Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Not a stellar debut for the Caracas-Tuy train on the first day. It was not a stellar debut for the Tuy Caracas train in its first day of operation as witnessed by the long lines in the picture. Unfortunately the 5 AM train left at 5:20 AM and the 5:20 AM train did not leave until 6:50 AM. At 9 AM the gate was closed and thousands in line were turned back so that wor could continue on the line and the stations. Official figures say that 17,000 people used the system both ways on its first day, but many were angered by the shutdown after such long lines, since they had to go to the bus terminal and get into their usual line. Many got to work late in Caracas. Not exactly the best adverstising for a Government that has built very few public works and most, like the Tuy-Caracas train, had been planned and designed even before Chavez got to power. Hopefully the bugs will be ironed out, but I can still remember when the Caracas Metro was first inaugurated that most people were amazed at how efficient and well it worked. But hey! Those were the days of the terrible IVth. Republic so I must be violating some law by saying this. 10:55:31 PM    comment []

The cynical attitude towards freedom of speech in the silly revolution The recent tale of IVIC, persecuting Physicist Claudio Mendoza for writing an opinion article under his own name and using his right to free speech, contrasts with another case, which Chavez and his Government turned into a free speech issue, but was simply an academic issue. In 2002, Felipe Perez (who later became Minister of Planning) was under contract at IESA, Venezuela’s premier business school. The way I remember it, he had been in a tenure track position, but failed to have even close to an adequate level of productivity while a Professor at IESA for three years. Thus, his contract was not renewed and he was given a temporary contract until he found a job. Right about that time, Perez made some statements to the effect that the Government should nationalize the banking system or something like that and Perez’ contract was not renewed when it came due. The Government made a big issue of this. It used all of its influence on the Board of IESA, where the Government holds quite a number of positions and eventually led to the resignations of a number of important figures at IESA, including its President and the Dean of the Graduate School who felt the Government was intervening on academic matters and they would not compromise their academic integrity over the issue. The Government simply turned the whole thing into a freedom of speech issue, which it was not, in contrast to Claudio Mendoza’s case, which it certainly is. The whole thing was so ridiculous that Chavez in his Sunday Alo Presidente program actually talked about it and here is what he said: “On November 15th. this economist made statements making a series of criticisms about certain private sectors calling them to reflect, specially the banking system. And I salute my friends the bankers, but we continue to call on them. I join the call that Felipe Perez is making and IESA can not kick me out”. Chavez criticized the decision against Perez and congratulated him saying he wanted to talk to him personally. “I think we have to reivindicate people, I think it is an abuse of IESA, where they speak of freedom to be critical, and we should welcome it, but this a call to reflect on it. As I said, because Perez was pro-Chavez, IESA was pressured and forced into hiring him back, forcing the resignation of many of that institutions authorities. You can be sure, that if anything, Chavez will celebrate Claudio’s firing from IVIC since I have information that it was Chavez himself that was behind the letter Dr. Mendoza received. That is what cynicism and freedom of speech mean in the stupid revolution. 9:03:34 PM    comment []