The Devil's Excrement

The Superintendency of Banks asked today a group of banks that comprise 72% of all deposits in the local banking system, to send a list by tomorrow of all clients that have checking accounts, savings accounts or CD’s in their banks. The banks that received the requests were Banesco, Mercantil, Venezuela, provincial, Occidental de Descuento, Venezolano de Credito and Industrial.

According to the new Superintendent of Banks, this request is being made :because we are carrying out an operation against money laundering” while bank executives say that in order to look for money laundering you ask for suspicious transfers, not for balances. A more intelligent observer suggests that the real reason is to send the information to the tax office and other state offices “in order to increase control over everything” That one I believe.

First the bankers argued that this broke their confidentiality agreement with their clients. They can provide information, but there has to be a reason to do it. But then, the President of the private banker’s association said this had all been a “confusion” that the data hand over had been postponed and this was all part of a multilateral program.

You have to be stupid to ask for that just when there are strong rumors of an Argentina style “Corralito” (which I don’t believe is in the works”

Funny, the only reason that I would have thought would justify such a request, has not been mentioned: FIGHTING CORRUPTION!

A good friend of mine came to me today in absolute shock. This morning, he went with another friend to get a new passport. they filled out forms and sat to wait for the person taking care of them to return. After a long time (not unexpected in a Venezuelan Government office), the person came back and told his friend, who had not signed the petition to recall Hugo Chavez, that he was OK. Then the person turned to my friend and told him he had been rejected because he had signed the petition to ask for a recall referendum against President Hugo Chavez.

Such a pretty revolution!

Petkoff on Carlos Melo, from today’s Tal Cual:

What has been done to Carlos Melo is a major despicable act.

To detain him and send him to the sinister jail of El Rodeo is nothing but pure revenge.

What the regime does not forgive Carlos is his early dissension. How quickly he perceived the Chavista fraud. He was on of the first ones to abandon, disenchanted, the boat in which, with great expectations, he had embarked himself in. He was one of those that allowed himself to be seduced by the supposedly revolutionary rhetoric of Chávez and accompanied him not only in his electoral cruise but also before, in his conspiratorial movements. It did not take him long in realize that he had been ripped off and transformed himself in critic and opposer, but from the left, where he has always been. Carlos, everyone knows it, is a man of action. A hard worker that never tires, dedicated, daring and willing to take risks, a tough one, if you want. What the Chavismo does not forgive him for is that Carlos is one of the living proofs that among the needy disenchantment is growing. He is one of the organizers of that disenchantment, acting in a stage that the Chavismo considers its own closed space, that of the poor barrios of the capital.

That is why there is bad blood with him. This small reporter wants to add himself to the campaign for the freedom of Carlos Melo.

Petkoff on Carlos Melo, from today’s Tal Cual:

What has been done to Carlos Melo is a major despicable act.

To detain him and send him to the sinister jail of El Rodeo is nothing but pure revenge.

What the regime does not forgive Carlos is his early dissension. How quickly he perceived the Chavista fraud. He was on of the first ones to abandon, disenchanted, the boat in which, with great expectations, he had embarked himself in. He was one of those that allowed himself to be seduced by the supposedly revolutionary rhetoric of Chávez and accompanied him not only in his electoral cruise but also before, in his conspiratorial movements. It did not take him long in realize that he had been ripped off and transformed himself in critic and opposer, but from the left, where he has always been. Carlos, everyone knows it, is a man of action. A hard worker that never tires, dedicated, daring and willing to take risks, a tough one, if you want. What the Chavismo does not forgive him for is that Carlos is one of the living proofs that among the needy disenchantment is growing. He is one of the organizers of that disenchantment, acting in a stage that the Chavismo considers its own closed space, that of the poor barrios of the capital.

That is why there is bad blood with him. This small reporter wants to add himself to the campaign for the freedom of Carlos Melo.

I never cease to be amazed at the cynicism of some people in the Government. Yesterday Jorge Rodriguez, who in many statements in public has claimed to be “impartial” and an “arbiter” of the electoral process, yesterday said (Can’t find the link, but I saw it on TV and in one newspaper) that if the Electoral Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled the “planas” to be valid, he would go to the Constitutional Hall and appeal the decision. Now, if he really believes he is the arbiter, he should be the arbiter on electoral matters and the Electoral Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court should be the arbiter on Electoral law and regulations. Moreover, why is he announcing it ahead of the decision by the Electoral Hall? Is it because he knows he would lose in the first and win in the second?

