The Devil's Excrement

Meanwhile, that sorry icon of “impartiality” in Venezuela, the President of the Electoral Baird (CNE) accused the OAS of having a position partial to the opposition and against President Hugo Chávez.

Mr. Carrasquero (I refused to call him Dr.) said that both the Carter Center and the OAS have a partial position and that he ratifies this and has proof of it. Assuring the press that the report of the OAS and the Carter Center does not conform to the truth, he indirectly called for the international observers to leave the country, saying this is a sovereign country.

Well, Mr. Carrasquero, I accuse you of being partial to Hugo Chávez. You have voted every single time to favor the positions of the Government and never, not once, have you voted with Ezequiel Zamora and Sobella Mejias, who at least can prove that they have voted both ways. Moreover, Mr., Carrasquero you say that if the opposition wanted the recall vote, it would take place in May or June. Well, I remember when you first announced the regulations for petitions that you said the same thing about a recall taking place in February or March. Today it is March 18^th. and the possibility of a recall vote seems as far as it was then.

The problem is that since then, you have not done your job; you have been derelict and inefficient in fulfilling your duties, you have not followed the law or deadlines that you yourself approved and have been worried more about the future of Hugo Chávez than the people’s right to express themselves as guaranteed by the Constitution. That, Mr. Carrasquero happens to be your job, facilitating that the will of all those people you claim to care so much for is expressed. Instead, you have constantly placed obstacles, argued against statistically valid concepts, twisted the law and attempted to disqualify morally the two CNE Directors that have gone against your wishes.

You have also mysteriously met with your friend and President of the Constitutional Hall Ivan Rincon, in true Mafiosi fashion, to conspire against the people and in order to favor Hugo Chávez.

Mr. Carrasquero, do you really believe that you can call yourself impartial?

A good friend and frequent reader of this blog assures me that Carrasquero was a man of honor until recently. In that case, I can only wonder what despicable act represents that skeleton in his closet which makes him act like such a low life and lackey of despicable Hugo Chavez.

Two weeks ago, Marta Colomina reminded Mr., Carrasquero in an article that the President of the Peruvian Electoral Board under Fujimori is serving a jail sentence in that country. I can only wish the same thing on this sorry and pitiful mediocre character for violating the rights of 3.4 million Venezuelans.

Meanwhile, that sorry icon of “impartiality” in Venezuela, the President of the Electoral Baird (CNE) accused the OAS of having a position partial to the opposition and against President Hugo Chávez.

Mr. Carrasquero (I refused to call him Dr.) said that both the Carter Center and the OAS have a partial position and that he ratifies this and has proof of it. Assuring the press that the report of the OAS and the Carter Center does not conform to the truth, he indirectly called for the international observers to leave the country, saying this is a sovereign country.

Well, Mr. Carrasquero, I accuse you of being partial to Hugo Chávez. You have voted every single time to favor the positions of the Government and never, not once, have you voted with Ezequiel Zamora and Sobella Mejias, who at least can prove that they have voted both ways. Moreover, Mr., Carrasquero you say that if the opposition wanted the recall vote, it would take place in May or June. Well, I remember when you first announced the regulations for petitions that you said the same thing about a recall taking place in February or March. Today it is March 18^th. and the possibility of a recall vote seems as far as it was then.

The problem is that since then, you have not done your job; you have been derelict and inefficient in fulfilling your duties, you have not followed the law or deadlines that you yourself approved and have been worried more about the future of Hugo Chávez than the people’s right to express themselves as guaranteed by the Constitution. That, Mr. Carrasquero happens to be your job, facilitating that the will of all those people you claim to care so much for is expressed. Instead, you have constantly placed obstacles, argued against statistically valid concepts, twisted the law and attempted to disqualify morally the two CNE Directors that have gone against your wishes.

You have also mysteriously met with your friend and President of the Constitutional Hall Ivan Rincon, in true Mafiosi fashion, to conspire against the people and in order to favor Hugo Chávez.

Mr. Carrasquero, do you really believe that you can call yourself impartial?

A good friend and frequent reader of this blog assures me that Carrasquero was a man of honor until recently. In that case, I can only wonder what despicable act represents that skeleton in his closet which makes him act like such a low life and lackey of despicable Hugo Chavez.

