The Devil's Excrement

Miami radio station El Zol plays prank on Fidel Castro and suceeds. The radio program “El Vacilon de la manana” managed to reach Fidel Castro by phone saying it was Hugo Chavez who needed help recovering his briefcase. Amazingly enough, they got through, much like they did last year reaching Chavez claiming it was Fidel Castro. Here is the audio, if your Spanish is not up to par, here is the transcript. Quite funny, particularly Fidel’s reaction at the end, he certainly knows some swear words.

Enjoyed the article by Marcos Aguinis in Argentina’s La Nacion on June 2nd., entitled “Advantages of the Cuban model”.  Essentially Auguinis’ sensibilities were insulted by the welcome given to Fidel Castro by the Argentinean Congress, the law Department of the B.A. University, the press and the new President. This led him to write a very fine and ironic article. Some highlights:

“Despite the dictatorships we have suffered, we love a Dictator, we are that way.

Of course, a Dictator who claims to be a socialist, whose tortures tickles and whose firing squads improve the quality of life. Nothing, no matter how horrible he does, matters. Whatever is denounced about violations of human rights in Cuba, is an invention of the CIA. Castro is an idol, a legend, emblematic of heroism and the noble fight against imperialism. Everything he does is fine.

I ask: if he is so admired, why don’t we follow his model? Supposedly, it is marvelous. Why emulate –New Zealand, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Canada-complicated modern countries-, if Castro’s model is simpler, mobilizes and is attractive?…

Fidel’s model has other advantages, I suppose:

For example, there would be no sterile debates over the Governments actions. Criticism would disappear and with that, it would push us all in the same direction. We would not have to spend neurons or saliva over society’s problems, because that would be the exclusive task of the regime’s functionaries, who never make mistakes. One would not have to choose between newspapers, newscasts, magazines, because there would only be the minimum needed, with official news only. In that manner we would not be able to doubt the various sources, or get depressed for the defeatist news of the enemies of the people…

We would also collect the benefits of not allowing anyone to leave the country. The enemies of the people would say that we have converted ourselves into a huge jail. Lies! The paradise is not prison: those that escape are traitors. This would solve like magic the perversity of wanting to do graduate work elsewhere or look for better prospects abroad. …

The only expense would be bullets against those that want to escape the regime. We could use preventive shootings Castro style; the same way that George W. Bush performs preventive wars.

Another great benefit would be tourism. The best places would be refurbished for the exclusive enjoyment of foreigners…”

After being away, a week is roughly the time it takes to get a feeling for what is going on. My feeling is that little has changed during this month. The Government signed the agreement with the opposition under pressure from the Group of Friends, the Carter Center and the OAS, but little has changed as witnessed by the travesty in the National Assembly this week. Chavez wants to rule in totalitarian fashion and he will do whatever it takes to make that happen. His control over the National Assembly is flimsy and he will try to control the Supreme Court if he can pass the Supreme Court Bill that will allow him to increase the number of justices from twenty to thirty. There is no electoral commission and thus no elections can be held, no referendum can even be organized in this country. Is this a democracy? Of course not. The problem is that Chavez wants a CNE (Electoral Commission) that he can control, so that he can use his usual dirty tricks, maneuvers and tactics to simply delay it until August 2004 when his Vice-President can take over. Since he appoints the Vice-President with a decree, he will likely name his own brother right before the referendum is to take place.

The economy is being destroyed and there is little the Chavez administration is doing for it. Only US$ 18 million has been handed out by the exchange control office, while the Government instead of worrying about governing, is importing food (no customs duty, no taxes) and competing against the private sector, selling inferior products 10% below usual prices. Someone is making a lot of money in these deals, but what else is new in the Bolivarian revolution.

People are as polarized in their thinking about the future, as the country is polarized politically. There is one camp that has almost given up and thinks there is little chance of stopping Chavez (I lean towards their side). Young people are packing up, looking for luck elsewhere. The lines outside the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Embassies are huge, filled with the children of the immigrants that made this country prosperous, as they take advantage of fairly lax laws in those countries that give them passports and they can thus emigrate. Most people in this camp plan to leave if soemthing has not happened by the end of the year.

The other camp is optimistic. They think the destruction of the country will eventually bring Chavez down as “something” happens to bring him down. They also think that once Chavez begins to block the referendum, the military will force his hand. I disagree, but hope I am wrong. I think there is little the military or the international community can do at this time. It is simply up to us. Come August 19th. we have to request the referendum and if it does not take place, take to the streets and force Chavez’ hand. It is the only way. If we don’t do it, Venezuelans will become like the Cubans or the Iranians and forty years from now, historians will still be wondering how Chavez’ empty revolution took control of the country and ruined it, the same way in which they analyze Castros’ perpetuation in power.

That is why Chavez losing control of the National Assembly presents, in my mind, a better opportunity for the opposition than whether there is a referendum or not. The road to a referendum may be muddled in legal tricks and appearances of legality. Losing control of the Assembly blocks Chavez’ ability to change the Supreme Court or impose the “muzzle law” on the media.

In any case, don’t get depressed reading this, get involved, do something!

At this point I cant post anymore, I have exceeded my storage limits….trying to expand it…..

Two weeks ago, there was an opposition rally in the West of Caracas. Pro-Chavez groups vowed to stop the demonstration from going through even though it had all required permits. They tried to stop it and one person was killed and 19 injured. Here are pictures of the pro-Chavez groups preparing themselves to stop the demonstration in the 23 de Enero residential area. Scary, isn’t it? (Pictures sent by Luis B.)

One of the biggest controversies of Chavez’ Presidency is how the President “of the poor” could spend US$ 80 million in an Airbus 385 for his personal use. Well, here are the pictures of the plane from inside, unfortunately, I could not get a picture of the jacuzzi

Maruja sends this picture of a graffiti with the word in Spanish for hunger (misspelled) interlaced with Chavez’ party’s letters MVR: Tenemos haMVRe: We are hungry

Corn Bread (Harina Pan) is a national symbol  you can’t eliminate it    Marisabel: History will not absolve you, complicity is also a crime

Another unemployed one                                          Inflation comparisons

Simplistic solution                                                    The country’s problems

Before the shootings I took some pictures of the marchers. Above left, the leaders of the Federation of Unions CTV with the union’s flag. Above right an older man with a sign that said “At 69 I fight for you and for them too”. Maruja M. also sent a whole bunch of pictures of the march and the posters which you can see in those sections.

Good poster by the non-profit group Ciudadania Activa to encourage people to March on Thursday (May Day). The poster says: Support Chavez, this May 1st. stay home, the pretty revolution will thank you for it.

I have placed some new orchid pictures in the Orchids section and some pictures from the anti-Chavez demonstration in Chicago sent in by Mariana in the Pictures section.