The Devil's Excrement

Extermination in Falcon by Teodoro
Petkoff in Tal Cual

Once again the country is shaken up by the brutal news of the murder
of young people, apparently in the hands of the police. In Falcon state the sinister figure of
“extermination” groups has reappeared. Five boys were massacred by bullies
encrusted in the police corps. Once again an investigation is announced “to the
utmost consequences” and “no matter who falls”. We have heard this song so many
times! The ineffable “utmost consequences” are always the impunity of those
accused. Whatever happened to the investigation about the crimes committed by
the Guarico police? Lots of noise and few nuts (sic). Whatever happened to the
trial of the cops of the first “Extermination” group detected in Portuguesa
state? It also ended in the freedom of those accused.

Whatever happened to the investigation opened in Anzoategui State?
Nothing ever came out of it. How many cops are in prison in Aragua state, the
state with perhaps the worst registry in police assassinations? None. The assassins
act with their faces uncovered, there are witnesses of the crimes and
nevertheless, there is never a sentence condemning the accused. Absolute
impunity protects these state criminals.

State Criminals? Yes. The actions by these “extermination “ groups, which
is not recent but that during the last years has acquired the character of an
epidemic, is associated with an unwritten conception and only commented in low
voices among the police headquarters, that the fight against criminals passes
by the execution of supposed and true criminals. The State and the Government
play dumb in the face of these actions and only when the scandal overflows all
borders, as in the Kennedy barrio case, do they pay attention. The rest of the
time, they let it be. Because the assassins have carte blanche and are at the same time judges and executioners and
decide on their own and by their will who should face the weapons, the result
has been an orgy of blood in which presumed criminals and other people have
fallen, young in general, which have nothing to do with crime. More than five
thousand assassinations of this type have occurred in the last five years.
Official tolerance in the face of these “extermination” groups drives
inexorably to the decomposition of police corps, to the putrefaction of the ethical
and moral values that one would think they should be imbued as public servants
and transforms them into criminal groups which are much worse and pernicious
than the common criminal gangs.

A police unit that acts on the side of the law, violating codes and
ordinances, is a danger to society. And it turns even more dangerous when the
Government’s failure in decreasing the social crisis derived from unemployment
and informal subemployemnt, with the consequent expansion in personal insecurity,
leads a portion of the people to assume with indifference, if not with
approval, the episodes of extermination. The conclusion is unavoidable: there
is no true policy for public safety. This Government does not know what to do
to guarantee the safety of Venezuelans. The police, the courts and the prisons
are a disaster. How can we be surprised that our criminality indices are among
the highest in the world.

In the so called Venezuelan democracy these days you are not even allowed to use any form of protest that may have a chance of being successful. As reported here earlier, a group called “Cambio” plastered Caracas a few weeks ago with paper skeletons, which the Government tried to say were poisonous, as a way of classifying the protesters as some form of terrorists. Alexandra Belandia Ruiz Pineda at some point was the spokesperson for the group, which cost her some harassment by the investigative police which called her to testify about this protest. (By the way, there is an interview with her in yesterday’s El Universal)

Then on Sunday Hugo Chavez bothered to talk against the celebration of Halloween as not part of our heritage. Some laughed at this, but I didn’t it was simply a way of attempting to disqualify this form of protest, by turning it into something anti-Venezuelan. Well, this reached the ridiculous level that the intelligence police detained seven young activists of the Primero Justicia party for “promoting hate”, using “illegal campaign material” and the Vice-Minister of Justice says these activist “may be connected” to that other placement of skeletons, as if that was a crime.

And then the Prosecutor’s office, the same one that can not figure out hundreds of murders and injuries says that these charges should go in the same case file as that of the previous skeletons, which so far nobody has managed to tell us what is the crime that that is being investigated unless it is Government stupidity.

But of course it isn’t. A Government that has all of the resources at its services, where the separation between party and state is no longer visible, uses the intelligence police to intimidate and stop a clever way of raising doubts about the Government and its abilities. This is typical autocratic behavior; stop the opposition form even attempting to gain any on you and if it does, simply squash it. We saw it two years ago when pot banging became such a popular and powerful way of protesting against the Government that it was criminalized and since has disappeared as a form of protest.

Of course, the skeletons may backfire if they become too common. This is what the Primero Justicia activists had in mind when they began using them as a form of pretest and in some sense their protest went beyond their plans. But will others dare use the same form of protest?