Two weeks ago, Marta Colomina reminded Mr., Carrasquero in an article that the President of the Peruvian Electoral Board under Fujimori is serving a jail sentence in that country. I can only wish the same thing on this sorry and pitiful mediocre character for violating the rights of 3.4 million Venezuelans.

The Electoral Hall of the Venezuelan took a very strong stand today when it issued a communiqué signed by its President Alberto Martini, where it ratifies that its role its to consider all cases relating to referenda processes and declaring that the request by the Constitutional Hall to hand over all of its files was not valid.

In its communiqué the Electoral hall reminds the Constitutional one that its decision to look into the referendum injunctions simply does not exist. The Electoral Hall also reminds the other one that independent of the injunctions reaching the Constitutional Hall, the Electoral Hall will continue knowing about all cases having to do with referenda.

In the press release the Electoral hall cites Article 60 of the Organic Law of the Supreme Court which says that all decisions have to be signed by all Justices independent of whether they have subscribed the decision or not as long as the number of those signing constitutes four fifths of the Justices of the Hall. Thus, the decision by the Constitutional Hall needs to be signed by four Justices.

The Electoral hall also reminded the Constitutional one that that there was no quorum, which was ratified by affidavits from two of the Justices of that Hall which did not participate.

Well, Dr. Martini has proven he has some b…, I am glad someone still has them to stand up to these sorry examples of Justices in the Venezuelan Supreme Court.

The Electoral Hall of the Venezuelan took a very strong stand today when it issued a communiqué signed by its President Alberto Martini, where it ratifies that its role its to consider all cases relating to referenda processes and declaring that the request by the Constitutional Hall to hand over all of its files was not valid.

In its communiqué the Electoral hall reminds the Constitutional one that its decision to look into the referendum injunctions simply does not exist. The Electoral Hall also reminds the other one that independent of the injunctions reaching the Constitutional Hall, the Electoral Hall will continue knowing about all cases having to do with referenda.

In the press release the Electoral hall cites Article 60 of the Organic Law of the Supreme Court which says that all decisions have to be signed by all Justices independent of whether they have subscribed the decision or not as long as the number of those signing constitutes four fifths of the Justices of the Hall. Thus, the decision by the Constitutional Hall needs to be signed by four Justices.

The Electoral hall also reminded the Constitutional one that that there was no quorum, which was ratified by affidavits from two of the Justices of that Hall which did not participate.

Well, Dr. Martini has proven he has some b…, I am glad someone still has them to stand up to these sorry examples of Justices in the Venezuelan Supreme Court.

Analyst Ana Julia Jatar closes her article in Descifrado entitled: “Three against three million” by saying something which resonates with my current thinking and goes along what I was saying in my last post yesterday:

“For this Government it is clear that because it ahs a hard time mobilizing the million of citizens that it would need to win the electoral battle, it has decided to concentrate its efforts in the votes of those that it is easier to control.

For the citizens it must be clear that they no longer have a Supreme Court and thus, no judicial power. That is why it should not surprise us that yesterday the new strategy by the Government, that of judicial terror, became evident, ordering the detention of Mayor Enrique Capriles Radonski and threatening to jail other public servants elected by popular vote.

Today the smell of dictatorship is much stronger, we Venezuelans have been left without referees, and the worst part, without justice”

This morning when I got up and read El Universal, I decided that tonight I would translate the article entitled :”Coroner’s Report: Venezuelan protester’s autopsy reveals signs of torture” and combine it with the sad news that victim number fourteenth of the recent Government repression had died yesterday.

Well, FT took the trouble of translating the article so I will just point to his article which is right here. Actually, I have been posting so late recently, that between the two of us and the aid of the time difference we essentially provide 24×7 coverage.

Victim number fourteen of the recent repression was Juan Carlos Urbano. He worked at a fruit store near where the protests were taking place, arranging the produce in the stands. The trajectory of the bullet that killed him came from high above. Given that the Government had taken over the surrounding buildings, it would be difficult to blame the opposition, but we know better.

Not much to say about today’s decision by the Constitutional Hall. This is what they decided at an illegal meeting, with no quorum and in a decision signed by only three Justices. It simply ratifies last Thursday’s order to the Electoral Hall not to do anything. Ratifies that we live in a totalitarian country with no rule of law.

This decision is illegal, immoral and violates all prior jurisprudence. The Constitutional Hall’s convoluted argument is that they named the electoral Board, so that they have jurisdiction. If they had not named it, they would have found a different argument. When you have no scruples or morals, it is always easy to find a reason, legal or not.