And today, the legal adviser of the CNE himself recused two members of the Electoral Hall. I have to ask, is this guy autonomous? Did the CNE Board vote on this?

Meanwhile, the People’s Ombudsman in Washington says there are no political prisoners in Venezuela. He also stated categorically that the National Guard had not killed any of the 12 people that died because they did not use weapons other than those that shoot plastic bullets. I imagine he means that the National Guard did not use any weapons like this or like these:

at any time during the repression of the tragic week which began on Feb. 27th. and I must have drawn them, or composed them or something like that.

In fact, all of these pictures are parts of dozens of pictures if not hundrerds taken during those violent days. Moreover, I am told the second picture from the right shows soldiers with a SIG 552 assault weapon and an M-16 rifle, both weapo which are certainly not approved for use in controlling civilain protests.

As predicted here, the desaparecidos whose names are: Omar Arturo Morales (28); Juan José Pérez (27); Juan Ernesto Sánchez (37); Andrés Bastidas Guedes (32) ; José Luis Rodríguez (33); Eduardo José Miranda (30) y Julio César Gómez (34) and Miguel Pacheco (20) were simply ignored by the dishonourable and miserable People’s Ombudsman.

These people have no shame.

I never cease to be amazed at the cynicism of some people in the Government. Yesterday Jorge Rodriguez, who in many statements in public has claimed to be “impartial” and an “arbiter” of the electoral process, yesterday said (Can’t find the link, but I saw it on TV and in one newspaper) that if the Electoral Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled the “planas” to be valid, he would go to the Constitutional Hall and appeal the decision. Now, if he really believes he is the arbiter, he should be the arbiter on electoral matters and the Electoral Hall of the Venezuelan Supreme Court should be the arbiter on Electoral law and regulations. Moreover, why is he announcing it ahead of the decision by the Electoral Hall? Is it because he knows he would lose in the first and win in the second?

And today, the legal adviser of the CNE himself recused two members of the Electoral Hall. I have to ask, is this guy autonomous? Did the CNE Board vote on this?

Meanwhile, the People’s Ombudsman in Washington says there are no political prisoners in Venezuela. He also stated categorically that the National Guard had not killed any of the 12 people that died because they did not use weapons other than those that shoot plastic bullets. I imagine he means that the National Guard did not use any weapons like this or like these:

at any time during the repression of the tragic week which began on Feb. 27th. and I must have drawn them, or composed them or something like that.

In fact, all of these pictures are parts of dozens of pictures if not hundrerds taken during those violent days. Moreover, I am told the second picture from the right shows soldiers with a SIG 552 assault weapon and an M-16 rifle, both weapo which are certainly not approved for use in controlling civilain protests.

As predicted here, the desaparecidos whose names are: Omar Arturo Morales (28); Juan José Pérez (27); Juan Ernesto Sánchez (37); Andrés Bastidas Guedes (32) ; José Luis Rodríguez (33); Eduardo José Miranda (30) y Julio César Gómez (34) and Miguel Pacheco (20) were simply ignored by the dishonourable and miserable People’s Ombudsman.

These people have no shame.

Once in while, we all need a light moment. I know I had one, so let me share it with you, from today’s El Universal:

The truth for the world by Elides Rojas

“My comrade Ambassadors, you came here for only one thing: To listen to me. That is, you will have the immense pleasure of listening to the same litany of stupidities that I say all the time in the streets, but with the unbeatable advantage of having me in front of you, for as long as I want.

Thus, let’s be precise from the beginning, the roles we will play in the next hours: Number One: I have the right to speak. The truth is mine. Number Two: You, my dear and honorable comrades, you listen, swallow it and believe me. It’s easy. You will not need your brain for anything. Of course, all of this under a fundamental premise: If George “doble” Bush is an asshole because he believed that the military was with me, I presume that all of those that do not believe me are equally assholes, thus, you decided what you want to be.

Let’s see what we are dealing with. Everything that is happening in the country in the last few days does not exist, it never happened. You understand. The media has taken it upon itself to build a horrible reality that, because of the script which is part of the conspiracy, has impacted the world, and very specially, to those Governments that can be manipulated and are weak of understanding. The pronouncements by nations, high Government officials, and non-Government organizations are absolutely invalid. I have not seen one. I have read about them in the press or those I have seen on TV or on the radio. Nothing tangible. That, as you well know, is sufficient to place them under observation and subject to ratification.

