The Devil's Excrement

President Hugo Chavez, the same person who a week ago was hailing the new National Electoral Council (CNE) as the referee and on Sunday called for nobody to pressure the new Electoral Body, said yesterday in Cuba that if the new CNE approves the signatures submitted by the opposition, it would be morally disqualified from organizing any election “not even in the Miss Venezuela contest”, according to the President. This happened at the same time that the Vice-President asked the Attorney General to investigate Sumate, the organization used by the opposition to coordinate the gathering of the petition. According to the Vice-President Sumate has violated the Electoral Law. This from the same man that last Saturday appeared in an illegal electoral act to back the candidacy of Minister of Infrastructure Diosdado Cabello for the Governorship of Miranda State. Venezuelan law bans someone who holds public office from running while in office or anyone to be a candidate earlier than six months before an election. There are no scheduled elections in the next six months in Venezuela for these positions.

Thus, the Government’s offensive to disqualify the referendum has begun on all fronts. Chavez even said that the recall referendum was an attempt to destabilize the country with those fake signatures. But it does not matter, even if the opposition has to go out and get the signatures again, the gathering will become an overwhelming political act in itself that will show why Chávez and his cronies are so scared of what only a year ago they were claiming was the only valid option the opposition had to get rid of Chavez.

The Venezuelan Supreme Court created total confusion today in issuing a clarification on a decision last Friday that supposedly said that Hugo Chavez could not run for President if a recall referendum against him was successful. Essentially last Friday, in denying an injunction, the Constitutional Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court unanimously and explicitly decided(I include both the Spanish and my translation just in case):

“habrá que proceder a la elección de un nuevo Presidente mediante un proceso comicial, en el que evidentemente no podría participar dicho funcionario, pues cualquier falta absoluta del Presidente implica la separación categórica del cargo y la consecuente sustitución del mismo, lo contrario (es decir, el lanzamiento del funcionario revocado) supondría una amenaza de fraude a la soberana voluntad popular que se habría expresado mediante el proceso comicial refrendario, cuando este se inclina por la pérdida de legitimación sobrevenida del funcionario”.

Translation: “we would have to proceed to the election of a new President through an electoral process, in which such an official would evidently not be able to participate, because the absolute absence of the President implies the categorical separation from the position and his consequent substitution, the opposite (that is the candidacy of the revoked candidate) would suppose a threat of fraud against the sovereign popular will that would have expressed via the referendum process, when it inclines itself for the loss of legitimacy over the candidate”

Now, this afternoon, without anyone requesting or asking for any explanation or interpretation the President of the Court issued a letter signed by its President that says:

“Como se observa que en el texto de dicha decisión aparecen expresiones que erróneamente pudieran entenderse como una definitiva interpretación de la norma constitucional que se mencionó…los alcances de dicho fallo nº 2404 quedan estrictamente limitados y sujetos al pronunciamiento de inadmisibilidad, sin que, en consecuencia, puedan extenderse a otros aspectos “

Translation: ” As can be observed in the text of that decision there are expressions which could be understood as a definitive interpretation of the constitutional norm mentioned…the reach of that decision #2404 are strictly limited and subject of the decision to deny the injunction, without it being extended to other aspects”

This is absolutely absurd and simply creates confusion. Supreme Court decisions and precedents extend to whatever the Court decides and says. The text is very clear they say nobody whose mandate was revoked can run again. In fact, there was a recent decision on freedom of speech that was expressed by the Court in denying an injunction, so saying now that the content is not applied to other cases simply creates confusion and takes away some of the credibility of the Court> In fact, I can’t help but wonder: Why did the Court issue the clarification? Why did the Court backtrack on a decision signed by all five Justices of the Constitutional Hall? Was the Court threatened? Was the Court pressured?

I have written about this issue before, much like the Court’s decision on Friday, an official whose mandate has been revoked can not expect to run. In the case of the President I believe this is even stronger as the Constitution talks about “absolute” absence of the President when a recall referendum against him is successful. Moreover, it says that in the case of absolute absence of the President, elections will take place within thirty days to elect a “new” President to complete the term of the President whose mandate has been revoked. This can not be interpreted in any other way and the Court’s unsolicited clarification can only make me wonder what sinister machinations are going on behind the scenes to preserve Chavez’ Presidency against the people’s and the Constitution’s will.  

