The Devil's Excrement

(picture taken from Tal Cual)

So,
yesterday President Chavez proceeded to insult Mexican President
Vicente Fox, escalating the friction between the two countries to
unparalleled levels and inducing both countries to recall their
respective Ambassadors and de facto breaking relations between the two
countries. Curiously Venezuela breaks relations with the Latin American country that has maintained relations with Cuba for the longest time since Fidel Castro assumed power forty seven years ago.

Yesterday’s words by Chavez were once again personal insults against Fox, repeating those that Chavez had made a few days ago. Then, in a nationwide speech Chavez called Fox “a puppy of the US”, who was left “bleeding through his wounds” at the Mar del Plata summit and “was giving himself up to the US”. The new insults
repeated the charge that Fox was bleeding through his wounds and Chavez
threatened Fox directly using a local song saying essentially: “if you
start trouble with me, I will prickle you”

Chavez personalized the attacks both times, making it impossible for the Mexican Government not to react. The first time around Mexico, via its Foreign Minister, called for an explanation of Chavez’ first statements, which Venezuela’s Foreign Minister justified saying
that Chavez was responding to Fox attacks. Sadly, it was Chavez that
personalized things, Fox was careful all the time not to mention names
and what he said was
that countries had a choice and those that opposed the free trade
agreement of the Americas, did not have to join it, but did not need to
stop those who did from joining it. He concluded that the free trade
pact was simply inevitable.

In fact, it was Chavez that was defeated in the Mar del Plata Summit, as he arrived in Argentina for the People’s Summit saying that he was there to bury the free trade agreement of the Americas (ALCA in Spanish). By the end of the Summit, a topic that was not part of the agenda became one, it actually forced a headcount as Venezuela
and four of the Mercosur countries objected the mention of ALCA, while
Fox pushed for it to be explicitly included. When no agreement on the
wording became possible and Venezuela even said that its Constitution was being violated, then a divisive paragraph, forced by Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay
was included in the final declaration. But in the end the headcount was
clear: 28 countries were for ALCA, four want concessions before they
join and one, Venezuela, was alone in its total objection to the treaty. Its intolernace had forced the unexpecetd conclusion of the summit.

By
the weekend, we were hearing different reports from the Mexicans and
the Venezuelans as to the talks between the two countries. The message
from Mexico was that things had cooled down, but the situation was still mixed; from Caracas
the message was that differences were ironed out and things were just
peachy. But those that expected this to escalate knew that Chavez’s
Sunday program would be crucial, he would either ignore the issue
altogether, send some sort of peace sign or, our favorite: simply
escalate.

Escalation
seemed in order to those that saw the first attack as being purposeful
and carefully planned and simply a result of Chavez’ intolerance.
Indeed, fellow blogger Daniel of Venezuela News and Views had noted the speed and efficiency with which the Ministry of Information had posted the
attack on Fox, almost live simultaneoulsy with Chavez nationwide
speech, picture included! Thus, this seemed to have been carefully
orchestrated.

Obviously, the question is why? Was it simply resentment because of the defeat in Mar del Plata? Or was the attack aimed at helping Ciudad de Mexico’s Mayor Lopez Obrador? Or was it some different motive?

We suspect the explanation lies in an effort by Chavez and his buddy Castro in dividing Latin America
on the issue. While most Governments in the region want free trade,
they can not, and do not want to align themselves directly with the US. Chavez’ attacks appear to be a much focused effort at identifying Fox with the US
and trying to create the impression that if you are with ALCA you are
with Bush. We do not think that Lula of Brazil supports this effort,
but Argentina’s President may also sympathize with it.

The Lopez Obrador theory does not appear to hold water at this time. Lopez Obrador came out immediately
in Fox’s defense last week so it would not have made much sense to
continue the attack on Fox at this time. Moreover, polls reveal that
Mexicans do not have such a positive image of our President, so that
siding with Chavez may not be the best strategy for Lopez Obrador at
this time.

The
incident has revealed somewhat to the outside world how Chavez likes to
manipulate facts and people to fit his goals and how intolerant he can
be. Today the Foreign Minister in recalling the Venezuelan Ambassador blamed Fox for everything,
reaching the ridiculous level of saying that it was Fox that made the
free trade agreement part of the Mar Del Plata Summit. In fact, it was
Chavez that did, saying he was there to bury the free trade pact upon his arrival in Argentina.