The truth is that this irrational, coupster, saboteur and violent opposition, can’t see a bayonet because its throws itself on it. We have several videos of that, like those of April 11^th. in which we can appreciate reality. Another problem that we confront is the addiction people have to tear gas canisters. They can’t live without the smoke. Every once in a while they go looking for it, En masse. About this, which has us very concerned, I have instructed the interplanetary General, yes the other one with three suns, so that he organizes it and has a sort of mega market. That way we can give away quotas of bayonets, sticks and tear gas in orderly fashion, with their respective lines, in Ave. Bolivar.

The stuff about the shots and the deaths is another conspirative lie. It’s just like the signatures and the recall referendum. I have the proofs here. Nobody saw anyone signing. The media invented the lines of people signing which in reality correspond to people visiting the Presidential Palace to kiss my hand. To touch me. That happens daily. They are intent on saying that they got the signatures to get me out of here, but in reality they are crazy for me to stay.

You, my honorable comrades and friends, whatever, go to your countries, like if you were clones of William Lara or Ismael Garcia and tell your Governments the truth, the only one.

And now more than ever, when you are surely convinced that what we have here is a conspiracy directed by “doble” Bush and his lackeys at the OAS, a thing that without any chance of being wrong, you unanimously share with me. No doubt about it.

Go then comrades. Repeat, he is a democrat, Incapable of violating human rights. Integral, serious. Always tells the truth. And daring like he is, he would give his life to go to the recall referendum to show how great he is.

What a piece of work!

The spin doctors are active, very active. After yesterday’s accusations that the dead are the responsibility of the opposition, today Minister of Information and Communications Jesse Chacon accused the media of promoting violence, saying that local media even carried instructions on how to make a Molotov cocktail this weekend. Chacon also denied there were any political prisoners in Venezuela and said that the injured were an order of magnitude less than what the opposition was charging.

Thus, we entered a third day of spinning, as the Chavez Government continues to try to deflect international criticism of the Government induced repression and violence of the week that followed the march of February 27^th. Amazing isn’t it, that ever since President Hugo Chávez gave his cynical defense of his Government in  front of the diplomatic corps last Friday, there has been nobody  injured, nobody killed, nobody disappeared?  In fact, that first attempt at spinning went so badly, that those that Chavez claimed did not exist, or were dead, have been coming out of the woods to say they are who they claim to be, they signed to recall Hugo Chavez and they would do it again.

Then there is the outrageous case of the Minister of the Interior and Justice, infamous General Lucas Rincon, who has yet to explain why he said Chavez had resigned on April 12^th. 2002, or why he rejoined the Chavez Government. But there he was, suggesting all the deaths of the repressive week were simply caused by the opposition, saying the military carried none of the weapons that are shown in dozens, if not hundreds of pictures in the media, including this blog.

But as Daniel explains in his blog, to suggest that someone was killed by a marble fired by a shotgun and that the marble actually went through the person’s body, as in the case of Jose Vila, is so incredibly outrageous that it could only come from this cynical Government. Maybe the Venezuelan military should get rid of all the FALs they buy and get these more dangerous shotguns, cleverly designed by the opposition.  They should be cheaper than and as deadly as the feared emblematic weapon of the Venezuelan military. Meanwhile, Jose Vila’s family mourns and the witnesses have yet to be interviewed by the police.

But you see, the Government is losing this fight. I am not sure what they expected to gain from the repression or the violence. Maybe they thought the few remaining officers of the Venezuelan armed forces that are not loyal to Chavez would come out openly and be purged. Or maybe they thought that they could justify declaring a state of emergency, with Lula and Kirchner as witnesses of the violence of the opposition. Instead, the two Presidents friendly to the “process” were outraged by what they saw, telling Chavez what they thought and leaving early.

Then, came the condemnation by many countries. All of a sudden the friendly countries of the European Union began leading the charges and the pressure against the Chavez repression. Last but not least, a public poll today says fewer than 15% of those polled said the Armed Forces did a good job during that week of repression, with close to 60% rejecting it strongly.

But the spin Doctors have a problem. You can try to spin away deaths, you can try to spin away injured, you can blame someone for the violence, and you can say nobody was tortured. But see, you can not spin away those that have disappeared. Yes, eight Venezuelans disappeared amidst the violence and the repression. Amnesty International knows it and the list of names is right there and here staring at and challenging the Chavez administration. The Coordinadora Democrática has provided names and ID numbers and they are nowhere to be found. You can accuse somebody else of a murder. You can manipulate the numbers. But you can not magically make somebody turn up alive, particularly if they are dead and you likely know about it.

