The year is leaving us. The Government says we had a great year because GDP grew by 4%. I ask if with a 39.5% increase in the price of the Venezuelan oil basket and a 51.5% increase in monetary liquidity, is this supposed to be good? To say nothing of the 27.9% increase in inflation. It was only in April that Giordani was “seeing” a slowing of inflation, when the 12 month CPI stood at at 27.4% and we are closing the year not only higher, but with the highest level of inflation of any country in the world. Giordani does not see very well.
And I go back to the numbers. I like numbers. Thus, I find it curious that the President of the Venezuelan Central Bank says explicitly: “Las reservas internacionales se ubicaron en US$ 29.899 millones al 30 de diciembre de 2011” (International reserves were at US$ 29.899 millions on December 30th. 2011). Funny, as of the 29th. of December, the day before, on the webpage of the Venezuelan Central Bank the number was US$ 2.44 billion lower at US$ 27.45 billion. Where did this money magically appear from? When accounting at the Venezuelan Central Bank becomes creative, you have to be concerned. (In Spanish is called “maquillaje”, applying make up to the numbers. That’s exactly what they did)
So, Chavismo keeps stretching and stretching the distortions so they can win in 2012. But Venezuelans will have to pay one day for all of this.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that it will not be in 2012. There is too much at stake. All adjustments will have to wait for 2013, no matter who is in charge.
Given that, after this dose of numerical reality, I can only wish all the readers of the Devil, the best in 2012. Let the year be the year of change, the year of hope, the year that Venezuela turns around and finds a path of prosperity and harmony. A year in which peace and rationality prevail and rule over all of us.
Happy New Year my friends!
The Devil's Excrement 
May 8, 2014 at 2:24 pm
[…] on his BS: the poor man is so deranged that he does believe his own lies. Worryingly, apart from notable exceptions coming from the usual suspects, no one in Venezuela’s MSM, or abroad, seems to have picked up on the news and ridiculed the […]
January 1, 2012 at 11:46 am
http://www.lapatilla.com/site/2012/01/01/comunicado-venezuela-ratifica-solidaridad-con-cuba-en-53-aniversario-de-su-revolucion/
Sicko strikes early.1 Jan. 2012 slobbering, glorification of Castro
and Cuba from Chavez.
January 1, 2012 at 11:38 am
Hope you enjoy this.
January 1, 2012 at 10:44 am
Happy New Year’s everyone! It started at midnight last night for me when tuning in to Sabado Gigante’s New Year’s spectacular.
(And let me tell you–I don’t know whether it’s Latinos in general or just that program, but man, they know to party and celebrate. What a show! They were on the year to celebrate the new year across all three time zones, until 3AM EST!)
Anyway, while each of the hosts gave their wishes for the coming year, Chiquinquira Delgado addressed her fellow Venezuelans by saying, and of course I paraphrase because my Spanish stinks, “I wish the best to everyone and pray for good news in 2012.”
I found it a fascinatingly otherwise innocuous statement that dripped with disdain for Chavez, drizzled with just enough hope that things HAVE to get better soon.
January 1, 2012 at 10:45 am
Typo:
…know HOW to party…
January 1, 2012 at 10:48 am
Another typo:
…on the AIR…
Funny, because I hardly drank anything last night.
January 1, 2012 at 9:28 am
Amen brother!
January 1, 2012 at 12:06 am
Tonight someone told me “After all of these years, can’t you say anything positive?
Why don’t you show respect to the President Chavez?
OMG-I felt like coming “unglued”!!! But, I didn’t.
Here’s my reply-“There is one thing positive. In the past I worried that Chavez might be around for a very long time. Now, I believe he may actually be gone sooner-much sooner.
Happy New Year and I hope our wishes come true sooner.
December 31, 2011 at 10:12 pm
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Chavez abuses religion daily in his propaganda activities.Example-even shamans-can you believe that ?
I have noticed a lesser amount from opposition candidates…something to think about.(Not saying go hire a shaman…)
December 31, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Thank you Miguel for your efforts posting insightful and well-informed articles in TD’sE.
There are vast areas of overlap between the 4th and the 5th republic. It is ironic that a so-called revolution that announced a new society, perpetuates or even aggrandizes the ills of past governments: corruption, nepotism, traffic of influence, abuse of power, political prisoners, devaluations, scarcity, and on and on.
I am reminded of a talk by Teodoro Petkoff who said that the new commisars of the October revolution came to exercise power following the Czarist example of how power was to be exercised; the only difference being that previously it was done in the name of the Czar and the commissars did the same in the name of the proletariat.
The only effective antidote to the ills of an abusive government is an informed and active citizenry. It happened in Poland, in Germany, in the Arab Spring. Your blog contributes to the creation of an informed citizenry. Language is definitely a barrier that diminishes the contribution of the blog to that purpose. So, I offer myself as a volunteer to translate some posts (not all, we need other volunteers) that will feed a sister blog “El Excremento del Diablo.”
December 31, 2011 at 10:11 pm
CarlosElio, kudos to your comment. You are absolutely right in your vision of the antidote to abusive governments. I, too, offer myself to translate some posts. Happy New Year, Miguel and all others!!
December 31, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Happy New Year, everyone. Miguel, my very best wishes to you and your family.
December 31, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Happy New Year, Miguel. Much thanks for all the posts.