The Devil's Excrement

One of the Justices of the Constitutional Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court said tonight that the decision by the Constitutional Hall to assume the case of the forms with the same calligraphy is void. According to justice Rondon, there irregularities ere incurred to stop him from adding his dissenting vote on the decision, which would make the decision invalid.

Rondo said that once the sentence has been written, he had five days to hand in his dissenting opinion; however, the decision was published before the five day period had gone by.

Such is the state of corruption in the judicial system of the Vth. Republic.

One of the Justices of the Constitutional Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court said tonight that the decision by the Constitutional Hall to assume the case of the forms with the same calligraphy is void. According to justice Rondon, there irregularities ere incurred to stop him from adding his dissenting vote on the decision, which would make the decision invalid.

Rondo said that once the sentence has been written, he had five days to hand in his dissenting opinion; however, the decision was published before the five day period had gone by.

Such is the state of corruption in the judicial system of the Vth. Republic.

CNE Director Jorge Rodriguez announced the dates for the ratification of the signatures for the recall referenda of the opposition Deputies (from May 13^th. to May 17^th.) and for pro-Chavez Deputies and the President (from May 20^th. to the 24^th.). There will be 2,659 centers to do it in the same locations where the signatures were gathered last November.

The CNE Director abstained from saying which signatures will or not be included in the process, concentrating on the procedure to be used. Thus, the opposition will have until the date of the ratification to have the Supreme Court force the CNE to exclude the forms with the same calligraphy from the ratification process as well as including the 39,000 forms rejected outright.

Rodriguez announced that the whole process will be run and monitored by the CNE alone, but there will be one witness for each side on each polling booth. In another amazing twist of the regulations, the five days stipulated will be reduced to only three, with the first and last day being used to set up and dismount the polling booths.

I can not get too excited about this announcement. The opposition needs more than 60% of the people to show up to ratify their signatures, there will be lots of confusion about who has to go or not and ratify their signature and the time is too restricted. Moreover, I still do not understand the role of the PC’s at the polling booths. It is an unnecessary expense that in my mind has the purpose of allowing the Chavez Government to monitor the process and apply further pressure on those that signed to go say they did not.

I also believe that the absence of any possibility of itinerant ratification will stop the old, the sick as well as the poor from going to ratify their signatures. Unless the Court forces the CNE to allow those 39,000 forms to be part of the ratification I can not be too positive. Having said that, I will still go tomorrow and volunteer and be trained by the Democratic Coordinator (CD) to aid people in the process of ratifying their signatures. What the CD will be doing is set up centers to give out information on whether a signature was deemed valid or not by the CNE and if it is subject to ratification or not.

CNE Director Jorge Rodriguez announced the dates for the ratification of the signatures for the recall referenda of the opposition Deputies (from May 13^th. to May 17^th.) and for pro-Chavez Deputies and the President (from May 20^th. to the 24^th.). There will be 2,659 centers to do it in the same locations where the signatures were gathered last November.

The CNE Director abstained from saying which signatures will or not be included in the process, concentrating on the procedure to be used. Thus, the opposition will have until the date of the ratification to have the Supreme Court force the CNE to exclude the forms with the same calligraphy from the ratification process as well as including the 39,000 forms rejected outright.

Rodriguez announced that the whole process will be run and monitored by the CNE alone, but there will be one witness for each side on each polling booth. In another amazing twist of the regulations, the five days stipulated will be reduced to only three, with the first and last day being used to set up and dismount the polling booths.

I can not get too excited about this announcement. The opposition needs more than 60% of the people to show up to ratify their signatures, there will be lots of confusion about who has to go or not and ratify their signature and the time is too restricted. Moreover, I still do not understand the role of the PC’s at the polling booths. It is an unnecessary expense that in my mind has the purpose of allowing the Chavez Government to monitor the process and apply further pressure on those that signed to go say they did not.

I also believe that the absence of any possibility of itinerant ratification will stop the old, the sick as well as the poor from going to ratify their signatures. Unless the Court forces the CNE to allow those 39,000 forms to be part of the ratification I can not be too positive. Having said that, I will still go tomorrow and volunteer and be trained by the Democratic Coordinator (CD) to aid people in the process of ratifying their signatures. What the CD will be doing is set up centers to give out information on whether a signature was deemed valid or not by the CNE and if it is subject to ratification or not.

Today the Colombian Senate approved a declaration today backing the Venezuelan opposition in its request for a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez, calling for an immediate call for the referendum. In the declaration, the Colombian Senate calls for the application of the OAS Democratic charter of which Venezuela is a participant. The Colombian Senate argued that they are making this request due to the fact that the Chavze regime is not recognizing the principles that oversee a democracy and human rights.

The decision is important because it shows the growing concern in Latin America over the Venezuelan situation and puts added pressure on Chavez and the Government to follow the country’s Constitution. It is no small step for the Senate of the neighboring country to do what they did today. This will clearly put a damper on Venezuelan-Colombian relations, one of the most significant trading partners the country has.

