While everyone has been paying attention to the details the new no-longer-secret Labor Bill (LOT) or whether or not Venezuela will or not withdraw from the Interamerican Human Rights Court, you may have missed many of these details of things happening at the same time:
-While President in pectore Maduro says that the new Labor Bill is the product of ten years of discussion, the truth is that the Chavista Government has simply ignored the issue. The 2000 Constitution mandated a new Labor Bill within a year, but Chavismo has never been the best friend of the workers or unions. In fact, the whole strategy has been all along for Chavez to be the President of the destitute, the unemployed, the one most receptive to receive gifts in exchange for votes. But with elections six months away, polls show that it is the working people who have turned the most against Chavez, thus the need to rush an improvised Bill, which will need lots of regulations in the future and contains a vacatio legis of a year in many cases.
-And while few paid attention, the “official” media spent the morning on Monday saying Chavez would sign the Labor Bill at the Teresa Carreño Theater, everyone who is anyone within Chavismo was there, but it was not to be. Despite all the efforts, the pain was too much and the President did not want to be seen in public in a wheelchair. Thus, “some” of the guests, curiously the civilians, were taken to the Miraflores Palace at the last minute, leaving the “people” and the military at the theater wondering what the hell had happened. The military was not too happy about it, least of all when the “Council of State” was finally appointed (another 12 year delay) with only civilians to “advise” a President that seldom accepts any advice.
-And yes, many thought the act was not taking place in the Presidential palace, as it did not look anything like the usual setting there. The whole thing had to be improvised, leaving sufficient space behind the lectern for Chavez to be wheeled in. Thus, the youthful low quality picture of Bolivar, the huge space behind the lectern and the limited space in front that left the military wondering why they were left out of the show and new civilian faces were brought in.
-And it gave people no comfort that German Saltron, Venezuela’s representative at the Interamerican Human Rights Court said that the Court was partial against Venezuela. Funny, there have been hundreds of accusations against Venezuela and hundreds of orders that Venezuela protect people and reporters from human rights violations. Despite this, the Venezuelan Government has acted in very few instances. Note too, that the Court has not been allowed to visit Venezuela since 2001. You have to wonder why? Is it the Court that is partial against Venezuela or is it Venezuela which consistently violates a human rights treaty that has Constitutional rank in Venezuela?
-And today to celebrate an exhibit incongruously named ExpoFonden, the Air Force had two Sukhoi’s fly over Caracas (one above), just to add to the general state of anxiety and nervousness in the population. It is a funny way to celebrate Fonden’s contributions to “development” to have these multi-million dollar planes fly over Caracas. Just think, one hour of a Sukhoi flight costs north of $40,000, but the robolution could care less.
-And in a country with the most incredible oil reserves in the world, the Minister of Energy and Oil denies there are gasoline shortages. Ramirez says that the problem was limited to “some” gas stations and it was due to the need to supply diesel to power plants. However, few cars in Caracas or Venezuela use diesel and the lines were huge on a holiday morning Tuesday. Some of my friends spent over an hour getting gas and others got so sick of it that they just went home. Another triumph of the revolution!
The Devil's Excrement 
May 3, 2012 at 4:56 pm
http://www.globovision.com/news.php?nid=229190
I don’t still know if this is true,but if it is, WOW.
Aponte just opened up a can of…something.
May 3, 2012 at 9:07 pm
Bocaranda is calling bullshit on that, according to his sources.
May 3, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Articles 251 and 252 of the 2000 Constitution:
http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Venezuela/ven1999.html
May 3, 2012 at 3:41 pm
That is the position for the Cuban/communist advisor.
May 3, 2012 at 1:44 pm
Can someone please explain me what is that “Council of State” and what’s for?
May 3, 2012 at 2:13 pm
A group of people appointed by the presi himself to give “advise” to the President. They have no executive power at all,they just talk
May 3, 2012 at 2:25 pm
oh my, ADVICE i meant
i not espik inglis
May 3, 2012 at 5:18 pm
No guorris.
In theory, that doesn’t sound that bad, BUT shouldn’t that be the job of the ministers?
And why it took him 13 years to realize that advisers are necessary?
May 3, 2012 at 7:54 pm
In English, we give advice, but the council will advise the president. Pretty confusing.
May 3, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Not confusing at all, i just fell from grace for a bit.
Muchas Gracias.
May 3, 2012 at 2:14 pm
This might help, Carolina: http://www.el-nacional.com/seccion/32/opinion/28/zapatazo
May 3, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Some tweets from General Carlos Peñaloza:
Carlos Peñaloza @GenPenaloza
CONSEJO DE ESTADO Entre los miembros hay un “almirante” (equivale a gen en Jefe) hijo de Jose Giacopini Parraga, ex ministro d Perez Jimenez
Carlos Peñaloza @GenPenaloza
ALM GIACOPPINI No tiene perfil chavista, pero debe ser. Padre fue derechista. Graduado n Livorno, Italia. Trabajo con Molina Tamayo SECNASDE
Y Adan Chavez como representante de los Gobernadores lo mas probable RT @GenPenaloza CONSEJO DE ESTADO
Retwitteado por Carlos Peñaloza
@GenPenaloza Por cierto de alli salieron las compras de los sukois, solo 8 vuelan los demas “estacionados” unos x repuestos otros no sirven
May 3, 2012 at 10:54 am
Just an observation here: The government of Venezuela appears to have ground to a halt. Everything has come to a stand-still. What happens next?
