From La Patilla, this magnificent collage of Hugo and his Lybian buddy. As the saying goes: “Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres”. (Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are)
The Devil's Excrement
Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.
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The Devil's Excrement 
February 23, 2011 at 8:40 am
No, Governments have to set a higher standard, they are responsible for enforcement. If they dont respect human rights, corporations will not either. If Government dont have a much higher stantard, then everyone else will not follow. Corporations dont sign treaties about human rights, they have to respect them, Governments do. Governments do have to set higher standards than citizens and corporations. Dont be obtuse.
February 23, 2011 at 8:34 am
Miguel – thanks for enlightening us. I, for one, did not know that there was one set of human rights values for governments and another one for corporations. Strange world. 😉
February 22, 2011 at 4:23 pm
“People responsible for the conduction of government should be judged by their actions, not by expediency. I wish those who kissed Gaddaffy caught some infection.”
Wished we…
But politicians and diplomats (and some businessmen, when they mix with politicians) are an unprincipled lot. It is proper to remember it, always.
For example: The world glosses over all the things done by the Chinese government in a more self serving manner than they ever did Qaddafi. Some even suggest silencing any criticism and boycotting movies…
February 22, 2011 at 2:23 pm
Fidel Castro says US plans NATO invasion of Libya.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/22/AR2011022202291.html
Fidel and Hugo have a phobia about the U.S. Fidel probably instructed Hugo to keep talking about the United States wanting to assasinate Hugo. Then, the two of them believe, that the United States would not dare try it.
February 22, 2011 at 8:53 am
Chavez: “Our ideas [on social equality] are the same as Gadafi, and have been for decades.”
He’s aboslutely right. They’re both willing to call on airstrikes to kill those who oppose them. If a few bystanders get hurt in the meantime, it’s all for the cause. (Cause being to remain in power, of course.)
February 22, 2011 at 5:48 am
A question:
What miraculous Libyan project(s) was planned in VZ, which I can now assume is dead?
I know the dairy farm with no or dying cows was Iranian, but don’t recall the wonderful impact that was coming as a result of this new Libya-VZ friendship.
HAH!!!
February 22, 2011 at 3:20 am
deananash,
Cubans understood. It was from those who fled that the Bay of Pigs invasion came from. Many died fighting or in front of a firing squad, and many of those who died were in the resistance movements in Cuba. Che took care of much of the jail killings, as was his custom. Bay of Pigs has a bad name because it failed, not for lack of trying.
Or are you prepared to say that the Bay of Pigs campaign was a CIA operation run by mercenaries, or that Kennedy had nothing to do with its failure? At least Bolivar didn’t have to listen to the CIA, or some stupid American president.
Why didn’t Cubans try again in a big way? They would have done, if they had a little more sympathy from their fellow Latinamericans.
February 21, 2011 at 7:32 pm
The Arab League should take care of this bloodthirsty mad dog on their own.
February 21, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Leon is right, NOW is the time as the world is focused on the abuse that peaceful demonstrators are suffering. Yes, it’s going to take blood, sweat and tears to rid yourself of the leech that is called Chavez.
This is what the Cubans never understood either. The amazing thing about Venezuela is that Bolivar did understand it. (Thank God)
Now I don’t blame the Cubans for fleeing, on the contrary, I’ve often encouraged Venezuelans to flee. That’s because so many of the Cubans (and currently, the Venezuelans) actually believe in the “Communist” philosophy. OK, not really. But they believe that they can ‘win’ more in this system than in Capitalism. So they deserve what they get.
February 21, 2011 at 6:10 pm
Chavez prefers to leave Ghadaffi in Lybia to create a civil war, watch oil prices climb over 120 and then, maybe, probably, let him burn as a hero of the revolution. Then Bahrein, then Saudi Arabia… riding the oil cash wave all the way ’til 2012
February 21, 2011 at 6:08 pm
It looks like Gaddafi might be heading your way. No doubt Hugo will give him a warm reception. It may take him a while to acclimate to the moisture. How many ‘nurses’ will accompany him remains a mystery.
February 21, 2011 at 5:13 pm
I agree fully.
February 21, 2011 at 5:10 pm
oh please god let Ghadaffi go to Venz….that would be sooo much fun
February 21, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Pygmalion: Companies are much different than Governments, Governments have to upheld much higher standards. Maduro is defending Gaddaffi as the legitimate leader of Lydia. Sure, like Fidel, or Hugo for that matter.
February 21, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Pygmalion,
Who is profiting from the Chevez regime? Narcos, every left wing regime in South America, Cuba, Iran and every other nut case in the world.
I find it amazing that you neglect to even mention Chevez and his truly amazing human rights record.
February 21, 2011 at 3:38 pm
Ony two weeks ago many people thought that Gaddaffi was a pragmatist who was willing to behave better to return to the international community with some credibility. A picturesque guy who lived in a tent in the desert. A leader generally respected by his people. A person you could do business with. Someone you could even kiss without cathing some infection. Now that he is losing he is a creep, some bastard fit for a cell in The Hague. A mass murderer.