The
world has also seen how Chavez can personalize what should be high
levels discussions, using language unbecoming of a statesman and even
language that is not fit for kids to hear or polite for people to use.
How Chavez and his Government are absolutely intolerant of dissent, how
things have to follow his own autocratic way. How no discussions are
allowed. How those that were at one time with him have been left aside, when they objected to any action by the Government. This
is the form of Government of an intolerant administration, led by an
autocrat that passed a bill to “make sure” the media was upheld to the
highest standards, but which is nothing but a tool of censorship. But
he can not control foreign Governments or the international media in
the same fashion. Unless they need aid and Mexico happens to have oil
and not need help as much as other countries.

As Chavez attempts to export now his so called and failed “revolution”, people have begun to notice these facts. In Venezuela we
have been trying to tell our story for almost five years. Maybe those
abroad will notice it more now that he is applying the same tactics of
disqualifying and attacking those that simply disagree with him. It is
simply called intolerance. And Chavez, a former miltary, is an expert
at that.

–Venezuelan Foreign Minister rejects Mexico’s ultimatum as an aggression against Venezuela

–Venezuela blames Fox for this impasse

–It was Fox that began the aggression.

–Venezuela removes its Ambassador from México

After yesterday’s statement by President Chavez in his Sunday’s program Alo Presidente, the Mexican Foreign Minister essentially threatened to withdraw its Ambassador
tomorrow unless an apology is forthcoming in the next 24 hours.
Yesterday Chavez used a phrase from Florentino and the Devil, a
Venezuelan musical piece, in which a man argues with the Devil all
night. In this piece, one part says something like “if you start
trouble with me, I can prick you”.

For the last few days we have heard from the Venezuelan Foreign
Minister and Venezuela’s Ambassador to Mexico that the conflict between
the two countries had been ironed out, but the tone from Mexico was
still one of concern. Withdrawing its Ambassador is a de facto breaking
of relations between the two countries.

Somehow,
the Prosecutor General gets the best of me. I find the things he says
so outrageous, that I just react viscerally to them. The other day it
was his claim that he was being very “coherent” about the Anderson
case, today it is his claim that his only witness, the one that
Colombian intelligence police says was in jail, is a false
psychiatrist, member of the paramilitary and was in jail for identity
theft, is not a crook, according to our wonderful Prosecutor General.

Imagine, a guy capable of smuggling 12 kilos (26.45 pounds) of C4, according to his own testimony, of
the powerful, high velocity explosive, is considered to be by our own
Prosecutor General a stand up citizen, a “good” guy, but certainly not
a crook or a delinquent, in the words of the man anointed in by the
empty revolution to defend the law.

But
I guess that I am not the only one that gets irked by the Prosecutor
General, as Tal Cual Editor Teodoro Petkoff continues to blast him in
his Editorials. For Petkoff it is somewhat personal, as the Prosecutor
General Isaias Rodriguez was a friend and member of his party
Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) from its birth. Isaias took the time to
snipe back at Petkoff yesterday in terms that are to me quite
inappropriate for a man holding an office as important as his. Said Isaias:
“I want to tell Teodoro that I am not going to marry him, to please
stop all that love with me. I don’t like men. For a long time he has
been devoting an inordinate amount of Editorials to me”

Meanwhile, showing their utmost stupidity the leaders’ of Chavez’ party MVR, automatically disqualify the information coming from Colombian intelligence services about the star witness in the Anderson
case. For them “it is a plan by Colombian oligarchy against the
Venezuelan Government, directed by President Bush”. They fail to note
that the Prosecutor’s office failed to contact the Colombian
intelligence agency to check on the credentials or even existence of
their now star witness, but they provide instant solidarity to the
Prosecutor General, which by the way should be an office which is
independent of the Government, as its most important and basic mandate
is very simple to uphold the law. But this is the silly revolution.

Oh yes, I was almost forgetting that our esteemed Prosecutor General claims
the Colombian paramilitary are out to murder him. He never explains why
he is the target, but I guess we do not have the grandiose image of
himself that he clearly holds.

To
complete the post, Petkoff’s Editorial in Tal Cual. Even before I read
it I was quite sure I was not only going to translate, but how could I
miss posting the picture accompanying it of Agent Smart talking into
his shoe:

The Super Witness by Teodoro Petkoff in Tal Cual

Well,
now the cat has jumped into the sink! It so happens that according to
the Colombian DAS (Intelligence Agency), the man that “saw, heard,
touched, smelled and tasted it”, the super witness of Isaias is a guy
with “a penal record in the Colombian Prosecutor’s office for the
crimes of identity theft, swindle and use of false documents”

The
key man of Isaias, according to DAS, is thus, a charlatan, a swindler
and probably mitomanous. The guy, says the DAS, “was detained in 1999
for making believe he was a medical psychiatrist”. The same fib that he
told Isaias who swallowed it whole.