Note added: The Court now has ordered an investigation because it claims the content approved does not correspond to that pun;ished by the press. Just in case, Globovision has a copy of the text itslef as issued by the Court here.

There were a number of interesting interviews in today’s papers. Two of them are with the new President of the Consejo Nacional Electoral Francisco Carrasquero in both El Universal and El Nacional (the latter by subscription only). Carrasquero says that the recall referendum is the number one priority, promising a ruling on the signatures handed in by the opposition before the end of next week. In discussing whether he is Chavista or not Carrasquero said:

“There are a variety of alternatives to bring well being to the people and not only to the poor. People tend to identify the word social with the poor. I identify it with the collective interest”. Here he is definitely distancing himself with Chavez.

On the recall referendum:

“The problem of the recall referendum is a priority because the collective, or an important part of it, is interested in having it resolved and that right has to be satisfied”. “I want to tell the country not be worried because there will be a decision next week, because we have to fulfill the legal periods”

This contrasts with Chavez’ statements today during his Sunday program in which he said: “The signatures for the recall referendum are frozen; they have no priority because first we have to restructure the Consejo Nacional Electoral. Those signatures are just part of another destabilizing plan”. Chavez even went as far as saying the restructuring would take six months, forgetting the Constitution establishes a 90 day period for the recall referendum.

The other interesting interview is in page A-6 of El Nacional with Eleazar Diaz Rangel, the Editor of local daily Ultimas Noticias. Diaz Rangel was in the running to direct the CNE. After reading the interview I am glad he was not appointed. He blames not being named on a campaign by the media, being careful to be wishy washy about what he says. First he blames the media, and then he says it was certain people within the media. He says what the media wanted was to boycott the possibility of the Supreme Court naming the CNE, which I find to temerary and exaggerated. The rest of the interview is about the many coups of the opposition and the media in Venezuela. (Of course, he says his newspaper is great). The only good thing he says is that the political parties of the country do not control the agenda of the country. After reading the interview Mr. Diaz Rangel comes across as biased against the opposition and I think he would have been a terrible choice for the position of President of the CNE.

Despite the fact that it is in violation of two different laws, Minister of Infrastructure Diosdado Cabello launched today his campaign for Governor of Miranda State. The law bars anyone holding public office from being a candidate. In fact, the law says you can not even announce you are a candidate after you have resigned from your public position for one month. Moreover, since there are no scheduled elections for the next six months, nobody can announce their candidacy to anything at this point. To make matters even worse, the Vice-President himself, Jose Vicente Rangel, showed up at the rally today to endorse Diosdado’s candidacy. Thus the outlaws are at the highest levels of power in the country, but we knew that, former military are also banned by law from using uniforms, but that did not stop Hugo Chavez from wearing one yesterday. Moreover, he made threats while doing it saying that soldiers have to decide whether they will shoot against the people or the oligarchs. No country can progress if its Government does not defend the law and the Constitution. Those in power in Venezuela today have no scruples and violate the law daily. Whether this year, next or ten years from now, they will pay for violating the laws, the rights of the people and stealing billion of dollars. They think they are beyond the law, but the world and the people of Venezuela will never forget their names and faces.

The legal representatives of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez went to the Supreme Court to request the Court initiates a criminal investigation accusing the relatives of the victims of the April 11 massacre of treason. The reason: accusing Hugo Chavez in a foreign country. This is the type of justice in which this supposedly “humane” Government believes in. This Government has done absolutely nothing to determine who was responsible for the deaths of the April 11^th. Massacre. The shooters of Puente El Llaguno, caught live on camera shooting that day at the peaceful demonstration, are not only free in the streets, but some of them went back to their important positions as part of Chavez’ MVR party. The Chavez controlled National Assembly blocked the “Truth Commission” to determine what happened that day. The Attorney General has not brought charges against Chavez and those that were recorded on tape saying they would send the “Bolivarian Circles” against the peaceful marchers. He can’t, according to testimony by two Generals the Attorney General was part of a meetting on April 9th. in which Chavez and his cohorts discussed how to stop the demonstrations with force. Thus, this group of family members of the victims, who has received no justice in Venezuela, goes to international Courts, accusing Chavez of violating the Human Rights of their dead relatives and Chavez wants them to be tried for treason to the country! This is the true face of this fake revolution led by a man whose megalomania has made him renounce those same principles that he spoused so cynically in order to have people vote for him.

