Tuesday, March 21, 2006

The Chavez administration puts its money where its beliefs are Proclamation: The Chavez administration: -In a tribute to the guiding principles that illuminate and guide its daily actions. -As a reaffirmation of the belief that there is only one true form of Government for all of the people of Venezuela and the world. -As a way of sending an unequivocal signal to the world as to where it stands on freedom, democracy and human rights. -In a demonstration of the intelligence with which it handles it public relations as a way of expressing its love for its fellow inhabitants of the Continent of Simon Bolivar -As evidence of its sensibility to the desires, dreams and ambitions of the people of Latin America -And as an expression of its desire to use the oil money of the people, for the people, by the people as efficiently, productive and respectfully as possible, announces with pride that it has decided that: It will finance the costs of restoring the one time home of that illustrious fighter for democracy, former Argentinean Dictator Juan Domingo Peron, who patiently stood at the side of the leftwing forces of the world. Or was it the right? Who stole from the people hands over fists, allowing him to live in exile for decades in the best style that his people never came close to or ever dreamed of. Who was the clearest expression of the militaristic, populistic and fascist autocrat that Venezuelans should learn to admire and love (and get accustomed to!). And as a tribute to, his up to now, unprecedented ability to truly damage and undermine a country for decades with his type of divisive populism and ignorant policies. Hugo Chavez, Caracas March 18th. 2006 11:46:17 PM    comment []

Agriculture, corruption and inefficiency Carlos Machado Allison is an old friend who I had the pleasure of working with at one particularly exciting part of my life when we believed we could move mountains with no resources. Since then, he moved on to IESA, where he studies Venezuelan agriculture. I have translated articles by him before; this one in today’s El Universal is particularly sharp, especially in describing the contradictions in policy within the Chávez administration. Agriculture, corruption and inefficiency by Carlos Machado Allison Mister President, the chain of events that is destroying the basis of agricultural activity and the morale of the producers, is it part of the revolutionary design? Or as they say in the streets, your subordinates don’t inform you? Could it all be the fault of the executive Vice-President who leads the Cabinet? A reporter in the back and forth of his profession, responded to a Deputy indicating that what the Comptrolling Committee of the Assembly was doing, referring to the case of the sugar plant, was not an act of heroics, but was a natural obligation, but later, she evaded the answer when she found out about the presidential responsibility in the scandal. Violating the laws, the properties and presidential promise, a certain celebrity has said that the revolution is above the laws, but under them there is a systematic destruction of values, principles, traditions and symbols. Now they will initiate procedures and someone will be accused. The scandal is too evident. Change prisoners for votes, a good electoral strategy. As a politician, twenty points, as administrator you have flunked. Wasn’t it public knowledge that some trucks with food destined to the “mercales” (Government food markets) were not arriving at their destination? Didn’t they tell you about contaminated flour, lost grain and adultered milk? Don’t you know that many loans ended up in phantom co-ops? Didn’t you know that the tomato processing plant, the textile factory in Cojedes and the sugar plant near Sabaneta, were not running? Can you really believe that you can create 100,000 cooperatives and that a fraction of them will not become a field for corruption? Don’t you know that the “Zamoran” rural farms, promoted invaders and the like, produce next to nothing? It is difficult to think that you were ignorant of the morosity of the Bank of the People or the Bank for Women, that on top of everything published no financials. Or that the Industrial Bank was not doing well. Even then, you approved the creation of an Agricultural Bank and another for the communities that, for sure, will give out loans that will never be repaid? Don’t you remember that, at the times of the IVth., a number of times public agricultural banks were shut down because of corruption and inefficiency? Your Cabinet approved the Caaez (sugar plant), designed and oriented by Cubans, despite the history of Government owned sugar plants. Don’t you know that Cuba is the most inefficient producer of sugarcane in the word? Don’t you know that the silos were privatized for inefficiency and corruption when they belonged to the State? Don’t you remember the scandals of Corpomercadeo and Mersifrica (predecessors of Mercal)? Didn’t you win the elections promising to end corruption and to make the country an agricultural emporium? Don’t you know that each point of Governmental intervention in the agro-food chain is a focus for potential corruption? Did you know that agricultural financing increased by 45% in 2005 and agricultural production only by 3%? That agricultural exports reached their lowest historical point and imports the highest one? Do you ignore that PDVSA, which belongs to all of us, will inject Bs. 1.5 trillion to the agricultural sector (Bs. 55 thousand per poor person in the country) so that part of it will have the same destiny as that of the sugar plant? Have you been told about the inexistent supplies at the agricultural schools? The Ministers of Agriculture and Foodstuffs have come face to face with each other because you ordered one of them, to make the country self sustaining and the other one, to import everything so that inflation in food prices does not go up. They will fail because there is no logic, nor sense, in agro-food policy, repeating the errors of the past: Exactly the same that at the end of the IVth. Republic. Mr. President, I think that you do know what is happening and are thus responsible. 6:19:20 PM    comment []