Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.
Sen. John Kerry said today to the Spanish TV network Univision that Venezuela is rapidly approaching a dictatorship. Kerry said that a referendum should be held before the deterioration of democracy continues. Kerry said”During his term President Chavez has undermined democratic institutions using extra-legal means, including jailing his political opponents in order to consolidate power”
Is he saying it because Bush doesn’t?
Sen. John Kerry said today to the Spanish TV network Univision that Venezuela is rapidly approaching a dictatorship. Kerry said that a referendum should be held before the deterioration of democracy continues. Kerry said”During his term President Chavez has undermined democratic institutions using extra-legal means, including jailing his political opponents in order to consolidate power”
Is he saying it because Bush doesn’t?
A whole municipality in Tachira state was wiped out of the map by the Consejo Nacional Electoral when none of the 1837 people who participated by signing the recall petition against President Hugo Chavez appear in the database with all of their signatures appearing s not having participated in the process.
Such is the fate of the Michelena municipality in Tachira state.
And then the Chief CNE cynic Jorge Rodriguez has the audacity to call the whole process transparent and fair!
A whole municipality in Tachira state was wiped out of the map by the Consejo Nacional Electoral when none of the 1837 people who participated by signing the recall petition against President Hugo Chavez appear in the database with all of their signatures appearing s not having participated in the process.
Such is the fate of the Michelena municipality in Tachira state.
And then the Chief CNE cynic Jorge Rodriguez has the audacity to call the whole process transparent and fair!
Parts of today’s Petkoff’s Editorial in Tal Cual: Slight burns!
Where are they (the witnesses). Why is it that there has been no way to get their testimony? If there is a regulation that places under civilian jurisdiction crimes against humanity or against human rights committed within the military jurisdiction, but also jurisprudence from the Supreme Court, when it annulled the military trial against Lieutenant Sicat which it sent to the civilian jurisdiction; why does the military tribunal take thirty six days in declining competence, so that the case can be assumed by civilian justice? General Garcia Carneiro, the Minister of Defense, asks the media to “contain” the treatment of the event, but has not realized that while the Army maintains the investigations secret and no official and information exists that can be trusted about the results, the media can only express its suspicions that arises from a conduct that appears to be too much like a cover up of a crime.
Even the assembly committee that is investigating the case had its leg pulled at Fort Mara. “Coincidentally”, all of the officials and soldiers who were on duty the day of the fire at the military facility were “on leave” the day the committee went. They could not speak to anyone. How does Garcia Carneiro not expect us to have suspicions and that people talk about something fishy in the dark management of the event? A responsible military administration would have provided the information immediately which it could easily get from the officials, sub-officials and soldiers at Fort Mara. But the first thing they did was to divert the attention, releasing about an accident with cigarette butts, blaming from the beginning, like in the Sicat case, the victims themselves. Later, other speculations with a military source, spoke of matches and lighters always blaming the soldiers. Then the official silence fell upon the matter and one can not but remembers then Simon Bolivar “under the shade of mystery only crime performs its job”. In the middle, even the President himself issued his hurried diagnose about “slight burns”, doubly denied by the deaths of Bustamante and Pedreáñez. Which is not an obstacle for Chavez, with great arrogance, as well as that famous humanist Jose Vicente Rangel, that they felt obliged to censor the tortures in Iraq while validating, justifying and honoring the local torturers.
Can you imagine the gallons of ink that Rangel would have poured over Cato-like if an event like that of the “slight burns” had taken place during that distant past in which he faked being concerned for human rights? And there are still people that believe that this constellation of Tartuffes are the leaders of a revolution!
Parts of today’s Petkoff’s Editorial in Tal Cual: Slight burns!
Where are they (the witnesses). Why is it that there has been no way to get their testimony? If there is a regulation that places under civilian jurisdiction crimes against humanity or against human rights committed within the military jurisdiction, but also jurisprudence from the Supreme Court, when it annulled the military trial against Lieutenant Sicat which it sent to the civilian jurisdiction; why does the military tribunal take thirty six days in declining competence, so that the case can be assumed by civilian justice? General Garcia Carneiro, the Minister of Defense, asks the media to “contain” the treatment of the event, but has not realized that while the Army maintains the investigations secret and no official and information exists that can be trusted about the results, the media can only express its suspicions that arises from a conduct that appears to be too much like a cover up of a crime.
Even the assembly committee that is investigating the case had its leg pulled at Fort Mara. “Coincidentally”, all of the officials and soldiers who were on duty the day of the fire at the military facility were “on leave” the day the committee went. They could not speak to anyone. How does Garcia Carneiro not expect us to have suspicions and that people talk about something fishy in the dark management of the event? A responsible military administration would have provided the information immediately which it could easily get from the officials, sub-officials and soldiers at Fort Mara. But the first thing they did was to divert the attention, releasing about an accident with cigarette butts, blaming from the beginning, like in the Sicat case, the victims themselves. Later, other speculations with a military source, spoke of matches and lighters always blaming the soldiers. Then the official silence fell upon the matter and one can not but remembers then Simon Bolivar “under the shade of mystery only crime performs its job”. In the middle, even the President himself issued his hurried diagnose about “slight burns”, doubly denied by the deaths of Bustamante and Pedreáñez. Which is not an obstacle for Chavez, with great arrogance, as well as that famous humanist Jose Vicente Rangel, that they felt obliged to censor the tortures in Iraq while validating, justifying and honoring the local torturers.