Thus, the law of the jungle prevails now in Venezuela. We have jumped into a new void of illegality and totalitarism. The outlaws win again, except only the perverse could consider it a victory to plunge a country deeper into fanaticism and polarization. The recall referendum was the only peaceful road to resolving, either way, the political conflict in this great and suffered country. It appears as if there will not be such a resolution now and we do know who was responsible. Hopefully, history will judge these three Justices as traitors to their oath, the people and the Constitution.

We have gone from a diffuse Constitutional Dictatorship to a well defined totalitarian regime with no laws. The country is now in the hands of the President of the Supreme Court Ivan Rincon. The same man who in April 2002 offered his good services to become President and replace Chavez. But he was not chosen, but came very close to playing the role of Pedro Carmona in that tragic soap opera of errors, even resigning to “facilitate the transition” after he was not picked. This sorry character will now decide when and if the full Court meets to consider the conflict. He could take months to do it. It is unclear if he was bribed, offered to be lifetime President of the Supreme Court or extortioned by the Government to act the way he has. We will probably never know.

What we do know is that this regime and its lackeys are willing to twist the law and their morals to fit whatever situation is required to preserve Hugo Chavez in power. Whether it is the recall referendum, human rights violations or jailing opponents, there is nothing that will stop them now.  Ivan Rincon will now, once again, delay, postpone and manipulate. Despite his obvious bias, he will not recuse himself or morally accept to step aside. And the country will fall into an abyss of violence, because of this weak an amoral man.

The only vestige of democracy left in Venezuela is a limited ability to be critical of the Government. Limited, because the media is constantly threatened by the Government. Limited, because the government boycotts media sympathetic to the opposition, refusing to place ads in them. Limited, because reporters are constantly threatened and attacked and the precautionary measures of the Human Rights Commission of the OAS have been all ignored. Limited, because when there is repression on the streets, an inordinate number of reporters ends up injured or even dead.

So, the next step will be for the Government to shut down a TV station using any argument, using the same lack of scruples that they the Justices of the Constitutional Hall have shown in the last few days. Supporters of the Government will back the measure against these traitors who happen to be fellow Venezuelans. Opposition supporters will go out to support the media. Who knows what will happen then. Protesters will be called common criminals. Victims will be called accidents. Desaparecidos will be ignored.

In the meantime, the democratic will and rights of 3.4 million Venezuelans have been disposed of by the Electoral Board, the Supreme Court and the Government. And there is no one to restore them.

Not much to say about today’s decision by the Constitutional Hall. This is what they decided at an illegal meeting, with no quorum and in a decision signed by only three Justices. It simply ratifies last Thursday’s order to the Electoral Hall not to do anything. Ratifies that we live in a totalitarian country with no rule of law.

This decision is illegal, immoral and violates all prior jurisprudence. The Constitutional Hall’s convoluted argument is that they named the electoral Board, so that they have jurisdiction. If they had not named it, they would have found a different argument. When you have no scruples or morals, it is always easy to find a reason, legal or not.

Thus, the law of the jungle prevails now in Venezuela. We have jumped into a new void of illegality and totalitarism. The outlaws win again, except only the perverse could consider it a victory to plunge a country deeper into fanaticism and polarization. The recall referendum was the only peaceful road to resolving, either way, the political conflict in this great and suffered country. It appears as if there will not be such a resolution now and we do know who was responsible. Hopefully, history will judge these three Justices as traitors to their oath, the people and the Constitution.

We have gone from a diffuse Constitutional Dictatorship to a well defined totalitarian regime with no laws. The country is now in the hands of the President of the Supreme Court Ivan Rincon. The same man who in April 2002 offered his good services to become President and replace Chavez. But he was not chosen, but came very close to playing the role of Pedro Carmona in that tragic soap opera of errors, even resigning to “facilitate the transition” after he was not picked. This sorry character will now decide when and if the full Court meets to consider the conflict. He could take months to do it. It is unclear if he was bribed, offered to be lifetime President of the Supreme Court or extortioned by the Government to act the way he has. We will probably never know.