Of course, this does not even include asking questions such as whether the role of the political police or the Prosecutor’s office in defining what is legal or illegal campaign material. Thus, adding to the overwhelming advantages of financing and power that the Government has, we now have to add the fact that they can use any police body to block, spin and mutilate any form of electoral campaign or protest, while the Electoral Board fails to stop the President for making use of his beloved “cadenas” to unfairly campaign for his party’s candidates.

Of course, Chavez will later boast of Venezuelan being a full democracy, where everyone can do and say whatever they want and where races are decided on the ballot box. Of course, we know they are decided in the Electoral Registry, the voting machines, the redistricting, the intimidation of the opposition and the absurd rulings of a servile Supreme Court, the balot boxes being almost incidental to the process.

For myself, I am ordering a gross of paper skeletons by mail, which I plan to shamelessly flaunt at electoral events, in front of the police and the National Guard. I am still not sure if I will use the Primero Justicia model below on your left or the one with the two scary figures below on the right. And I am not talking about the kids in the picture

Yes, I went away for a few days taking advantage that Monday was a
holiday for certain parts of the Venezuelan economy. It was
just as well, probably as I was leaving the Supreme Court made its
ridiculous ruling which is really not worth commenting on as it was
simply a way of looking for an excuse to rule in favor of the morochas
using absurd argument. You want absurd:

–The decision only talked about candidacies, not how the vote is
applied to determine winners, so it concluded that the Constitution
does not talk about the proportional representation of minorities or
majorities. Huh?

–One Chavista group argued that no relationship could be proven between UVE and Chavez party MVR. Huh?

–Statements made by the President of the Electoral Board saying the
morochas were illegal but he could not do anything about it, were not
part of the arguments.

–The People’s Ombudsman argued that because AD fielded “morochas” for
the upcoming elections it was tacitly accepting the concept. Huh? He
also stated that what is not forbidden is not allowed and the morochas
were not forbidden by law. Using that logic, few things are actually
forbidden in Venezuela.

–But perhaps the highlights fo the day were the hugs between Lian Ron
and the Attorney General and the latter and the People’s Ombudsman
going to the Chavista celebration and even dancing in it.

And in the joy of the moment, the President of the National Assembly
tried to tell us how wonderful it will be not to limit terms for
anyone, suggesting that in the Constitutional reform if Chavismo gets 66%
of the Deputies, everyone will be eligible for unlimited reelection,
not only Chavez, but also great leaders, like the former bank robber
turned Mayor, or the crooks and hoods who run some of the states today.
Oh well!

In the end, it would appear if the Court admitting the case was just a
distraction. It will be a tall order to stop the Chavistas from getting
66% of the Deputies of the National Assembly. Ony low abstention on the
part of the opposition combined with a hig one on the part of the
Chavistas will make it happen, the latter will happen, but it is
difficult to envision the former.

Matt wrote this in the comments, I thought it was worth making it a post:

I grew up in Venezuela, my parents worked with New Tribes
Mission. I also went back under NTM and worked for 18 year in Venezuela
with the Ye’cwana. I grew up playing soccer, hunting and fishing with
them. I speak their language and know their customes. As do my wife
and children, (Three of them born in Venezuela)
I was disapointed in your lack of information on the mission. I have
lived in Tamatama since 1964 and know ALL the Indians, Piaroa, Yanomamo
& Ye’cwana. I’ve played soccer with all and the big division amonst
the tribes
is political. Don’t blame missions.
Also the Ye’cwana have not tried to oust the mission. The tribe as a
whole is very supportive. Look at Ayacucho last Friday.
The Guardia Nacional have had a presence in Tamatama since 1980. I live
two houses from the comando for years. If I was mining why didn’t they
know? The GN always used my boat motor to patrol the Orinoco river as
they don’t have one. They were in my house lots.
In Parima also where the mission has worked for years among the
Yanomamo the Ergesito have had a comando for about 13 years. Can we as
a nation (Venezuela) not trust our Fuerzas Armadas to pick out groups
that are a threat to our nation? So what is this about illegal planes?
We as a mission flew GN in and out of the Jungle.
I have liked you blogging but felt you were under informed in this area.
SALUDOS

Note: I did not claim to “know” about the issue, I just told what I
knew about it and I thought it should be the natives, not Chavez, that
should say whether they like or not the New Tribes near them.I also
said that Chavez should not (did not) have the power for such a
decision. Additionally, it is interesting than in the end, nothing has
happened, the Governor of Amazonas did not issue the decree and Chavez
has done nothing either, for the simple reason that he had no legal
instrument to do so. In fact, the tribes defended the New Tribes and
some Venezuelan missionaries started asking: Am I going to be kicked
out of my own country? Comments and posts that will enlighten us on the
subject are welcome (pro or agaisnt)