In all of this,
what amazes the most is the incredible ineptitude of the Prosecutor’s
Office. Not taking even the smallest precaution of finding out in Colombia
who the guy is, borders on mental retardation. People like Isaias are
the ones that always fall for the old trick of the “fake money swindle”.

Any
competent charlatan could have tricked the. That neither DAS nor the
Colombian Foreign Ministry have received “any requirement for the
Venezuelan authorities” is simply astonishing. All of the Venezuelan
media have been looking for , from the first moment, information in Colombia, but the Prosecutor’s office did not even think of doing it. My God, in whose hands are we!

Besides the fact that a single testimony does not constitute proof, that an accusation of the gravity
like the ones he made, can be faked-if the DAS is correct- on the bases
of a charlatan, of a swindler, whose personality was never verified, it
practically leaves the case hanging fromm a string.

The only thing missing is for the Prosecutor’s Office to present Super Agent 86 as a witness to the Court.

Alter a ridicule of this magnitude, Isaias Rodríguez will have to seriously consider his resignation. It is a matter of decorum.

Unless
he prefers to resort to, to analyze his case, the professional services
of Doctor Giovanni Vasquez De Armas (the name of the super witness),
the famous Colombian psychiatrist.

Abuse of Power, Corruption, Misuse of Funds, Mismanagement, Wasting
Public Funds, Misapropiation of Funds, Violation of Electoral Laws,
Lack of Transparency, Absence of Ethical Values, Dishonesty…In any
other country this would cause an outrage, this money could be used for
better purposes, rather than this self-serving, self-promoting, misuse of public property..

Only the empty revolution can show so much in a single picture!

(Thanks Tupa for the picture in ND)

Tonight as described blow by blow
by Daniel, who happened to be blogging live Chavez’ “cadena”
(Nationwide obligatory TV and radio transmission) , Hugo Chavez had less than kind words for Mexican President Vicente Fox, telling him among other things:

–“It saddens me to see you give yourself up like that to the US”
–“The Mexican President left bleeding thrugh his wounds”
–“How can the President of such brave people become a puppy of the empire”

Curious how Chavez’ words were posted immediately
in the MINCI site, suggesting this was not as improvised as it may
seem at first sight. You could say that Chavez’ verbal diarrea hit the Fox, as the
Mexican Foreign Minister took only minutes to call the Venezuelan Ambassador tot “explain”o his Government the statements by President Chavez against President Fox.

This will likely create a crisis between the two countries, which will
not be as easy for Chavez to get out of as others in the past. Only
last week he had a bitter exchange with Peruvian President Toledo who
told Chavez not tyo try to teach him about economics, because he was an
economist himslef and not to try to teach him about poverty, because he
grew up poor too. As usual, our President knows how to destroy for the
sake of destroying, in this case relations with the most important
Latin American economy and one of the most important Venezuelan tarding
partners.

Note added: To add insult to injury the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry today justified
Chavez’s insults against President Fox, saying that Fox was very
agressive against Chavez in Mar del Plata. Of course, Fox never
mentioned Chavez directly when he criticized the anti-Free Trade treaty
Group, but Chavez simply insulted Fox directly. This looks like the first chapter in
what could be a long and unnecessary fight!

A few days ago I wrote about the strange
case of the structured notes which remarkably has received little attention
from the local press, but today Tal Cual Editor Teodoro Petkoff tells the same
story I did, which I will not repeat. He estimates the profit in the “transaction” at
only some US$ 120 million. It is worth translating the last part of this
article with his conclusion about this strange transaction, which to me simply proves
the depth of corruption, putrefaction and dishonesty at the highest levels of this
“revolutionary” Government and at the highest levels in this country’s history.