Thus, the Chavez administration is trapped in its own lie. Curiously, none of these Government officials, from Lucas Rincon, to Jesse Chacon. to Chávez himself, has addressed this issue or said anything, anything at all, about the missing. They simply are ignoring them. Sadly, there is a long history of desaparecidos in Latin America’s bloody history of state repression. Even more sadly, the Chavez Government has just joined this list of the cruel and barbaric regimes. As the issue takes center stage in the next few days, it will open new cracks in the façade of the regime. It will continue to show the world the true face of this outlaw regime. In contrast with those that Chavez said did not exist but are alive, the desaparecidos of the Chavez regime are likely to be dead and can not be inored or spinned away.

The spin doctors are active, very active. After yesterday’s accusations that the dead are the responsibility of the opposition, today Minister of Information and Communications Jesse Chacon accused the media of promoting violence, saying that local media even carried instructions on how to make a Molotov cocktail this weekend. Chacon also denied there were any political prisoners in Venezuela and said that the injured were an order of magnitude less than what the opposition was charging.

Thus, we entered a third day of spinning, as the Chavez Government continues to try to deflect international criticism of the Government induced repression and violence of the week that followed the march of February 27^th. Amazing isn’t it, that ever since President Hugo Chávez gave his cynical defense of his Government in  front of the diplomatic corps last Friday, there has been nobody  injured, nobody killed, nobody disappeared?  In fact, that first attempt at spinning went so badly, that those that Chavez claimed did not exist, or were dead, have been coming out of the woods to say they are who they claim to be, they signed to recall Hugo Chavez and they would do it again.

Then there is the outrageous case of the Minister of the Interior and Justice, infamous General Lucas Rincon, who has yet to explain why he said Chavez had resigned on April 12^th. 2002, or why he rejoined the Chavez Government. But there he was, suggesting all the deaths of the repressive week were simply caused by the opposition, saying the military carried none of the weapons that are shown in dozens, if not hundreds of pictures in the media, including this blog.

But as Daniel explains in his blog, to suggest that someone was killed by a marble fired by a shotgun and that the marble actually went through the person’s body, as in the case of Jose Vila, is so incredibly outrageous that it could only come from this cynical Government. Maybe the Venezuelan military should get rid of all the FALs they buy and get these more dangerous shotguns, cleverly designed by the opposition.  They should be cheaper than and as deadly as the feared emblematic weapon of the Venezuelan military. Meanwhile, Jose Vila’s family mourns and the witnesses have yet to be interviewed by the police.

But you see, the Government is losing this fight. I am not sure what they expected to gain from the repression or the violence. Maybe they thought the few remaining officers of the Venezuelan armed forces that are not loyal to Chavez would come out openly and be purged. Or maybe they thought that they could justify declaring a state of emergency, with Lula and Kirchner as witnesses of the violence of the opposition. Instead, the two Presidents friendly to the “process” were outraged by what they saw, telling Chavez what they thought and leaving early.

Then, came the condemnation by many countries. All of a sudden the friendly countries of the European Union began leading the charges and the pressure against the Chavez repression. Last but not least, a public poll today says fewer than 15% of those polled said the Armed Forces did a good job during that week of repression, with close to 60% rejecting it strongly.

But the spin Doctors have a problem. You can try to spin away deaths, you can try to spin away injured, you can blame someone for the violence, and you can say nobody was tortured. But see, you can not spin away those that have disappeared. Yes, eight Venezuelans disappeared amidst the violence and the repression. Amnesty International knows it and the list of names is right there and here staring at and challenging the Chavez administration. The Coordinadora Democrática has provided names and ID numbers and they are nowhere to be found. You can accuse somebody else of a murder. You can manipulate the numbers. But you can not magically make somebody turn up alive, particularly if they are dead and you likely know about it.

Thus, the Chavez administration is trapped in its own lie. Curiously, none of these Government officials, from Lucas Rincon, to Jesse Chacon. to Chávez himself, has addressed this issue or said anything, anything at all, about the missing. They simply are ignoring them. Sadly, there is a long history of desaparecidos in Latin America’s bloody history of state repression. Even more sadly, the Chavez Government has just joined this list of the cruel and barbaric regimes. As the issue takes center stage in the next few days, it will open new cracks in the façade of the regime. It will continue to show the world the true face of this outlaw regime. In contrast with those that Chavez said did not exist but are alive, the desaparecidos of the Chavez regime are likely to be dead and can not be inored or spinned away.