Remember Mussolini and Ceaușescu? They were cool guys until they lost power. Then came the end, and it wasn’t pretty.
This is a litttle like Chavez. Many people around the world still buy the story that he is the hero of the poor, a charismatic leader, etc. When will people change their minds about Chavez? I think when he starts losing, not before.
People responsible for the conduction of government should be judged by theirr actions, not by expediency. I wish those who kissed Gaddaffy caught some infection.
February 21, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Should the events and images by AlJazeera be accurate and confirmed, then the Lybian Head of State will, of necessity, become an international pariah.
February 21, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Many major oil companies are in Libya profiting from the Gadafi regime ON A DAILY BASIS whatever its human rights record has been. Now if PDVSA were activge in Libya then we would really have soemthing to complain about. As I said before this is going the way of a very bloody civil war.
February 21, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Kepler,
No maybe we should not exaggerate( I know I wouldn’t in their position), but still I think criticisms should be placed more on the least acceptable players in the game, in this case Gaddaffi, rather than on how others deal with him.The way we deal with these creeps, I can guarantee you will never be good enough, because that’s the nature of the position they place others in.
February 21, 2011 at 1:59 pm
Still, Firepigette: one does NOT really have to kiss Gadaffi as Blair did just to get the oil contracts rolling. One does not need to praise him as Schröder did.
One does not need to sell Gadaffi weapons as the Walloons (and many others, I am sure) did.
I agree with Loroferoz. Se puede ser vendido, pero no hay que exagerar.
Don’t tell me this is hindsight. One just needs to check out AI’s reports for decades.
February 21, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Loroferoz,
“Public officials and diplomats are not what you call principled. ”
May or may not be true(each case is different), but what is true is that unleashed criminals and maniacs who have power over the world,put everybody in a damned if you do/ damned if you don’t situation.Politics is not the arena where each person’s principles can reign – even if we are perfectionist and want them too.
It is the arena of negotiation and contracting to obtain the least problematic outcome possible.Behind any negotiating table are facts that would leave the average person pale, and this has to be dealt with realistically not idealistically.The best that can happen at this point is that great principles in political negotiation be determined by what motivates the action and its goal, and not in the perfectionism of the methods.
I don’t like it, but that is the real situation of the world today.Maybe someday we will live in a world where criminals are contained or don’t exist and then we can be more perfectionist.
Taking everything at face value is not exactly the best way to understand complicated situations.
February 21, 2011 at 1:31 pm
No, no, no, Ramon47, the Cubans were given the first option on her.
February 21, 2011 at 1:28 pm
A lot of politicians have rubbed shoulders with Qaddafi. And made business with him. And sold him weapons from their own military industrial establishments, probably knowing that they would be used this way…
Public officials and diplomats are not what you call principled. Even those of countries that are supposed to stand for democracy, human and individual rights.
Only Hugo has hugged him and given him the keys to the city (the sword of Bolivar in this case). Because… Hugo shares some “principles” with Muammar.
February 21, 2011 at 1:03 pm
This piece of shit is many orders of magnitude harder to hide than Vladimiro Montesinos, I’d like to see Chávez even trying to pull that off.
February 21, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Better idea lock47. Instead of a Venezuelan girl for Gadafi how about Chávez’s PR harlot. Everyone knows that she has been passed around enough by Chevez and his buddies let Gadafi give her a try.
February 21, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Maybe Chavez is going to give him a new tent and someones sister as a present when he arrives.
Next great passtime for Venezuela: Camel racing.
February 21, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Michael Totten, who is quite independent of the MSM, was there a few years ago, here he talks about that visit and his contacts with those not officially a part of the gov’t apparatus. Note that he mentions Gaddafi’s dislike / fear of flying over great swaths of water… although he may see Venezuela as his best choice of last resort, while fleeing for his life.
http://pajamasmedia.com/michaeltotten/2011/02/20/in-the-land-of-the-brother-leader-2/
Gaddafi does appear to have lost control of the capitol, as they’ve lost control of their media and gov’t buildings are widely reported to be looted. That he’s used live machine gun fire on his own people shows his desperation even though this isn’t the first time he done that, and everyone must realize those fighting won’t back down. Quite a few reports of his own military fighting with the protesters now.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1358972/Libya-protests-Gaddafi-flees-Tripoli-parliament-building-set-alight.html
The bravado of K-daffy’s sons saying they’ll never leave and they’ll fight to the last man reminds me of that other fellow in Iraq a few years ago… They all seem to mistake the silence of fear, with loyalty.
Odd that H. Chavez would align with those types?
February 21, 2011 at 12:08 pm
I just heard him on BBC.
Let’s see.
February 21, 2011 at 11:41 am
Here is the story :
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20110221/tts-uk-libya-venezuela-ca02f96.html
February 21, 2011 at 11:39 am
The UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has just said that he has information that Gaddafi may now be enroute to Venezuela, and that he is not relying on media reports.
February 21, 2011 at 11:26 am
As other people are fighting for freedom what does the people of Venezuela do? Nothing but feel sorry for themselves and moan about how bad they have it.