Can you imagine the gallons of ink that Rangel would have poured over Cato-like if an event like that of the “slight burns” had taken place during that distant past in which he faked being concerned for human rights? And there are still people that believe that this constellation of Tartuffes are the leaders of a revolution!
“We would appreciate it if the media gave the family of this fellow from the Army the due consideration that they deserve”
The Minister of Defense after the death of soldier Angel Ciro Pedreanez
Tal Cual’s response: We would appreciate even more if you, fellow member of the Army, told us what happened at Fort Mara
“We would appreciate it if the media gave the family of this fellow from the Army the due consideration that they deserve”
The Minister of Defense after the death of soldier Angel Ciro Pedreanez
Tal Cual’s response: We would appreciate even more if you, fellow member of the Army, told us what happened at Fort Mara
It is quite depressing to realize the level of impunity and cynicism that the authorities have reached in Venezuela. We are being ridiculed day after day, by being ignored, by being ruled by a bunch of cynics without scruples, who have no morals and put the “revolution” above everything else.
This afternoon I read about William Jesus Alvarez in Tal Cual (page 8, by subscription.) William was the young chemical engineer who was shot dead in the East of Caracas last February 27th. Despite the testimony of his family that he never fired weapons of any caliber in his life or that he began running towards his home when the shooting began, falling over and dying as he ran away, the People’s Ombudsman reaches the conclusion that “he fired one or two shots before being hit himself since traces of this were found in both his hands”. Amazing and definite conclusion by an office that has yet to contact any of the family members or any of the people that witnessed his death.
But the People Ombudsman or the Attorney General are servile to the revolution. They appear to be ready to sacrifice their reputation, their ethics and their own soul for this worthless and destructive revolution.
No sooner had I finished reading about William Alvarez that I learn of the death of Angel Pedreáñez. We had earlier heard the claims by Chavez, by Garcia Carneiro and by Baduell about the case and each time they were shown to be lying through their teeth, in their customary fraudulent style of manipulating the truth for their own purposes. Nothing is too grotesque or far fetched for these people; nothing should amaze us about their corrupt and immoral behavior.
And now there is new evidence, new acts that would shock any civilized human being. The second 20 year old involved in the jail incident dies coincidentally of the same cause, cardiac arrest, in less than one month. We had earlier been told by the Government that the soldier had said that the fire began within the cell and suddenly there he is, dead but his presence revived in a videotape saying that they were burned from the outside. That someone actually held a tube, lit it and burnt them. And they burned really fast. And the once improbable and implausible flamethrower that seemed to defy any sense of human decency becomes so incredibly and amazingly real.
Immediately, the cynical Attorney General speaks on TV with some sense of outrage saying the military should turn over the case to the civilian authorities. And the Minister of Defense that has been covering up the case immediately accepts the change in jurisdiction, which can only mean the beginning of a new cover up. As if we trusted either of them. As if either of them had shown even the slightest interest of learning the truth about so many cases, from the deaths of April 2002 to the many useless and tragic deaths of the last two years. Including that Rambo called Joao de Goveia who in two minutes and with a single Glock killed three and injured twenty seven in Plaza Altamira two and a half years ago. To date, these fake leaders of justice and morality claim he was acting alone and the case is closed. And most people believe the official explanation or have forgotten about it. Impunity rules!
And it is not only the impunity that shocks us. It is also the cynical ability to act like Chavez did last Sunday, accusing the US Government of the same crimes his administration has routinely committed in the last five years. Crimes that have been committed as he spoke and soon after. As if diverting attention can somehow release him of his responsibility.
So far, impunity rules. It is the rule of the day. Events are twisted to support and defend the revolution. The pro-Chavez Deputies of the National Assembly approve a Supreme Court bill than in the future will likely be used to violate their rights and those of the members of their families. And they don’t appear to care. The revolution is above everything. The Supreme Court justices will likely give their seal of approval to that bill that will not only allow a totalitarian state to rule the country, but that will likely allow the Government to get rid of many of them, sooner rather than later. Thus, they are preparing the rope to hang themselves.
And I watch that cynical member of the Board of the CNE named Jorge Rodriguez, state with such calm and cynicism that people can violate the same regulations that he approved last September. This is the same guy who argued the laws and the regulations had to be respected, but is now saying that what is written can be interpreted any way that he pleases. Long live the revolution, we will twist the law to promote it!