I tried to write about this the other day, a friend sends this to make sure I don’t miss the idea:

According to this report,

Venezuela
purchased $300 MM of the $572 MM in bonds placed by the Argentine Govt.
last week. As you report, the debt was placed at an extremely low
interest rate for Argentina, 8.75%, which was arguably 1 full point
lower than comparable Argentina debt which you can purchase in the
marketplace. In other words, Venezuela not only has lent money to
Argentina once again (it has effectively done so in the past by
purchasing outstanding debt) but this time does it under conditions
highly unfavorable for Venezuela, and very favorable for the Argentine
Govt. The conditions were so preposterous that only Banco Nacion and
other local banks were the buyers. It is incredible to me how the
Venezuelan people don’t make a big deal out of this. Who is getting
rich behind the scenes? I don’t know. But if Venezuela wants to invest
in other countries’ debt (they are also rumored to be the buyers of
$300 MM of Ecuador debt to be issued soon, a country that is on the
verge of economic co! llapse), they should at least do so at market
rates, and not with heavy subsidies, don’t you think?

Dear Mr. Chavez:

I have been opposing you for some years now. I confess that I have been
a critical ghost blogger writing essays against you and your government.
Until yesterday I truly believed that that was my mission, but that is
no longer the case.

You may wonder what happened. Well, a few days ago, the BBC prepared a
program to invite you to answer some questions that the public sent for
you . I was
one of those Internet geeks that sent tough questions that were never
chosen and I was quite mad reading the praises from people around the
world that think that know you better. Then I saw your BBC interview and
it totally changed my perception of who Hugo Chavez really is. I have
been wrong and the thousands of non-Venezuelans that wrote to the BBC
praising you and your acts have been right.

You were wonderful, Mr. Chavez. The President of Venezuela in
international prime time! You were the essence of the discreet, elegant
man, all smiles, well prepared, knowing what you were going to say and
what to answer. Telling the people of the world exactly what they wanted
to hear, the way they wanted to hear it. A real diplomat. A gentleman.
Nothing to do with the vulgar character that appears on Sundays on Alo
President to trash his foes in front of the camera, abusing his power.
But I now know, my dear president, that that character is only for local
Venezuelan consumption. The real Chavez is the one I saw on the BBC.

Your answers were absolutely charming. You stand for justice and
democracy. You do not pass any laws restricting the press or those that
criticize you. You do not persecute those that dissent with you and, in
particular, there is no blacklisting in Venezuela. Those are stories
invented by your enemies.

Now I am in total agreement with your views, Mr. Chavez. That BBC
interview made me see the light. You are a victim. You have been the one
persecuted by that oligarchy opposition of yours. They are really
working hard, helped of course by the CIA, to perpetuate a false image
of Hugo Chavez.

Even on the Internet, those despicable and persistent bloggers dedicate
their lives to portray you in a bad light. I confess that I was one of
them, Mr. Chavez, I acknowledge my past faults. But I have seen the
truth. I repent. From now on, I will cherish every word you say and, as
a token of my appreciation and my admiration I am volunteering to run
your 2006 campaign, Mr. Chavez.

Yes, you read it right, your 2006 Campaign…

No, not the 2006 campaign for the Presidency of Venezuela!

You wouldn’t want that, would you?

Why Venezuela? Mr. Chavez, Venezuela is already too small for you!

You are bound to bigger, larger horizons. You are destined to be the
Liberator of Latin America, just like Bolivar, or even better, the
unifier of the Americas, or even better, the world, or even better, the
Liberator of Human kind. The great leader of the 21^st century!

So, Mr. Chavez. Since there is no such a job yet. You have to start with
something that will give you more international visibility….

No, not the President of Venezuela again… Forget that job….that is a
good job while oil prices are high, but if they go down the people of
the world will not pay as much attention to you and you will get in
trouble again in Venezuela. No, Mr. Chavez, you need a more permanent
visible and secure position that will allow you to jump into higher and
more important endeavors….

I have been thinking of running your campaign to be the Secretary
General of the United Nations.

You see, Mr. Chavez, Kofi Annan will finish his term on December 31^st
2006. The timing is perfect for you.