This is simply crazy…..
May 3, 2012 at 11:00 am
A long Watch and ultimately a Wake
May 3, 2012 at 11:04 am
I think the plan was to use the LOTT “momentum” to let the Council of State to decide “what is next”…….. The problem is that there were not such “momentum”, Apotex2, and that they waited until to late because Hugo “ni lava, ni presta la batea”.
May 3, 2012 at 11:32 am
I agree – everything is very quiet. It’s like both sides are just waiting for his highness to croak. Even the rumour mill is very bland.
May 3, 2012 at 11:51 am
around now might be an excellent time for SoiTV to release the interview of Luis Velásquez Alvaray …
May 3, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Yeah, when is that going to happen?
May 3, 2012 at 1:15 pm
no clue. but I can only imagine that timing (of the release) is a big part of the equation.
May 3, 2012 at 12:22 pm
“What happens next?”
Eventually, people start to get hungry…
May 3, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Roy, how is the food situation in Margarita? Is it too expensive now? Are most people having a hard time eating proper meals?My daughter has been telling me that for sometime and she lives in Caracas.My husband and I send her money when we can but it is not always possible.
May 3, 2012 at 4:16 pm
FP, here in Margarita prices are perhaps a little lower than CCS although I have nothing to base that on other than we pay no IVA.
Shortages come & go. Right now sugar & 100% OJ have disappeared. Things like cooking oil, margarine, milk, PAN, etc. come & go. Many times you can go to buy chicken or meat in Sigo & the shelves are empty.
It’s always an adventure. Spending Bs.1.500 to Bs.2.000 on a full shopping trip is not unusual.
May 3, 2012 at 4:45 pm
wow Roy…i am shaky when it comes to conversions….is that between 4 and 500 dollars?
May 3, 2012 at 4:46 pm
i mean 400 and 500
May 3, 2012 at 6:23 pm
Thanks Island!
May 3, 2012 at 2:49 pm
Estimado Dr. Faustus
La vida cotidiana del nucleo familiar venezolano colapso.
Hoy, la juventud febril venezolana, llena de inquietudes,
esta en el exilio. Tal vez nos toca presenciar los ultimos
dias del delirio de esta pobre gallina sin cabeza,
que hoy aun conocemos como nuestra patria.
The many required accents are missing. Sorry
May 3, 2012 at 10:13 am
Almost nothing looks clear at the moment, more uncertainty brought to us by what the Devil left buried in our soil…… The current situation doesn’t have precedent as far as I know. The only two things that are clear is that for the first time in the last year the government acts as if they have a plan…. and that whatever they are looking for with “this plan” not necessarily they are going to succeed… This because they acted too late, waiting for the captain being onboard, and because they already have lost the control of the vessel…. and, of course, because they always have been nincompoops.
May 3, 2012 at 9:49 am
Maduro vicepresidente del área social?
Is it that Chávez is so big that he can only delegate very tiny things? Like “vicepresidente del servicio eléctrico”…”vicepresidente de la producción de caraotas” (perhaps that’s too specific and specificity could mean accountability)
May 3, 2012 at 1:44 pm
what do you mean ‘tiny things’? VP of social affairs is HUGE. That’s all these chavistas know how to do.
May 3, 2012 at 7:51 am
Mirafloresology!
May 3, 2012 at 5:16 am
In a country ruled by mafias and in streets ruled by common thugs, is the government prepared for the aftermath of Chavez’s demise? I can easily picture a group of thugs trying to take advantage of the situation, just like in April 13th 2002. And I’m not taking about conspiracy theories or an scenario á la February 14th, 1936. I’m talking about regular street thugs, not chavista warmongers.
Are the red chimps prepared to run the show and take care of business if it comes down to this?
May 3, 2012 at 1:01 pm
It’s always classy to use the word “chimps” (or “monos”). Some sectors of the opposition never seem to learn.
May 4, 2012 at 5:32 am
I am aware that in Venezuela “mono” is used as an insult against lower class people, but I’m not writing in Spanish. I’ve never use in my life that word to talk about a regular person, not even a chavista. People would not use normally the insult “mono” against people Jaua, Giordani, El Aissami or Maduro. On the other hand, when I see what these chumps have done so far, to my mind comes that saying: “más peligroso que mono con hojilla”.
May 3, 2012 at 4:43 am
what about Maduro becoming vice precident?? Thats the confirmation that chavez dies soon, right?
May 3, 2012 at 8:18 am
Chavez changing VP indicates somethings up, it does not have to be Maduro.
May 3, 2012 at 2:01 am
Is it me, the camera, or what, that has Bolivar’s picture changing sides behind chavez?
—
May 3, 2012 at 9:14 am
it’s the camera angle, the POV.
May 2, 2012 at 11:33 pm
sept, aug, jul, jun, may
five months to go –
status quo and the cambur,
or
leap of faith and a new beginning?