Two days ago, Teodoro Petkoff wrote an Editorial in Tal Cual praising Brazilian President Lula Da Silva, who was visiting Caracas, for the seriousness and fairness with which he was carrying out his Presidency. Yesterday he received this letter which eh published in today’s paper:

“Shit (Coño) Teodoro, you went overboard with Lula, it had been a while since I had read so much sucking up in so few lines: “This social fighter profoundly compromised with the cause of the humble”, which humble ones? The friends of Marco Aurelio? (Marco Aurelio Garcia is Lula’s foreign Ministry Advisor) All of this confirmed my suspicions about your weaknesses towards this “former metallurgical worker” perfect example of the men of left who die nowadays to please the oligarchs and the technocrats of neoliberalism.

What is fascinating about Lula is his talent for relegitimizing all of those summits like Davos or the G8 without forgetting that mummy which is Anthony Giddens. (Giddens is a Sociologist who is the Director of the London School of Economics) To tell you the truth he is a lot like you ‘Bon Sauvage”. Regards. Maximilien Arvelaiz

Petkoff’s comment:

 Maximilien Arvelaiz is an ink shitter who operates from Miraflores (the Presidential palace). His nice letter confirms our suspicions, those that led us to believe that in the territories of the “Bolivarian revolution” the moment Lula revealed himself as a serious man and not a crazy stone thrower, the initial sympathies went up in smoke. Obrigado (Thank you in Portuguese) Maximilien.

Two days ago, Teodoro Petkoff wrote an Editorial in Tal Cual praising Brazilian President Lula Da Silva, who was visiting Caracas, for the seriousness and fairness with which he was carrying out his Presidency. Yesterday he received this letter which eh published in today’s paper:

“Shit (Coño) Teodoro, you went overboard with Lula, it had been a while since I had read so much sucking up in so few lines: “This social fighter profoundly compromised with the cause of the humble”, which humble ones? The friends of Marco Aurelio? (Marco Aurelio Garcia is Lula’s foreign Ministry Advisor) All of this confirmed my suspicions about your weaknesses towards this “former metallurgical worker” perfect example of the men of left who die nowadays to please the oligarchs and the technocrats of neoliberalism.

What is fascinating about Lula is his talent for relegitimizing all of those summits like Davos or the G8 without forgetting that mummy which is Anthony Giddens. (Giddens is a Sociologist who is the Director of the London School of Economics) To tell you the truth he is a lot like you ‘Bon Sauvage”. Regards. Maximilien Arvelaiz

Petkoff’s comment:

 Maximilien Arvelaiz is an ink shitter who operates from Miraflores (the Presidential palace). His nice letter confirms our suspicions, those that led us to believe that in the territories of the “Bolivarian revolution” the moment Lula revealed himself as a serious man and not a crazy stone thrower, the initial sympathies went up in smoke. Obrigado (Thank you in Portuguese) Maximilien.

Last Saturday Hugo Chavez announced “his candidates” for Governors of a number of states and said they would immediately start campaining for elections that will take place next year in June. Well, all of Chavez’ candidates hold public office, Venezuelan law states that nobody can campaign for public office without resigning from public office first. Moreover, the law also states that nobody can announce his/her candidacy for a position until seven months before an scheduled election. Thus, Chavez is batting two for two on illegal candidacies!

What I wrote about last night was confirmed this week when Central Bank Director Domingo Maza Zavala, said in a statement to the press that the flow of foreign currency from PDVSA is below normal. This is a source of concern since the price of the Venezuelan oil basket is at very high levels at this time. According to Maza Zavala in local daily El Universal, the Central Bank should be receiving US$ 1.3-1.4 billion a month, but only US$ 1.0 billion is actually being received. In fact, if one were to believe the current production numbers, as announced by the Government, the flow would be US$ 1.8 billion per month.

What I wrote about last night was confirmed this week when Central Bank Director Domingo Maza Zavala, said in a statement to the press that the flow of foreign currency from PDVSA is below normal. This is a source of concern since the price of the Venezuelan oil basket is at very high levels at this time. According to Maza Zavala in local daily El Universal, the Central Bank should be receiving US$ 1.3-1.4 billion a month, but only US$ 1.0 billion is actually being received. In fact, if one were to believe the current production numbers, as announced by the Government, the flow would be US$ 1.8 billion per month.