Sunday, June 11, 2006

What is Hugo Chavez afraid of? Yes, there is a very good reason not to invest in Venezuela, it is called Hugo Chavez: "Caracas, Jun 10 (EFE).- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez asked the nation’s business leaders to repatriate $10 billion of the dollars they have overseas and invest it in their own country. “I ask you to bring back the $10 billion you took out over the last 10 years and invest it in this country. If you don’t we will have to take measures after our victory on Dec. 3,” Chavez said at a ceremony in Maracaibo, 700 kilometers (435 miles) west of Caracas." I only have three questions: --Who was in power most of the time while this money was being "taken"? --What are you afraid of that you have to wait until winning in Dec. 3d. to do it? --Who gave you the $10 billion figure? 10:23:31 PM    comment []

Chavista groups fight over money and power By now, maybe Hugo Chavez wishes he had kept some institutional checks and balances in place, as corruption and corruption scandals mount. Whatever the connection between the various scandals, it is clear that there are some serious struggles taking place within the Government and it is a struggle mostly over money and power, in that order. What lies behind these fights is beyond me, but I can’t dismiss the removal of Justice Velasquez Alvaray and the death of his right hand man that easily. To see it significance, it is important to recall who Velasquez Alvaray was. He was a Chavez friend and confidant, from his own state of Barinas who participated in all stages of the Chavez Government, elected to Congress, the Constituent Assembly and the National Assembly before being promoted to Justice of the Supreme Court. Velasquez Alvaray was very powerful, in charge of the much hailed “cleaning up” of the Venezuelan Judicial system, single handedly removing more than 400 judges from their positions, leaving some questionable ones in place, including recent law graduates and even convicted murderers. (Some of those fired reportedly will now ask to be rehired) And then, one day out of the blue, he is accused of corruption in the purchase of land for the a judicial compound in Caracas, in a country where there have been clear cut cases of similar overpaying during the robolution (The Nobrega case with the Citibank building, for example) with not even an investigation. Then Velasquez Alvaray claims to have taped most telephone conversation and accuses the Vice-President and the Minister of the Interior or getting rid of him. He does not show up to defend himself at the National Assembly, leaves the country and his right hand man, dies under confusing circumstances. (The police has not confirmed it was a suicide). It is almost like something out of a John Grisham movie. And his right hand man was no slouch either. A good friend of Chavez since they were young, Antonio Bazarate also worked closely with Chavez’ father in the Barinas Governorship up to the day his friend Velasquez Alvaray called him to work for him. Barinas is not only Chavez’ state, but also the one in which there seems to have been the biggest corruption scandals in the last three months, including the sugar processing plant that never was, the tomato plant that does not even exist and now this. And the conflict over the issue is larger than many think. More than sixty Chavista Deputies did not even show up for the vote in protest, including most of the Barinas clan. Not one of them explaiend hisor her absence. Meanwhile, the sudden wealth of the Minister of the Interior’ brother is not investigated (Velasquez Alvaray had long ago denounced him for asking him to deposit Supreme Court funds in his bank). Few Governors (or the CNE!) do not follow the open public bidding law, including Chavez’ father, but it is only an opposition ex-Governor who is charged for it, a Chavista Deputy tells the world what we already knew that the coop initiative has become simply a way of evading taxes and not paying workers well (Makarem’s Petrozulia is one such coop), Fondafa has become a source of corruption and commissions financing areas larger than Yaracuy state while farmers there say they can’t get loans and anyone and everyone surrounding the financial part of the state exhibits such wealth that we are no longer talking about millions of dollars, but billions of them. You have read here all of the schemes these members of the Government’s organized crime units use to make money. Certainly not a pretty picture. Meanwhile, the trusted head of the foreign exchange control office CADIVI resigns, saying that she is doing it because she “disagrees with the rest of the Board”. Rumors have it that empty containers arrive regularly at Venezuela’s ports, simply empty as part of massive fraud via CADIVI, while Chavez tells the new Head of CADIVI that he wants fewer imports of old Scotch, since the “people” don’t drink it. Of course, Venezuela imported US$ 24 billion of stuff, including not only old Scotch, but also BMW’s and Mercedes Benz’, which are imported at the official rate of exchange. After all, the new nouveau rich revolutionaries need to satisfy their tastes too. But right hand men seem to be dropping dead all over the place. What started with the right man of the General Prosecutor, Danilo Anderson, was followed up with the right hand person of Francisco Ameliach and now Velázquez Alvaray’s second. I guess nobody wants to be called Chavez’ right hand at this time, just in case. In the end, this putrefied picture of graft, corruption and murder can simply be traced to the disappearance of checks and balances. Chavez controls everything, but does not get involved in the details. He has allowed others to set up their own fiefdoms of power and corruption, as long as they do what he wants and when he wants it. But he let’s them be in between and they do not check on each other unless they step over each other’s territory of graft or power. And that is exactly what is happening today. Feudal lords encroached in their positions are fighting over territory all over the place.Just this week, a suposedly close confidant of a Governor was reported by two newspapers to have been robbed from his apartment 18 million euros and 2 million dollars, all in cash.  And there are exchange controls! Ugly and suspicious indeed! In the end it is the absence of checks and balances that is haunting Chavez. He removed them to do whatever he wanted, but he failed to understand that dictators and autocrats need efficient control and his Government is anything but efficient or even controlling of its own people. Power groups, both political and economical, have sprung up all over the place and they seem to be enjoying the good life and are willing to fight and apparently even to die for it. It is not only Chavez that exhibits luxury in his surroundings and on him, it is all over the place by now. Private airports are full of new jets and the owners are mostly members of the new oligarchy, even if once in a while they let an old one buy one too. Fancy cars are selling like hotcakes, but the old oligarchs don’t want them for fear for their lives. Even suit salesmen are now carrying unheard of top of the line $1,500 Italian suits in order to please the revolutionaries. This had not happened since the days of ta’barato (In the 70’s the cheapest thing in Venezuela was a buck and Venezuelans would invade Miami to shop, saying “ta’barato” (it is cheap), give me two) Thus, Chavez faces some tough choices, but he is unlikely to do anything before December. Whether the Chavistas without Chavez exist or not, or the midgets gang really exist, is hard to tell, but Chavez needs at this time their support to get elected, as he spends his time projecting himself abroad. For now, the carnage is likely to continue, gangland style. 7:45:21 PM    comment []

