The Devil's Excrement

From today’s Reuters, statements by Minister of Energy and Mines Rafael Ramirez, not exactly the words expected from a true democrat.

   CARACAS, Venezuela, Aug 13 (Reuters) – Venezuelan oil workers would refuse to accept the defeat of President Hugo Chavez in Sunday’s recall referendum on his rule, Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said Friday.

   Ramirez did not make clear what the oil workers would do if Chavez loses the vote. The South American country is the world’s No. 5 oil exporter and a top supplier to the U.S. market.

   “Nobody will accept it. If Venezuela enters into a period of instability, well, I don’t see prices having any limit,” Ramirez told reporters.

   “There is no way he will be defeated. There is no way the people would accept it, including our oil workers,” he said.

   Oil prices hovered near record highs on Friday partly due to fears that the vote could end in violence and supply disruptions in Venezuela.

   Venezuelans will go to the polls Sunday to decide whether Chavez, a leftist former army officer, should end his presidency. He has predicted an easy victory, but the vote could be close.

   Elections for a new president would be held in 30 days if Chavez loses the recall.

   The oil-rich nation has been rattled by more than two years of political unrest since Chavez survived a brief coup in April 2002. Oil prices spiked during an opposition strike at the start of last year that temporarily cut off Venezuelan crude production and shipments.

   Chavez, elected in 1998, fired more than 18,000 employees at state oil firm PDVSA for taking part in the strike and replaced them with loyal workers as the government fought to recover production.

   Foes accuse Chavez of increasing authoritarian rule and failing to fulfill promises to combat poverty and corruption, but he says his social reforms have helped better distribute the country’s huge oil wealth.

((Reporting by Matthew Robinson, editing by Walter Bagley; writing Patrick Markey, Caracas newsroom, Reuters)

Reporter and Chavez supporter Mari Pili Hernandez: “the Venezuelan revolutionary process has suffered from what all great revolutions have had, including the French one, people still have not realized it happened”. She added that only in twenty or thirty years will Venezuelans be aware of it.

Umm, Did Marie Anoniette’s head take that long to roll down? Or did the burning of the castles take that long? The monarchy was overthrown overnight…What is Mari Pili talking about? I love these revolutionaries geniuses, and she is among the smarter ones!

The Electoral Board (CNE) has just approved a resolution on the use of the fingerprint machines on Sunday. If the person’s data and fingerprint can not be obtained in less than one minute and the machine give the go ahead, the person will be able to proceed and the comparison to all of the previous voters will be done afterwards. Thus, it sounds like the machines will be use to capture fingerprints but not much more as in practice runs it took more than one minute per person. The one minute limit is based on the fact that there are 20,000 machines and 9,000,000 to 11,000,000 people. This gives between 450 to 550 persons per machine, if each person takes one minute, then we are talking about 7.5 hours to 9.1 hours per machine. If it took longer it would essentially be impossible to complete the election in one day of voting and have everyone vote.

And now the Minister of Defense says the opposition has not received a permit to have tomorrow’s rally/march near the La Carlota military airport. The opposition has requested permits from the Mayors of Caracas, Baruta and Chacao where the marches will take place, but the Minister is reviving the concept of security zones, which has not been applied to any Government or opposition marches or activities in the last two years. (Last week’s Chavista march parked buses in at least two such “security” zones). In fact, none of the pro-Chavez marches that went by the Autopista del Este and La Carlota airport have been required such a permit. I wonder what our illustrious Minister plans to do about this? Bring the National Guard and use tear gas like they did on December 3d. 2001? Violate our rights like they did then? Obviously not, the Si campaign would get a huge boost from it and there are too many international reporters in Caracas right now. Come on Minister Garcia Carneiro, make our day!

And now the Minister of Defense says the opposition has not received a permit to have tomorrow’s rally/march near the La Carlota military airport. The opposition has requested permits from the Mayors of Caracas, Baruta and Chacao where the marches will take place, but the Minister is reviving the concept of security zones, which has not been applied to any Government or opposition marches or activities in the last two years. (Last week’s Chavista march parked buses in at least two such “security” zones). In fact, none of the pro-Chavez marches that went by the Autopista del Este and La Carlota airport have been required such a permit. I wonder what our illustrious Minister plans to do about this? Bring the National Guard and use tear gas like they did on December 3d. 2001? Violate our rights like they did then? Obviously not, the Si campaign would get a huge boost from it and there are too many international reporters in Caracas right now. Come on Minister Garcia Carneiro, make our day!

I thought I would translate this letter to a voter by Javier Brassesco that appeared in today’s El Universal, we all have such lists and reasons, here is one of them:

To a Voter by Javier Brassesco

Has your purchasing power improved in the last five and a half years? Do you think there is more prosperity, more employment, more wealth, and more possibilities of improvement? Do you think that people that want to leave the country are more or less than five years ago? Are there more factories open that some years ago? Are there more street peddlers or less? Is your city cleaner than five years ago? Has the number of people asking for money at street corners, sleeping in the streets, rummaging in the garbage, increased or decreased? Did you use to see kids juggling in streetlights before? Do you feel safer when you used to at night? Do you think that living with your neighbors, family, and friends is more harmonious than before? Are you less edgy or more edgy? Does politics have something to do with that? Do you think corruption has decreased? Do you think the oil windfall of the last five years, unprecedented in the country, has been used effectively? Do you think that five and a half years, one hundred and twenty billion dollars per year are a reasonable time and amount so that a Government only begins to pave streets only just when an election is approaching? Is it legal for a regime to use the money it receives from all Venezuelans to launch a campaign in its favor and cover up all of the streets and walls of the country with poster promoting the “No” vote? Do you know how much each poster costs? How about each one of those TV ads and each one of those paid ads?  Or do you believe they are getting that money form the raffle tickets at Bs.1,000 per ticket? Does the President have the morals to speak about “powerful enemies” and with a lot of money? Who in this oil producing country has more money than the Government itself? Who has less scruples when it comes time to waste money? Do you think it is correct, do you believe it is the most natural thing in the world to order all TV channels broadcast the celebration of your birthday? How big an ego does someone need to be capable of doing that? What does he have in his head? Do you agree when he presents the Government’s TV channel as an example of objective reporting? Did you know that that TV station is not private, nor does it belong to whoever is in power, but that we all pay for it? Do you trust the people that surround the President? What do you think about Jose Vicente Rangel? Does Diosdado Cabello have merits to be where he is? And Jesse Chacon? Have you ever heard of Lucas Rincon? Would you buy a used car from Juan Barreto? Have you seen a debate in the National Assembly? Do you think it has given dignity to the profession of being a Deputy? Does the President have more or less power than before? Is this a moment for apathy to say: “Neither these, nor the others, all are bad”? Isn’t it something normal in a democracy to elect between two alternatives that do not fulfill us completely? Have you ever thought that sometimes to elect, you also need courage?