Sometimes Venezuelos truley do amaze me. The opportunity is now and should be taken advantage of by the people of Venezuela who truley would like freedom.
February 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
Isn’t it ironic that one of the most outspoken critics of the support the US gives dictators that align with its interests is one of the most supportive of the worlds most oppressive dictators because they are aligned of his interests?
Even more ironic, is the title of hypocrite that he has declared upon the US.
February 21, 2011 at 10:59 am
Excellent and super interesting link Syd posted.A dictator is only as strong as the people who support him, either directly or indirectly.
Those who bemoan the hunger strikers are only adding to the problem.We need this, and simultaneously add other acts of resistance.
February 21, 2011 at 10:15 am
I had not seen this type of confirmation, before, from the BBC. But there it is: Chavez is a dictator. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12522848
February 21, 2011 at 9:19 am
Chávez’s PR harlot is twitting that that’s not true. She is also sending messages back and forth with a PSF journalist from Al Jazeera who said the same (not all at Al Jazeera are like that, there are such and such)
February 21, 2011 at 9:03 am
I don’t believe it…not that Chávez would not welcome him, but no one just flies like that over the Ocean. There are other places he would get refuge closer by.
I do hope his regime ends NOW.
February 21, 2011 at 8:49 am
The Guardian is saying it:
http://bit.ly/gxCHRC
February 21, 2011 at 8:32 am
Bridge, where did you see that?
Just saw this
“http://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/libyen222.html”
but could not find anything else. Sounds so weird, I do not think it is correct. Are they perhaps paying attention to Noticiero Digital?
February 21, 2011 at 8:22 am
There is a split in the army in Libya, according to CNN. My guess is civil war.
February 21, 2011 at 8:21 am
Gadafi will soon be ousted as well. However, Hugo is not the only politician who has rubbed shoulders with Gadafi: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1359014/Gaddafis-Libyan-massacre-shame-Tony-Blair.html
It’s all abnout money, power and influence.
February 21, 2011 at 7:24 am
ARD Germany and Al Jazeera both say that Gadafi left for Venezuela !!!
February 21, 2011 at 7:24 am
“Stay and fight to the last man/woman/child and to the last bullet”, or until the plane leaves in the morning, whichever comes first.
If he left this morning, I think he deserves to be made a Knight of the Order of the Liberator for not staying to fight. He would be in good company, with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Raúl Castro and Bashar al Assad as fellow knights.
If he goes to Cuba instead, he should be advised not to take refuge in a Comite de Barrio building: they are fire hazards.
February 21, 2011 at 6:38 am
Let this be a window to the future of Venezuela.
Eduardo is absolutely right.
That is the tactic he will use if threatened.
February 21, 2011 at 2:23 am
Deanash:
Have you noticed that the word is “fight”?. This does not mean “keep order”, “hold the peace”, or the like.
They are meaning that their stay in power is a battle, and aginst the people, if it’s needed.
I doubt that Gadaffi’s group will keep the power so long from now…
February 21, 2011 at 12:15 am
All true enough, which makes this MSNBC reporting so scary:
“Moammar Gadhafi’s son went on state television to proclaim that his father remained in charge with the army’s backing and would “fight until the last man, the last woman, the last bullet.”
You can read the entire article here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41689225/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
Does anyone doubt that Hugo would do likewise in order to maintain power?
February 21, 2011 at 12:13 am
I’d love to see Chavez turn his back on Kadafi.
That would show to the world the hipocrit he is.And if he does help him, that’d be wonderful too,as people will see he is the antagonist in venezuela’s story
Also,i do not think justice will be served,tyrants will be expelled but justice died a long time ago,everywhere.
February 20, 2011 at 11:51 pm
Asinus asinum fricat – The ass rubs the ass. (Conceited people flatter each other about qualities they do not possess)
February 20, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Word is the Lybian is in Venezuela under Chavez protection.
February 20, 2011 at 9:31 pm
“Asinus Asinum Fricat”
Quoth Quico in Caracas Chronicles?
February 20, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Here is what Chávez said after receiving the Gadafi Prize for Human Rights .
President Hugo Chávez met with Libyan President Muammar El Gadafi, whom he said shared his ideas on social equality. “Our ideas [on social equality] are the same as Gadafi, and have been for decades.”
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez visited Libya to receive the Gadafi Prize for Human Rights after a meeting with that country’s president, reported DPA.
He dedicated his prize to the late Yasir Arafat and to Danilo Anderson….
Chávez also called Gadafi “a friend and brother.”
Not that any of this is breaking news to the readers of this blog.
February 20, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Will anyone be brave enough to shelter this Chief of State?
I noticed that the El Universal’s news item is roundly denied by one and all.
[From El Universal] Mientras Gadafi hijo hablaba, en círculos de oposición libios circulaba hoy el rumor de que el jefe de Estado habría abandonado el país con destino a Cuba, Venezuela o Brasil.
“Es falso”, aseguraron estas fuentes, que prefirieron permanecer en el anonimato.