And perhaps this is the reason why this is a hopeless battle. Step by step, it has been assumed that there was some semblance of ethics, morality or reason in some members of this Government. But the level of impunity indicates that this is simply a shell of a Government, led by a megalomaniac without scruples, who is followed by a bunch of immoral puppets for whom human dignity, death, torture and human rights are simple inconveniences who get in the way of their final objective. Meanwhile, those like me, that oppose them still believe in the rule of law, in ethics, in respect, the truth, the sanctity of human life and all of those precepts that are the foundation of modern civilization.
Impunity rules and in a few weeks some new scandal, human rights violations or whatever will make people forget these new and tragic deaths as we sink deeper into the unknown path of this failed revolution. And we will be shocked and outraged and will react with the same incredulity that we react with today.
Until the next one…
It is quite depressing to realize the level of impunity and cynicism that the authorities have reached in Venezuela. We are being ridiculed day after day, by being ignored, by being ruled by a bunch of cynics without scruples, who have no morals and put the “revolution” above everything else.
This afternoon I read about William Jesus Alvarez in Tal Cual (page 8, by subscription.) William was the young chemical engineer who was shot dead in the East of Caracas last February 27th. Despite the testimony of his family that he never fired weapons of any caliber in his life or that he began running towards his home when the shooting began, falling over and dying as he ran away, the People’s Ombudsman reaches the conclusion that “he fired one or two shots before being hit himself since traces of this were found in both his hands”. Amazing and definite conclusion by an office that has yet to contact any of the family members or any of the people that witnessed his death.
But the People Ombudsman or the Attorney General are servile to the revolution. They appear to be ready to sacrifice their reputation, their ethics and their own soul for this worthless and destructive revolution.
No sooner had I finished reading about William Alvarez that I learn of the death of Angel Pedreáñez. We had earlier heard the claims by Chavez, by Garcia Carneiro and by Baduell about the case and each time they were shown to be lying through their teeth, in their customary fraudulent style of manipulating the truth for their own purposes. Nothing is too grotesque or far fetched for these people; nothing should amaze us about their corrupt and immoral behavior.
And now there is new evidence, new acts that would shock any civilized human being. The second 20 year old involved in the jail incident dies coincidentally of the same cause, cardiac arrest, in less than one month. We had earlier been told by the Government that the soldier had said that the fire began within the cell and suddenly there he is, dead but his presence revived in a videotape saying that they were burned from the outside. That someone actually held a tube, lit it and burnt them. And they burned really fast. And the once improbable and implausible flamethrower that seemed to defy any sense of human decency becomes so incredibly and amazingly real.
Immediately, the cynical Attorney General speaks on TV with some sense of outrage saying the military should turn over the case to the civilian authorities. And the Minister of Defense that has been covering up the case immediately accepts the change in jurisdiction, which can only mean the beginning of a new cover up. As if we trusted either of them. As if either of them had shown even the slightest interest of learning the truth about so many cases, from the deaths of April 2002 to the many useless and tragic deaths of the last two years. Including that Rambo called Joao de Goveia who in two minutes and with a single Glock killed three and injured twenty seven in Plaza Altamira two and a half years ago. To date, these fake leaders of justice and morality claim he was acting alone and the case is closed. And most people believe the official explanation or have forgotten about it. Impunity rules!
And it is not only the impunity that shocks us. It is also the cynical ability to act like Chavez did last Sunday, accusing the US Government of the same crimes his administration has routinely committed in the last five years. Crimes that have been committed as he spoke and soon after. As if diverting attention can somehow release him of his responsibility.
So far, impunity rules. It is the rule of the day. Events are twisted to support and defend the revolution. The pro-Chavez Deputies of the National Assembly approve a Supreme Court bill than in the future will likely be used to violate their rights and those of the members of their families. And they don’t appear to care. The revolution is above everything. The Supreme Court justices will likely give their seal of approval to that bill that will not only allow a totalitarian state to rule the country, but that will likely allow the Government to get rid of many of them, sooner rather than later. Thus, they are preparing the rope to hang themselves.
And I watch that cynical member of the Board of the CNE named Jorge Rodriguez, state with such calm and cynicism that people can violate the same regulations that he approved last September. This is the same guy who argued the laws and the regulations had to be respected, but is now saying that what is written can be interpreted any way that he pleases. Long live the revolution, we will twist the law to promote it!
And perhaps this is the reason why this is a hopeless battle. Step by step, it has been assumed that there was some semblance of ethics, morality or reason in some members of this Government. But the level of impunity indicates that this is simply a shell of a Government, led by a megalomaniac without scruples, who is followed by a bunch of immoral puppets for whom human dignity, death, torture and human rights are simple inconveniences who get in the way of their final objective. Meanwhile, those like me, that oppose them still believe in the rule of law, in ethics, in respect, the truth, the sanctity of human life and all of those precepts that are the foundation of modern civilization.
Impunity rules and in a few weeks some new scandal, human rights violations or whatever will make people forget these new and tragic deaths as we sink deeper into the unknown path of this failed revolution. And we will be shocked and outraged and will react with the same incredulity that we react with today.
Until the next one…
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The Devil's Excrement 