t think he is even participating. I think that certain powers within Congress are pushing it, just like the judiciary in Spain is the one pushing it there. However, once it gains some momentum (and the press is beginning to feed on it), the executive administrations are going to have to get on board.
March 2, 2010 at 10:56 am
Martin,
All of these stories are getting intense radio coverage here. The defection from the Chavista ranks isn’t so public yet. It is coming from neighbors talking over the back yard fence, so to speak. It is anecdotal, so I can’t prove it. But I do live here, I speak Spanish, and I talk to all manner of people in my daily life. I can feel the change in attitude. I personally know a dozen or more former Chavistas, who have told me, “No mas.” They feel cheated and used, and in some cases, they embarrassed about it.
March 2, 2010 at 10:49 am
History repeats itself. Now that the Autocrat (call him Milosevic, call him Gualtieri and Junta, call him Huguito) finds himself in deep domestic trouble through inept government (Hugo and Gualtieri) or war (Milosevic) all the trouble comes home to roost, seeing that at last, they have a go at him. And a go they deserve because his past misdeeds have created many enemies.
Now it remains to see what will be the piece of foolishness (will it be war and losing?, will it be rigged elections?) that will force Venezuela to chuck the Autocrat out.
March 2, 2010 at 10:35 am
Roy: I’d like to see this scenario played out, but I have my doubts, damaging as these revelations are. It needs a real commitment and paradigm shift by the principle players (ie the Obama administration and the Spanish socialist government) to bring it about, and I see no evidence of that at all as yet. The latter has merely ‘asked for an explanation’ -which leaves it all the leeway in the world. And the vast majority of Venezuelans will be unaware of this situation or will accord it the significance that the government chooses. If you really have seen ‘massive defection’ from Chavista ranks we should all be hearing about that soon, but I personally haven’t yet. Sorry, but I’ve had this experience too many times to build my hopes too quickly.
March 2, 2010 at 8:12 am
For a very long time, I believed that change would have to come to Venezuela from within. My thinking was that only through finding the will to act against this tyrant would the Venezuelan people mature enough to make the needed corrections to their political system that are needed to become a modern democracy.
I think that the other modern democracies of the world believed the same and kept quiet so as not to give Chavez the excuse external meddling to worsen the situation. However, I do think that the outside world has lost patience.
What we are seeing is a multi-pronged diplomatic offensive that has probably been quietly coordinated by the U.S., the E.U., Spain, elements within the OAS, and at least some of the moderate LatAm countries, including Colombia. The goal of this offensive will be to isolate Venezuela and hurt their trade and international credibility. By that last, I mean Chavez’s influence over a host of small countries in the Caribbean via Petro Caribe (his cheap oil for OAS and UN votes program).
I would not dismiss this effort as futile. It is going to isolate Chavez, internationally and embarrass him domestically. One of the goals of this campaign will be to force some of his allies, such as Brazil (and maybe even Ecuador) to abandon him. The timing is such that it can convince Venezuelan voters to reject him so convincingly in the upcoming congressional elections this September that he will be unable to simply cheat. Or, if he does cheat, it will result in a popular uprising.
My guess is that the preferred outcome of this attack is to pressure the Venezuelan people to unseat Chavez. However, if that fails, the same initiative can lead to Venezuela being declared a “Terrorist State” with accompanying trade embargoes. Done effectively, that would bring Venezuela (a country that imports 75% of what it consumes, including food) quickly to its knees.
Even apolitical Venezuelans can see that the former scenario is preferable to the latter. I personally see evidence of massive defection from the Chavista voter ranks. They are fed up with Chavez and feel cheated by him.
No, Chavez is, indeed, having a bad week. The winds of change are blowing and he knows that it bodes him ill.
March 2, 2010 at 8:10 am
Isaias Rodriguez, our shitty ambassador in Spain says that the information contained in the computer of Raul Reyes recovered by the colombian army when they killed him was manipulated by Colombia in order to relate Chávez with ETA and FARC.
http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/145709/niego-de-manera-contundente-que-venezuela-este-vinculada-con-el-terrorismo/
This is the same asshole that had that “star witness” during the Anderson murder case.
March 2, 2010 at 6:48 am
[…] The body of cumulative evidence of the Chavez regime’s Cuban-backed terrorist and criminal connections is overwhelming. For more on this topic, visit PMB Comments and Devil’s Excrement. […]
March 2, 2010 at 6:32 am
Thanks for the link Miguel.
March 2, 2010 at 5:59 am
Chavez will just continue to use his “Rope a Dope” tactics & never confront the issue directly or use the “Yo no fui” excuse.
He feels invulnerable in Venezuela. Outside of all laws & decency so this is just a petty annoyance.
March 2, 2010 at 5:16 am
What happened with Cacerolazo in El Valle?
March 2, 2010 at 2:44 am
I hope I’m wrong and shit finally hits the fan, but we all knew Chavez was supporting FARC from a long time, remember Chavez reactions when they killed the laptop guy in Ecuador? I just want to see him out of Miraflores just like most venezuelans…
March 2, 2010 at 2:39 am
I forgot to name Iberdrola and Telefonica, money talks…those guys won’t like a judge messing up with their caribbean partner in business.
March 2, 2010 at 2:35 am
I give it up to the judge having the balls to name things as they are, but I don’t expect nothing out of Zapatero or Moratinos, these couple of clowns have been way too easy on Chavez throughout the years and take into consideration the influence Repsol might have on this matter, yes, I don’t trust the current spanish government.
Been living in Spain for the past 7 years and I voted twice for ZP…
March 2, 2010 at 1:50 am
This has made headlines in Asian (Singapore and Hong Kong) papers today as well, not just in the Americas. You reap what you sow, and El Comandante may finally receive his justice – in contrast to the Venezuelans have have not received the protection that they have deserved.
March 1, 2010 at 11:25 pm
Fantastic News !!!
Keep the noose tightening to help free ALL Venezuelans !!!
March 1, 2010 at 10:15 pm
THE NOOSE IS IN PLACE AND BEGINNING TO TIGHTEN. IT MAY TAKE A WHILE BUT THE PULLING IS INEXORABLE. THE DAY OF RECKONING IS APPROACHING SOONER OR LATER, ONCE YOU ARE IN THE HANDS OF AN INCORRUPTIBLE JUDGE YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED, JUST LIKE PINOCHET FOR HIS HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.
March 1, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Cubillas is working for Chavez since October 2005. HIs wife has been very close to Chavez, working in the office of the presidency.