The Devil's Excrement

Meanwhile today’s El Nacional (via Venancham) shows how well the revolution has done in becoming independent of the “Evil-Empire” (a.k.a. the US) in contrast to its Latin neighbors and why it does not want cheap neo-liberal products to get into Venezuela, via the free trade treaty ALCA that Colombia and Peru want to sign with the US. As the graph shows, last year Venezuela “only” exported US$ 33.9 billion, a record, to the US, while imports from that country hit US$ 6.4 billion, also an all time re cord and another truly revolutionary and sovereign accomplishment. How we hate those gringoes and their US$ and products!

I bet Mr. Danger is worried (anyone of these two)

It was a vertitable circus today at the OAS meeting, as both Peru and Nicaragua complained about the intromission of Hugo Chavez in the internal affairs of their respective countries. The Venezuelan Ambassador defended Chavez saying that he had been insulted by Alan Garcia, but the truth was that Garcia was responding to Chavez’ threat that he would break relations with Peru pif that hood, thief and corrupt politician reched the Peruvian Presidency. The Peruvian Ambassador was also incensed becaued he had asked for a video of Chavez’ statements bee shown, but was denied he possibility by the President, the Ambassador from St. Vincent and the Granadines. The Ambassador said that he it had been agreed prior to the meeting that he woudl show the video, which in his own words, had nothing obscene or vulgar in it, but the clear intromission by Chavez in Peru’s electoon by threatening the Peruvian citizens if they elected  Alan Garcia.Meanwhile, the Peruvian Electoral Board withdrew its invitation (by subscription) of the two pro-Chavez observers that had been invited to the election, one of which was none other than the jnfamous ex-President of the Electoral Board Jorge Rodriguez.

Nicaragua meanwhile was accusing Chavez of trying to buy with his oil money the victory Daniel Ortega has been unable to achieve via the ballot box. While the Venezuelan Ambassador said that Chavez was just expressing his solidarity, something which has little credibility, given that Chavez is only giving oil to Sandinista Mayors.

Meanwhile Uruguayan President Tabare Vasquez was very clear that he did not say anything of the many things he said in the last few days, now saying that his country will not leave Mercosur, but will join ALCA, while becoming an “associate” member of Mercosur, demosntarting that only politicians are capable of contradicting themselves and claim they are being consistent.

Meanwhile in Brazil, President Lula was trying to put his best face on Evo Morales’ decision to nationalize Bolivia’s gas operations, while his commercial arm Petrobras, was speaking from Lual’s pocketbook, saying that it was cancelling its investments in Bolivia and that declaring the increase in the price of Bolivian gas “unacceptable”.

Thus, it was another day for desintegration in Latin America as conflicting signals were being sent all over, while it appeared increasingly likely that Lula may be leaning  closer to ALCA and its rule of law, now that his freindly “partners” in Latin America have acted in unfriendly and unexpected ways.

Besides throwing money right and left abroad, now most Venezuelans have become second class cirtizens as Hugo Chavez yields under pressure from the Government of Zapatero. Why very few of the Venezuelans who have had their farms taken over by the National Land Institute (INTI) have received payment in compensation, the twelve Venezuelan farmers of Spanish ancestry whose land was taken over will reportedly receive payment within twenty days, under political pressure from both the Spanish Government and that country’s Parliament  forced the Venezuelan Government into action to quelch the interntional noise on the issue.

What makes the issue even worse is that Venezuelan law is quite clear, the Government or INTI may take over the land only after a judge has approved it and adequate compensation has been paid to the owners. But the law is basically nirrelevant for the revolution as the autocrat bully continues to manage the country as his own personal fiefdom. In the end, it is the Venezuelan “people” who end up being discriminated against or fail to benefit form the oil bonanza as Chavez disposes, decomposes and composes at will. Thus, the only way to benefit is by being the autocrat’s friend or receiving some help from his friends. Ask Evo or Fidel or these group of Venezuelan farmers of Spanish origin.

Some revolution!

As decided by ghost blogger Jorge Arena, there are two winners to the caption contest: LECO and Miguel Aguirre, with the following captions:

LECO: “Leche is what I have on oil prices”

Miguel Aguirre: “I have just been crowned king of milk”

The winners shoudl send me an e-mail via the enevlope at the bottom of the page with the name of the book they want and their address to deliver it. Still need 13,000 visitors to truly celebrate the one million mark!

(In the interest of disclosure one of the winners is a nephew, Jorge did not knwo this)

Curious that I used last night the word desintregrate referring to what is happening in Latin America and today Tal Cual’s Editorial is entitled “The Desintegrator” in reference to our President and his recent behavior surrounding Peru and and the CAN. By the way, I have no idea whether it is still Petkoff writing these Editorials, it is either him or Javier Conde, until they clear it up in their front page, I will leave a question mark.