What we do know is that this regime and its lackeys are willing to twist the law and their morals to fit whatever situation is required to preserve Hugo Chavez in power. Whether it is the recall referendum, human rights violations or jailing opponents, there is nothing that will stop them now.  Ivan Rincon will now, once again, delay, postpone and manipulate. Despite his obvious bias, he will not recuse himself or morally accept to step aside. And the country will fall into an abyss of violence, because of this weak an amoral man.

The only vestige of democracy left in Venezuela is a limited ability to be critical of the Government. Limited, because the media is constantly threatened by the Government. Limited, because the government boycotts media sympathetic to the opposition, refusing to place ads in them. Limited, because reporters are constantly threatened and attacked and the precautionary measures of the Human Rights Commission of the OAS have been all ignored. Limited, because when there is repression on the streets, an inordinate number of reporters ends up injured or even dead.

So, the next step will be for the Government to shut down a TV station using any argument, using the same lack of scruples that they the Justices of the Constitutional Hall have shown in the last few days. Supporters of the Government will back the measure against these traitors who happen to be fellow Venezuelans. Opposition supporters will go out to support the media. Who knows what will happen then. Protesters will be called common criminals. Victims will be called accidents. Desaparecidos will be ignored.

In the meantime, the democratic will and rights of 3.4 million Venezuelans have been disposed of by the Electoral Board, the Supreme Court and the Government. And there is no one to restore them.

Today MVR Deputy William Lara asked the Constitutional Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court to remove Tal Cual Editor Teodoro Petkoff from the advisory board of the Electoral Board known as the Committee for Political Participation. The Board has actually played a very limited role in the CNE’s decision as proven by the fact that Petkoff has opposed most of its rulings. Lara argued that Petkoff was involved in conspiratorial activities against the Electoral Board. Lara bases his accusations on an illegal taped wireless conversation between Petkoff and a lawyer broadcast by the government’s TV station VTV. In it, Petkoff says that not recognizing the CNE might be the only way to get the Electoral Board out of the game.

Of course, the true reason behind Lara’s request might be the fact that Tal Cual in yesterday’s edition essentially laughed at the limited intellectual ability of Lara, who it called “intellectually dense” for penning the following sentence in an article in Caracas newspaper El Mundo:

“Then what does that black guy Powell want? He is just a spokesman for the true leader of the Democratic Coordinator, George Bush. Simple, that the CNE give it 2700 centers for ratifying the signatures during five long days, to transform them in terrorism centers and then create civil disturbances in the country with the use of stone throwing lazy bums, tire burners and –remember April 11 2002-sharpshooters strategically placed ready to act in the precise moment; and then go to the OAS to invoke the right to make a massive and well-armed visit to Venezuela to impose governability made in the USA”

Dense? I think this guy is intellectually challenged or should I just say retarded?.

I am reposting this from last night to include the wonderful cartoon from the cover of today’s Tal Cual of the Inmoral Council members as well as completing the story with facts I learned today

Those three icons of immorality, corruption and inaction that conform the “Moral Council” , the Attorney General/Prosecutor Isaias Rodriguez, the People’s Ombudsman, German Mundarain and the Comptroller Clodovaldo Russian,which up to today has done absolutely nothing during its existence, decided today to open a procedure against the members of the Electoral Hall of the Supreme Court. Obviously they did not do anything against the three Justices of the Constitutional Hall who “only” faked a meeting, wrote a letter based on a non-existing sentence and decision and attempted to overstep their legal powers, violating the rule of law.

These stooges were so diligent that they are not supposed to act unless they were asked by the National Assembly, but showing a dilligence that they have failed to exhibit in the last four years they acted on the ad by the leaders of the Assembly. Amazingly, it was that ad that should be investigated, as public funds were used to pay for an ad expressing the personal opinion of the leaders of the Assembly and not the Assembly itself. In fact, the point is moot, the Moral Council will never be able to get the two thirds majority required to censor the Justices of the Electoral Hall.

Separately, one of them ordered the capture of the opposition Mayor of the Baruta municipality of Caracas. The same prosecutor who liberated the shooters of Puente El Llaguno are now jailing a Mayor for the events of April 2002. Mayor Capriles Radonsky is accused of participating in the attack of the Cuban Embassy when Chavez was briefly ousted in April 2002. Reportedly, it was the Cuban Ambassador that actually called Capriles for help. Will he be a witness for the defense? I doubt it, it will require some integrity that he does not have.

Is this a new wave of persecution against opposition leaders as announced yesterday in a local paper?