Thursday, September 11, 2008

Chronicle of a Conspiracy Foretold in Venezuela: Hugo Chavez and the attempts on his life For almost a week, since Hugo Chavez cut short his visit to South Africa, reportedly because polls came out saying that his party’s standing in the polls in the face of the November regional elections was dropping fast, Chavez has been increasing the level of shrillness. It all began with his usual accusations that people were plotting to murder him, the US and the CIA were looking for someone to bomb his palace or his Sunday TV program (weird, since it moves each Sunday) and/or collaborating with the local oligarchy or “pitiyankees” in the effort. Then two Russian bombers arrive in Venezuela, bringing the cold war to the Caribbean and Chavez threatens us with something people thought actually was good news: He was going to pilot one of the bombers himself, but so far, no such luck. The next day, former comrades in arms, including his former buddy Raul Baduel) recall on radio how Chavez was such a coward that he would jump out of the airplane with his parachute with his eyes closed. Then in a real bizarre turn, Mario Silva, Chavista candidate for Governor in Carabobo State, plays an audio tape in his illegal TV program in the Government’s TV channel VTV, in which he purportedly plays the voices of three high ranking military officials conspiring to bomb, get rid or dispose of Chavez. Thus, rather than the military going and detaining these officials, the tape is leaked to a pro-Chavez radical/TV announcer/candidate for Governor, just because… Then, the President of the National Assembly comes out on TV playing the tape from the TV program, which somehow somebody has conveniently turned over to her, including the original audiotapes. But wait, at this point, somebody notices that the date of the audiotape in the PC label is 2005, making everyone wonder whether this was a staged coup/murder plot staged then but never used… The husband of the President of the National Assembly, who happens to be the Foreign Minister, also denounces the US and every sucker up of the autocrat comes out of the woodwork to scream bloody murderers and coupsters. Of curse the oligarchs are named again, then the media, then the group asking for the voiding of the 26 Bills illegally passed by Chavez and then everyone that went to the Presidential Palace on April 2002, when Chavez voluntarily departed the Presidency only to come back, is threatened with jail. Nice going! Then tonight, during a rally for the Chavista Mayor for the city of Puerto Cabello, with Chavez in attendance, which is legal, he orders all TV stations to broadcast his speech in which with foul language, illegal in Venezuela at such times, Chavez kicks out the US Ambassador Patrick Duddy. But everything is actually confusing and it is not quite clear if he is doing so because of the plot against his life or in solidarity with Bolivia’s President Evo Morales kicking out the US Ambassador yesterday.  But hey, this is a Government in which Chavez told his new Minister of the Interior today during a TV broadcast, that he was not interim, that he had to meet with him to clarify that he had been appointed as permanent Minister. Go figure. Is this the way to run any Nation? And then we hear the Military Prosecutor tell us that two people have been detained (A first in the 487 attempts on Chavez’ life). And rumors are flying that Chavez’ former Minister of Defense Raul Baduel, his long time buddy who departed from him last November, is going to be detained. Curiously, Baduel has been saying for months that Chavez was going to create disturbances that would allow him to justify the postponement of the upcoming November 23 regional elections. Even more interesting by the time Chavez came back from Puerto Cabello, there was a “spontaneous” gathering right outside the Presidential Palace, posters and platform and all, ready to stage a rally for the President. (Isn’t it dangerous to hold a rally right where the conspirators are targeting to drop the bomb?) I have no doubt that some of Chavez’ military colleagues are likely plotting against him, after all they learned this from him., who staged one coup in February 1992 and supported another one in November 1992, supposedly to overthrow corruption and the lack of democracy in Venezuela. It would seem that conditions are indeed much worse today, just witness the Miami trial, than then justifying in the minds of these toy soldiers the need for overthrowing the Government, simply following Chavez’ playbook. But these military officers are likely not to be pro-American and would not want to be even in contact with American officials. But the shoddiness of the presentation today. The coordinated effort, the mistakes and the way in which the “plot” was revealed, lead me to believe that this is part of the “situation room” that has come up with so many previous attempts on Chavez’ life that led to no arrests. The only thing missing this time around was the old bazooka. I guess they decided to use different props in order to improve the choreography of a conspiracy foretold. 11:38:41 PM    comment []