The Desintegrator by ????? in Tal Cual

In the matter of the Andean Community of
Nations (CAN) and that of Peru,
the form is as important or more important that the matter itself. The conduct
of President Chavez is unacceptable from any point of view, international or
diplomatic standard that you may want to use. In a Chief of State, that
behavior can not be justified under any argument. It is not only inappropriate
and coarse with other countries but also, to a large degree, with his own
people.

In the case of the CAN, Chavez acted
without consulting the country in general and the interested sectors in
particular, he even barely explained his acts, but only after executing them as
a fait accompli, and he did not even make an attempt to discuss the issue with
his Andean colleagues.

He simple hit the lamp with a stick. The
oldest integrationist experience in south America went into a coma forno reason
other than the pure and arbitrary will of the President of Venezuela. The free
trade treaties signed by Colombia
and Peru
with the US induced “noise” in the CAN? To fix the damage in one of the rooms
in the house you don’t have to destroy it first. That is what Chavez did. But,
we insist, the worst part is the treatment that Chavez gave his own country and
his own people.

Like the owner of a large farm state, because he felt like it (untranslatable:
Because of the cover of his kidneys) this champion of participative democracy did
not even propose the obvious: a consultative referendum with his people, as it
is contemplated in the Constitution for decisions of this nature. His conduct
was the pure quintessence of authoritarism and autocratic behavior. He was sure
that none of the powers of the State was going to raise a voice of protest agaianst
such a huge barbaric act.

In the case of the discussion with Alan
Garcia and the threat of breaking diplomatic relations with Peru if he should win,
we face the same conduct. What the hell is this, disrespecting the people of a
nation, blackmailing them with breaking relations if they don’t vote for the
candidate that Chavez likes, in this case Humala? Does Chavez believe that he
is the Great Elector in Latin America, the man that decides how people should
vote?

What the hell is this disrespect towards us
Venezuelans handling diplomatic relations with our country as if it was a
private matter, subject to the humor and whims of the President?

Where has anyone seen such a grotesque
and outlandish posture? Is it that Chavez can manage the country as if it was his
own property? Why should Peru pay for a discussion between Chavez and Garcia,
since the later is just a candidate?

Chavez is becoming a pest in this
continent. Even Lula and even his friend Kirchner were forced to reprimand him,
in a very tough manner by the way, because of his intrigues around Mercosur. In
two words they told him not to get involved in something he knows nothing about.
Our busybody President was forced to apologize

In his arrogance with so many dollars;
Chavez however is beginning to find a continent that is getting tired of his
bragging.

Let me see
if I get it, Chavez gets out of the CAN, so he can join Mercosur or start his
own block ALBA, sans ALCA signees. Uruguay,
the beneficiary of Chavez’ largesse, pulls
out of Mercosur and will visit Bush, saying he will model his country’s
trade policy after Chile (read ALCA),
joining many trade agreements (Why pull out of Mercosur then?).Evo nationalizes
gas away from the Brazilian and Spanish imperialists, after Lula asked Chavez to
stop Evo from making trouble. Lula is mad, saying
(in Portuguese) that Bolivia’s
act is not a friendly act. Evo talks
about nationalizing everything (Including Chile’s sea?). Zapatero is still apparently sleeping, but when he wakes up, he will say he is “concerned” (That’s all he knows how to do). Why are Fox and
Uribe smiling?

Who is on first?

I guess
you have to disintegrate to integrate or something like that. Or maybe we are just too diverse to make it work anyway.

You have
to feel sorry for Peru,
having to choose between Alan Garcia or Ollanta Humala. In fact, Chavez seems
to be a hybrid between the two: Humala is a former military populist who uses a confrontational style; Alan
Garcia is a populist social democrat. Garcia allowed corruption to be rampant
during his term in office while he innovated in economic matters to levels that
almost drove Peru
to bankruptcy, disregarding all economic knowledge. He thought he knew better.
Sound familiar? Maybe that is why Chavez dislikes him so much, they are so
similar. Chavez now criticizes
Toledo for
siding with Garcia, but all Toledo
was doing was asking Chavez to stay out of Peru’s
Presidential race.  Curiously while Peru recalled its Ambassador, Venezuela
announced it will not do the same. This is obvious; Chavez and Humala need a
conduit for Venezuela’s
help in the Peruvian Presidential race. Jorge Rodriguez has been advising
Humala, now that he is an “expert” on electoral shenanigans.

Chavez seems to be extending abroad the style in which he has treated his
fellow countrymen. It is the same confrontational style, disregarding civilized
concepts of coexistence and diplomacy.  Alan Garcia seems to be snapping back at Chavez
at every turn, suggesting to me that his advisors think that he will gain form
this.  I think he will, given the image that Humala has within Peru and the fact that over 70% of the voters are looking for whom to vote. Garcia said Chavez was hypocritical as he mantained very good relations with the US.

Petkoff also got into the argument,
challenging Chavez to break relations with the US and not to threaten smaller
countries, saying this is typical behavior of a bully. 