The pressure on the Chavez administration goes both ways, they could decide to accept the pressure or it could push the Government further into the realm of illegality.  The Minister of Foreign Relations argued that the decision is a coarse interference n the country’s affairs, while Deputy Tarek William Saab called it media noise and a publicity stunt, attempting to blame the Us Government on the announcement.

As usual, Venezuelan Government officials twisted the reality calling the decision an interference in Venezuelan politics, forgetting the terms of the Interamerican Democratic Charter, which allows any member Government to ask for the charter to be invoked. It is clearly within the scope of the Colombian Senate to ask its Government requesting such an act.

It will be interesting to see what the reaction of the Colombian Government is. It clearly creates problems for its diplomacy. While internally the Colombian Government may agree with the declaration by the Senate, they may disagree with the timing of the vote, preferring to wait until the Chavez Government has stepped further away from legality before addressing the issue.

At the same time, it is clear that the Interamerican Democratic Charter has mostly been empty words so far as it was useless in the case of the Fujimori Government and its existence has done little to induce the Chavez administration to obey its own Constitution and stop the violation of Human Rights in Venezuela. In fact, during the last month and a half human rights violations and the attempt to cover them up have intensified in both numbers and intensity, unmasking the true nature of the Government.

For the opposition, it is another small step and a recognition that following the democratic path is working and international opinion is no longer on Chavez’ side.

Today the Colombian Senate approved a declaration today backing the Venezuelan opposition in its request for a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez, calling for an immediate call for the referendum. In the declaration, the Colombian Senate calls for the application of the OAS Democratic charter of which Venezuela is a participant. The Colombian Senate argued that they are making this request due to the fact that the Chavze regime is not recognizing the principles that oversee a democracy and human rights.

The decision is important because it shows the growing concern in Latin America over the Venezuelan situation and puts added pressure on Chavez and the Government to follow the country’s Constitution. It is no small step for the Senate of the neighboring country to do what they did today. This will clearly put a damper on Venezuelan-Colombian relations, one of the most significant trading partners the country has.

The pressure on the Chavez administration goes both ways, they could decide to accept the pressure or it could push the Government further into the realm of illegality.  The Minister of Foreign Relations argued that the decision is a coarse interference n the country’s affairs, while Deputy Tarek William Saab called it media noise and a publicity stunt, attempting to blame the Us Government on the announcement.

As usual, Venezuelan Government officials twisted the reality calling the decision an interference in Venezuelan politics, forgetting the terms of the Interamerican Democratic Charter, which allows any member Government to ask for the charter to be invoked. It is clearly within the scope of the Colombian Senate to ask its Government requesting such an act.

It will be interesting to see what the reaction of the Colombian Government is. It clearly creates problems for its diplomacy. While internally the Colombian Government may agree with the declaration by the Senate, they may disagree with the timing of the vote, preferring to wait until the Chavez Government has stepped further away from legality before addressing the issue.

At the same time, it is clear that the Interamerican Democratic Charter has mostly been empty words so far as it was useless in the case of the Fujimori Government and its existence has done little to induce the Chavez administration to obey its own Constitution and stop the violation of Human Rights in Venezuela. In fact, during the last month and a half human rights violations and the attempt to cover them up have intensified in both numbers and intensity, unmasking the true nature of the Government.

For the opposition, it is another small step and a recognition that following the democratic path is working and international opinion is no longer on Chavez’ side.

And talking about doublespeak and cover up, how about General Baduell saying today that the Armed Forces will not hide anything about the burnt soldiers!

Well, Raul, where the hell have you been the last two weeks after every single fact has been covered up and hidden and that media that you call on to “respect” those suffering is the one that uncovered the lies of the Government and the military? Did you not notice that a soldier had to die for the military and the Government to admit there was a problem? Where was your “investigation” before that?

Where were you Raul Baduell two weeks ago as Chavez told everyone that the injuries were “slight’? Where were you when the media made the accusation that the fire was provoked, which was denied by your fellow Generals including the Minister of Defense, but turned out to be the truth? Where were you when the soldiers were moved against doctors orders? Where were you when the soldier died? Where are you today when the Supreme Court is not obeyed? Where are you when people’s rights are being violated daily?

The truth General Baduell is that you are one of those people that goes through the world being careful to advance your own position without sticking your neck out. You did not stick your neck out in 1992, twice! You said nothing during April 2002 and only after your fellow Generals were killed in an air crash you took the credit for returning Chavez to power saying you were “institutional”. I guess that means you are institutional as long as it will promote you within the institution.

Whatever happened to that institution called the Constitution? It only took you two years to say today that you never accepted the Carmona Government! Maybe you are just slow, I just wonder how you will try to advance yourself when Chavez is finally gone, I bet you will act very fast to embrace your so called institutionality. But we will be here to remind you that you are as big a cynic as the rest of them.