What is the excuse this time? That Chavez does not know
about it? If he did, he should be impeached for corruption, if he didn’t, he is
too incompetent to be President. But we know that! Here are Petkoff’s conclusions :

Thus,
without an auction, without the needed advertising, in
a fingercratic transaction, the Minister of Finance, The National
Treasury (the
Head of which, coincidentally is the wife of the Minister of Defense)
and the
Director of Public Credit held the sale of bonds for US$662 million,
leaving in
the air a number of questions about which neither Clodosbaldo (the
Comptroller)
nor Isaias (the Prosecutor General so keen on political cases involving
his enemies) have done anything about it: How were the buyers selected?
Who were
they? Why some and not others? What was the method used to establish
the price?
Who pocketed the difference?

In any case, within the regime of Exchange controls, some
financial institutions received securities for US$ 662 million, that happily
left the country singing along, for them, there was no prohibition to leave the
country.

From the New York Times by paid subscription, full text courtesy of Under the Broom Tree

The Idiots Abroad by John Tierney in the NYT

If President Bush wants to know what went wrong on his trip south, I recommend
a book by three Latin American journalists. Their “Guide to the Perfect
Latin American Idiot,” a best seller when it was published nine years ago,
remains indispensable for understanding phenomena like Diego Maradona.

Maradona, born in a shantytown near Buenos Aires,
became the world’s most famous soccer player in the 1980’s after he left Argentina to play for teams in Spain and Italy. Besides collecting his $5
million salary in Europe, he played exhibition
games in Arab countries at $325,000 per appearance and made $10 million
annually in endorsement contracts with corporations based in at least four
continents, companies like Puma, Fuji-Xerox and Coca-Cola.

And what did he learn from this international rags-to-riches tale? During
Bush’s visit to Argentina,
Maradona took time out from his busy schedule (he now has a television show) to
help rally tens of thousands of people against that horrible modern scourge:
free trade.

He was one of the headliners at the rally along with Hugo Chávez, the socialist
president of Venezuela, who
is determined to prevent a free trade agreement among Latin American countries
and the United States.

“We are going to stand against the human trash known as Bush,”
Maradona told the crowd, between puffs on a cigar given to him by one of his
heroes, Fidel Castro.

To be fair, this sort of thinker exists on other continents, too. But what
distinguishes the Perfect Latin American Idiot is his persistence. No matter
how far the continent falls behind the rest of the world, its populists cling
to the same beliefs in socialism and big government, the same distrust of
capitalism and free trade, the same conviction that Latin American poverty is
the fault of the United
States.

“Maradona embodies the wonderful possibilities of globalization, yet he
does everything in his power to deny people poorer than himself to participate
in that world,” said one of the “Perfect Idiot” authors, Alvaro
Vargas Llosa, the Peruvian journalist (and son of the novelist Mario Vargas
Llosa). “Everything Maradona and Chavez stand for has been tried before.
These populists are repeating the mistakes of the Mexican Revolution, of Brazil in the 30’s, of Argentina in the 50’s, of Peru in the
80’s.”

The new wave of populists is led by Chávez, who’s been using the recent
windfall in oil revenues to expand government and solidify his hold on power.
But even while $100 million in oil money pours into Venezuela
every day ($60 million of that from those terrible gringos north of the Rio Grande), the poverty
rate has risen above 50 percent.

Meanwhile, the poverty rate has declined sharply in Chile, to about 20 percent
(compared with about 50 percent in the rest of the continent). Chile has become South America’s economic
success story by embracing capitalism and making its own free trade agreements
with the United States and
other countries, most recently China.

Bush went to the Latin America summit meeting hoping to persuade the rest of
the continent to follow Chile’s
example – the right message but the wrong messenger and the wrong place. Any
American president, especially one as unpopular as Bush, makes too easy a
target for the populists and rioters who turned the meeting into their own
photo opportunity.

“Nothing has ever emerged from a Latin summit,” said José Piñera, the
Chilean reformer who started the first private-account social-security system,
and then helped introduce similar systems in two dozen other countries.
“Real change blossoms from good internal public policies. President Bush
should not attend and dignify these weapons of mass distraction.”

The best American strategy, as Alvaro Vargas Llosa says, would be to do less in
Latin America. Instead of publicly pressuring
the whole continent to sign a free trade agreement, quietly make deals with the
countries that want one. Instead of denouncing and plotting against Chávez,
ignore him.

And instead of fighting a drug war in South America,
surrender. The war has been utterly ineffectual at stopping the flow of
cocaine, which has actually gotten cheaper on American streets. But by
infuriating communities in the Andes, the war
has created a political base for populists running on anti-American platforms.
They may be economic dunces, but in this case the perfect idiots are the drug
warriors in Washington
helping to elect them.