All in
all, a very depressing scenario for our neighbor Peru, only Fujimori seems to be
missing from the picture to make matters even worse. (But some of his formers
advisors seems to be floating around Humala). Come election day, it will just be a matter of which of the two candidates can destroy Peru faster. If experience counts, Garcia has the upper hand. If not, Humala leads.

What a depressing choice!

Claudio Nazoa is a humorist, but this week, he changed his tune and wrote a serious article:

We all
lose all! By Claudio Nazoa

Could I
live like the Cubans do in their land, without any privilege to aspire to, like
owning a home, a car or simply accessing the Internet/

This
article is dedicated to all Venezuelans without which side they are on being of
importance, thus I ask that you please red it carefully, specialty those people
that for any motive back the Government.

Hopefully
God will allow the hand of providence to illuminate me and allow the ides to
flow clearly, precisely and removed of prejudices and hate.

I will
never forget the scene in The Last Emperor in which the monarch, already old
and turned into a gardener by the Chinese cultural revolution, sees a group of
prisoners dressed in gray go by him with a sign hanging from their neck in which
you could read the crime committed by each. Crimes like believing in a
different religion, owning books different than the red book, kissing in public
or owning a typewriter. Anything that was not adoring Mao Tse-tung was a
sufficient reason to be jailed and publicly humiliated.

In the movie, the emperor turns his face timidly towards a mob of
fanatics that were scolding and hitting the unfortunate that were tied up. Imagine
his surprise when he recognized among those detained the main henchman from the
time he was jailed, humiliated and removed of the minimal rights that a human
being may have.

The couple of seconds that the Exchange of looks between the last emperor and
his old tortured henchman takes could take place soon between Venezuelans if we
don’t unite, not against the Government, but in favor of ourselves.

I would like that in an act of objectivity and sincerity the people that back
the Government meditate seriously what is happening. The call is for those that
are homes that own a small farm, a beach house or an apartment through their
own work and effort.

The call is for the workers that have good jobs in serious companies,
for the farm workers that work with responsible bosses and for some
intellectuals and artists that in good faith back the Government. Be sincere
with yourself, ask yourself the following question and answer it intimately without
commenting it with anyone: Could you live like Cubans do in their land, without
any form of privilege, like aspiring to won a home, a car or simply have access
to the Internet?

Revolutions don’t forgive, remember what happen to the actors of the French
one, don’t forget Stalin, Pol Pot in Cambodia,
Kim Il Sung in North Korea,
Mao Tse Tung and his wife in China,
the Ceausescu couple in Rumania,
all of those criminals assassinated more people than Hitler. Revolutions are
like black widows, spiders that kill their consort alter they use it to
copulate.

Those that persecute today will also be persecuted. Those that suck up
and squeal tomorrow will call us to tell us they did not know what was
happening.

We are still on time. The first thing is not to be indifferent to the
attacks that others suffer. Do not give up or lose your enthusiasm. Don’t shut
up. Don’t be afraid. Think that we have had a country that committed many
errors and many shameless people governed us but it was a country where we all
fit, or not?

On the personal side, coming from the left, I always worked with the Governments
of Accion Democratic and COPEI. They never asked me if I had voted for their candidates
or if I had signed against them. It was a time of adversaries but not of
enemies.

All of those that today exclude others and plan hate in the cultural area lived
very well during the horrendous years of Accion Democratica and COPEI: they
bought homes, their cars, they traveled representing Venezuela and sent their
kids on Government scholarships to study abroad, some even worked as cultural
representatives at the embassies.

There is little time, but there is still time. Let’s not lie to
ourselves, it is difficult, but we can still do something.

A small light has shined. Most of the opposition parties are united. Maybe
it is not what many people wanted. But when the Titanic was sinking did the people
that were about to drown mind if the boat in which they were going to save themselves
was white, green or pink? I think it is time to back ourselves. Let’s forget
the nonsense of abstention

Let’s go back to the streets with optimism, faith and without fear, because if
not we will all lose all!…Even them, when they fall in disgrace and are no longer
needed.

Think about it, so that what happened to the Last
Emperor does not happen to us.

(Zapata on on the General Prosecutor: Could it be because I have different taste or because I am opposition that I don’t like the men that for the Government are so called “good looking”?)

The wisdom of Isaias Rodriguez:

“The murderer was about 26, good looking…”

Ummm, that really complicates the investigation now.

“I will fire whoever leaked the artist’s rendition of the suspect to the press”

Of course he has to be fired, if you release the drawings, the suspects may be caught; we like to keep them secret for their protection…

“90% of what I said was true”

I agree, he said five different things, four of which were not true and we don’t know about the other one, that’s just about 90% within Isaias’ logic”

“The media (muzzle) law applies to the media, not to me”

I see, the media can not broadcast everything including things that may be too strong (like sexual images) for kids, but they are supposed to broadcast him talking about those same things. Revolutionary logic is truly remarkable: The man responsible for upholding the law is above the law!