Wednesday, September 27, 2006

A new, gentler and surprising Chavez? All of a sudden we have a new and gentler Chavez, improved and ready to admit errors, because now he has the bull by the "horns" and wants to continue "trying solutions" rather than relying on experts. He gets a rabbit out of the hat saying 70% of the people think things have improved.Of course, in the end, he can't help it and says those that oppose him are the candidates of imperialism. Maybe they are the candidate of knowledge, expertise and not simple trial and error, even if he think he is like Edison trying to innovate on social and economic matters. That analogy alone shows he has no clue. Why the milder Chavez?.Can he be worried? He seems to admit the polls are something like Chavez 45%, Rosales/Rausseo 35%, even if he says his vote intention is above 60%. I guess he did not pay complete attention to the explanation they gave him, but there sure was one. 11:57:36 PM    comment []

News about Venezuela that you don’t know whether to cry or laugh about --Minister of Interior and Justice Chacon hold a press conference in Barquisimeto where he tells the “people” not believe any “new” mermaid songs from anyone (Rosales obviously) offering to solve the crime problem, that this needs long term plans, they did not do it on 50 years and “ we will show the country…” Well, is this blah, blah, blah or what? To begin with 8 of the 50 years he talks about are Chavez’ own, during which crime has tripled, so I don’t think Chacon or Chavez and his administration has much to “show” or deserves another chance to show anything. Rosales at least could say that he has only been Governor for five years and his state occupies one of the last five places in the country in terms of the crime rate. --And speaking of crime, an Italian woman on her honey moon is killed at the archipelago of “los Roques” one of the most spectacular tourist locations in the country. Her husband is severely injured as they were violently assaulted inside of the bed and breakfast where they were staying. The National Guard decides not to allow any flights or boats in and out of the islands until they find the culprits. If this crime is like most crimes in the country, which never get solved, some of these tourists may be eligible to vote in the 2012 Presidential election. What happens to tourists scheduled to leave? Those scheduled to arrive? How could the criminals feel so safe to attack in such a small and isolated place? All of this and the tourism fair starts this weekend at the grounds of the  La Carlota airport of Caracas. --And how about those funny guys at 7-11 dropping 2,100 gas stations from the CITGO network because they did not like what Chavez said at the UN? The spokeswoman for the company said "Regardless of politics, we sympathize with many Americans' concern over derogatory comments about our country and its leadership recently made by Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez," Jeez, does Chavez understand these are market forces at work? The problem is that PDVSA dropped 1,800 stations in July already and it appears as if these are 2,100 new ones, since they are defined as their “independent” network. Imagine that, having a  7-11 in your tank! I thought the hot dogs were quite good actually. Let’ see, we are no longer friends with the US, Peru, Mexico, Chile and now 7-11. Whose next, India? Get in line, please! 10:20:46 PM    comment []

What Baduell did not say today, even if we could not understand it all Although I may have found it too coincidental that the Prosecutor’s office brought charges against a former officer of the investigative police on Monday for a massacre that took place twenty years ago, maybe I should consider it a coincidence with important symbolic consequences and Minister of Defense Baduell should consider the implications of that case to his personal future. Maybe not today, or next week, or in the next ten years, but his irresponsible actions may come back to haunt him one day and may even lead to his imprisonment. Today’s press conference by Baduell was as confusing as it was long. You the news are as confusing as the bits and pieces I caught of the press conference. I thought I had heard that there were 18 military officers involved of which 8 were in prison, while Globovision seems to indicate that there are 34 involved in the two massacres. However, Unionradio says that the eight in jail have nothing to do with La Paragua, while Globovision says they are all related to that case. It’s sort of strange why lately all high ranking military, the best of the best that get three stars and have been promoted to Minister are so hard to understand. Remember Lucas Rincon, the man that said “We asked for his resignation, which he accepted” saying the clearest words he ever said that fateful night of April 11th. 2002 or former General and Minister of Defense Garcia Carneiro, who should have always had an interpreter for us to understand what he said. Baduell is similar, convoluted, barely opens his mouth as he speaks. Why is this? Is it that Chavez picks them so that he will have no competition or reflects a new style in Venezuela’s now more incompetent military? In any case, Baduell seemed to say, in my opinion, that there are 34 members of the military being investigated for the two cases, of which eight are in detention and this part of a military operation that began on Thursday. This seems to be consistent with what I heard and some of the versions in the media. What Baduell has not answered iany of this: --Why was the National Guard kicked out of Bolivar state and replaced with the Army, isn’t that a contradiction in terms of their functionality and roles? Was it the gold or some more “strategic” reason? --If Baduell was not the liar at his press conference in Bolivar state, when he said “The miners had an armed confrontation with the Army”, who was? --Who told Baduell that the helicopters never touched the ground? --Who told Baduell that the military personnel never shot from the air? --Who told Baduell there were only four dead? --Who did not tell Baduell that some of the dead had been shot on the back of their neck? --Who gave the Governor of Bolivar State, retired General Francisco Rangel his version? Was it Baduell? This all sounds like a cover up, the more they speak on it, the more confusing, contradictory and convoluted it gets.   I think that Baduells' political ambitions may have died this week, it may have indeed been symbolic that the old massacre was rveived this week.  Fortunately, under the new Constitution, human rights cases never prescribe.   Did you know that Gral. Raul Baduell? I will not forget it! 9:39:07 PM    comment []

The fallacies of the Revolution or The revolution in fallacies by Marino Gonzalez Don't forget to read in vcrisis the translation of the article The revolution in fallacies by Marino Gonzalez. Gonzalez who is a medical doctor with a Ph.D. in Public Health, blasts the Government's health policies and uses statistics to do it, but none shocked me more than: "According to the Government itself, the Barrio Adentro mission should take care of 60% of the population. This implies taking care of at least 300,000 pregnant women a year to insure adequate prenatal control and birth without complications. In the three years of Barrio Adentro only 2,500 births have been taken care of." Imagine that, while our hospitals are falling apart. What a ripoff these guys are! 8:10:21 PM    comment []