And talking about doublespeak and cover up, how about General Baduell saying today that the Armed Forces will not hide anything about the burnt soldiers!

Well, Raul, where the hell have you been the last two weeks after every single fact has been covered up and hidden and that media that you call on to “respect” those suffering is the one that uncovered the lies of the Government and the military? Did you not notice that a soldier had to die for the military and the Government to admit there was a problem? Where was your “investigation” before that?

Where were you Raul Baduell two weeks ago as Chavez told everyone that the injuries were “slight’? Where were you when the media made the accusation that the fire was provoked, which was denied by your fellow Generals including the Minister of Defense, but turned out to be the truth? Where were you when the soldiers were moved against doctors orders? Where were you when the soldier died? Where are you today when the Supreme Court is not obeyed? Where are you when people’s rights are being violated daily?

The truth General Baduell is that you are one of those people that goes through the world being careful to advance your own position without sticking your neck out. You did not stick your neck out in 1992, twice! You said nothing during April 2002 and only after your fellow Generals were killed in an air crash you took the credit for returning Chavez to power saying you were “institutional”. I guess that means you are institutional as long as it will promote you within the institution.

Whatever happened to that institution called the Constitution? It only took you two years to say today that you never accepted the Carmona Government! Maybe you are just slow, I just wonder how you will try to advance yourself when Chavez is finally gone, I bet you will act very fast to embrace your so called institutionality. But we will be here to remind you that you are as big a cynic as the rest of them.

Using that peculiar set of logical steps that the Chavez administration likes to use, the Vice-President and the Cabinet’s lawyer rejected the decision by the Electoral Hall of the Supreme Court yesterday by arguing that this was not an electoral process but a referenda and thus the matter was not part of the jurisdiction of that Hall.

With their characteristic unity the arguments were the same leading me to look up in both Spanish and English dictionaries what the words elector and referendum mean. Using just one example, Merriam Webster refers you to the word elector when you look up electoral, when you look up elector, then it says:

1 : one qualified to vote in an election
2 : one entitled to participate in an election

then, if you look up referendum you get:

1 a : the principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative b : a vote on a measure so submitted

Thus, if electoral refers to the ability to vote and a referendum is a vote; it would seem to be quite a stretch to argue that matters of referenda have nothing to do with the electoral hall. But what else can you expect from a Government that violates human rights and is always riding the edge of illegality. Anywhere else in the world, a ruling by the Supreme Court is the last words, here in Venezuela Government officials “decide” with that peculiar logic of this so called revolutionary process that they will not obey it.

As simple as that: If the ruling is good for me I accept it, if not, I reject it. Meanwhile, the opposition has to deal with obeying all rulings in this unfair tug of war in which a powerful side, which has money, controls institutions and exerts pressure on all of them, refuses to follow the law when it is not convenient, while a weak pluralistic opposition with limited resources has to follow the rulings and the abuses of power.

But for all of the appearance of confidence and the cockiness that the administration shows, there is concern. The decision by the electoral hall is final, it is not an injunction and it preceded any published decision by the Constitutional hall on the matter. Thus, it has in theory to be followed or the Court may cite the CNE Directors for contempt. This is why Chavez electoral command and the CNE’s legal counsel went today to the Constitutional Hall to ask for interpretation.

And it was no coincidence that celebrating the second year anniversary of his return to power Chavez directly accused the White House and mentioned mysterious US airplanes and ships close to the coast of Venezuela. Chavez left, however briefly, because after nineteen people were brutally murdered and hundreds injured by the Government, the military asked him to resign and he did, if you don’t believe me, ask his current Minister of Interior and Justice. The US planes and ships however real or virtual they may have been, played no role on those events, thus this is yet another smokescreen to deflect attention from the grave problems facing a pseudo-democratic Government with sinking popularity, rampant corruption and the threat of massive electoral losses in the recall referendum and the regional elections. And don’t believe them, a referendum is a very real electoral process, that is why they are pulling all the stops to stop it.

Note added: For those of you that do not read cooments, Peter asks in the comment how come the Electoral Hall has no jurisdiction over referenda matters, but the Electoral commission does? Nice going Peter, could not have been said in simpler or more logical terms. It’s a pity logic has no place in the Vth. Republic!

I actually did relax during my vacation. Did not once look at a newspaper on the Internet except to follow baseball news, only heard about stuff from friends who clearly could not disconnect. I caught up last night by reading all of the week’s newspapers. During the vacation I read six or seven books, relaxed, ate well, had some nice wines and performed general neuronal hygiene. On the top you can see the beaches were not crowded where I was, sunsets were spectacular. As usual, I took lots of pictures, a sample of some of the better ones is above. Enjoy! I did, I needed it..