I know, I know, the people of Venezuela will ask you to run again, to
stay in power…but, Mr. Chavez, you have already made so many sacrifices
for them. They will understand, they will gladly let you pass your turn
as president so that the rest of the world enjoys your charms, your
diligence and your intelligence.

Venezuelans are generous people and they will be so proud when they see
you as the leader of the world.

Besides, once you are Secretary-General you will have more opportunities
to directly fight against the US while spreading peace around you. I am
sure that that panel in Norway will finally see the light themselves and
will end up begging you to please accept the Nobel Peace Prize.

So please, Mr. President, allow me to be involved in this important step
in the development of human kind.

I have already opened a site to initiate the campaign. And, if you
agree, I promise that I will try to convince my fellow opposition
bloggers to see the light as well and put all their energy into this new
important challenge. So we will all be one, current dissident and
chavista bloggers, Venezuelans and non-Venezuelans, finally reunited to
work as one for the enterprise of our lives:

Hugo Chavez for the UN!

Yours truly,
Jorge Arena
Repentant Ghost Blogger.

New link from Norway
as I am away from Caracas and could not see the celebration of the
Supreme Court’s decision in which the Peopls’ Ombudsman and Attorney
General danced in celebration in the Chavista shindig. So much for
“independent” powers in the “pretty” revolution:

So the dream is over. In a 6-1 vote the TSJ refused the injuction
(Amparo) against the electoral trick of the “Morochas” by which a
majority party
gets more than its share of the vote. You can read the news here:

El Nacional

and here:

Globovision

This means that Chavez’s party will be able to use the trick to get more
than its share of the seats in the December 4
National Assembly elections and end up with an absolute majority in
Congress. This will allow Chavez to change the
Constitution as he wishes..

Those that were dreaming that the totally Chavez dominated TSJ would
rule against the Twins were…just dreaming.

Something funny happened two posts ago and I can’t figure out how to
fix it. I can post now, but can’t delete or correct posts somehow now.

XXIst. Century Socialism? By Teodoro Petkoff in Tal Cual

XXIst. Century Socialism? Up to now what we have about that is pure BS, gas, empty words, a diversion operation to deviate attention from the really pertinent themes.  Because it is the other ones that are on the board, having to do with the institutional collapse that is being produced with the help of the impulse that is born at the Miraflores Palace.

Authoritarism, autocratism, militarism, centralism, statism and corruption are the defining characteristics of the regime. They are not the only ones, but they are sufficient for a more pertinent and substantial discussion. The authoritarian exercise of power, skipping the Constitution and the laws, even when it is unnecessary in order to achieve its purposes, everything depending on the discretional will of the Supreme, has significantly deepened. The concentration of powers in the fist of the President reaches autocratic levels.

The Parliament, the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor, the People’s Ombudsman and the Electoral Board operate, in everything that has to do with the political interest of the regime, as transmission belts to Chavez’ s desires.

The mechanisms of mutual control and equilibrium of powers have been nullified. The Executive is on the fringes of all true controls by the rest of all the political powers.

Militarism has turned into the dominant feature of the regimen. Since the approval of the Organic Bill of the Armed Forces, these- whose Commander in Chief is now an active military officer, with that rank puposedly created for Chavez himself-acquires the condition of agent of the Government. For all practical purposes this is a Government of the Armed Forces.

The Republic has been recentralized again. The aversion of the Supreme to any form of institutional autonomy and to the territorial and political decentralization have been taken away progressively and with ever increasing speed, from the Central Bank to the Governorships and municipalities, of the attributions that had been transferred and recognized to them.

The State, which turns itself more obese with time, more costly and more inefficient, doubling its bureaucracy, creating countless new institutions and public companies, is invading all fields of society. From the economy to culture, the State has acquired an increasing leading role. From peasants reduced now to the condition of tenants of the Government, established in lands that are not and will never be their property, even to the blackmail style in which cultural subsidies are handled to fit and regiment politically and ideologically the cultural world, passing though the incremental confusion between party, state and Government, the statization of the whole of social life appears in the horizon.

The cherry on this sinister cocktail is the horrendous expansion of administrative corruption. Corruption, of course, did not arrive with Chavez but the impunity that protects it today is an exclusively Chavista creation.  

Never had it been as easy and with so much impunity to steal public funds. Particularly when the crooks have the power of fire guns.

XX!st Century Socialism? Please!

Authoritarism, autocratism, militarism, centralism, statism and the corruption of all times.