Chavez kicks out US Ambassador saying: Shitty Yankees, you can go one thousand times to Hell Using language improper for the time slot he was speaking on, President Chavez kicked out US Ambassador Duddy, telling him "Shitty Yankees, go 1,000 times to Hell". (Yankees de mierda, vayanse mil veces al carajo) It was the nth. time Chavez has invoked an attempt on his life to make noise when things look bad for him. The tape played in the National Assembly today which came from the Government's TV station had a date from 2005, making everyone wonder if the attempt on Chavez' life had been cooked up two years ago, but was simply never used... Yankees de mierda Cargado por noticias24 8:55:51 PM    comment []

The Miami Venezuelan Maletagate trial part IV: Live from the cesspool of the revolution! Today the Miami trial brought the first tapes of the men that tried to cover up the origin and purpose of the infamous Antonini suitcase which was accidentally discovered when it arrived in Buenos Aires and more details of both the suitcase and the cover up came up today, showing in magnificent detail how cooked and corrupt the robolution is. Lawyer Moises Maionica continued his testimony as we got to hear the first tapes of those promised by the Prosecution. In his testimony, Maionica said that Duran told him that the Superintendent of Taxes Vielma Mora could provide a fake form to justify the origin of the money in the suitcase for Antonini. Later, the Prosecution played a tape in which Antonini and Duran both speak and Antonini asks Duran: And Tarek? Does he know too? To which Duran responds: “Of course”. What’s his full name asks Antonini and Duran answers “Tarek Al Aissaimi”. Antonini then asks what his position is and Duran replies “Vice-Minister for citizen security” and Duran says that Tarek is above the Head of the Intelligence Police DISIP. At one point in the conversation Antonini gets on the phone and asks Tarek how he is and then says: “My problem in Venezuela, it can be solved? The reply is not heard but then Antonini tells him: “Thus. I should not even worry. Thanks. A big hug” Later a tape was played in which Antonini, Carlos Kauffman, MosiesMaionica and the lawyer that was supposed to take care of the case in Argentina participate. Duran then adds that he would be out by February 28th. 2008, after Argentina’s judicial vacation. Dura adds that there are elections on November 28th. and there is a risk that if Cristina (Kirchner) does not win “they are going to hit you hard with a bat…if the opposition wins you are going to be the scapegoat.” Antonini then replies that if he talks, everyone will go to prison to which Duran says that the truth is the Argentineans will only defend their land and he has to give a signal that he is not going to sell out. When Antonini asks who guarantees that he will not end up in jail if he turns himself in Argentina, the lawyer says:” Chavez and Kirchner” Antonini then says: “The only weapon I have is the truth. They tell me this is a political disaster” Antonini says it was Argentinean Claudio Uberti who asked him to take the suitcase. He then asks for guarantees and is told he can keep half the money (US$ 400,000), but Antonini asks for more. Duran simply asks: “How much do you want?”. Antonini asks “Who is going to give it to you” and he is told:” It doesn’t matter to you” Antonini then says:” I am going to ask you for a million dollars and Am I going to go t jail?” Duran says: “You will not go to jail”, to which Antonini asks:” Why is Rafael Ramirez (President of PDVSA) washing his hands? To which Duran replies: “He is not washing his hands, he can longer was his hands. President Chavez knows that it was Ramirez’ assistant that took the suitcase to the airplane” Maionica also testified that Rangel Silva told him that it was all an error by Rafael Ramirez and Claudio Uberti and Diego Uzcategui. The suitcase was intercepted due to the delay in the plane to Buenos Aires and the absence of the person that was supposed to allow it to go through. Somebody should have been waiting for it, but because of the late hour nobody was there and that made it impossible to jump the usual procedures” “The plane arrived late and that allowed for the interception” said Maionica. Maionica could not be much clearer than when he said: “My client was the Venezuelan Government and I participated in the case representing it in order to help Antonini, who I did not know” If you believe Maionica and listen to the tapes, it is clear that these guys were acting indeed on behalf of the Crooked Venezuelan Government and that the whole thing stinks up all the way to the top and reveals the depth of corruption in the cesspool that the Chavista revolution has become. Just think, corrupt men who did not have a penny ten years ago, now help and conspire to move cash in PDVSA private charters accompanied by high Government officials. With the cooperation of high level Venezuelan officials they try to cover up the evidence, using cash, lies and attempting to build a fake paper trail. They are caught and there are tapes and testimony that go all the way up to the top to Hugo Chavez the same man that said he would clean up corruption in Venezuela, only to magnify it and allow it to go unchecked. With that plot line, in any decent country the President would have resigned long ago. But not in the Chavez robolution where corruption and kickbacks are now the norm and used to control the collaborators of the autocrat. 12:27:24 AM    comment []