An amazing musical evening with the devil himself The following post contains no politics and the only relation to this blog is probably Venezuela and perhaps a tenuous connection to a different type of Devil, a much nicer one at that. Last night I had a wonderful experience, probably the word wonderful is surely inaquedate, everything was so spectacular that it was a memorable experience that will be with me for the rest of my life. Imagine being at a beautiful concert Hall, designed by the person who is probably the best arquitect ever to come out of Venezuela. Then throw in a classical symphony orchestra, one of the best in Venezuela, backing the best Venezuelan salsa singer/performer/entertainer/showman, the man I consider to be one of the most universal Venezuelans there is. Then add to this as a bonus, the lead singer of one of Venezuela’s most famous and timeless salsa orchestras, a man I thought was dead, but is close to ninety and can remarkably still sing with the same sweet light tenor voice and move people both emotionally and physically, the same way he has been doing it since 1936. Throw in one of Venezuela’s best known modern composers of popular music on piano for a few pieces and a legendary music educator that can sing and you get and extraordinary night of music, rhythm and fun. Yes it was truly incredible and it is indeed hard to describe how Oscar D’Leon, the “Devil of Salsa” sang, danced entertained and performed at the Aula Magna of Universidad Central de Venezuela, backed by the Orquesta Sinfonica Municipal de Caracas and with Rafa Galindo. Aldemaro Romero and Elisa Sotelo as special guests. A full classical orchestra together with his group sounded absolutely awesome, playing all those salsa songs that have made D’Leon so famous all over the world. Galindo’s Bolero’s and a whole set of songs dedicated to Caracas just made the whole thing incredibly whole and emotional. D’Leon challenged the members of the orchestra both individually and as a group, making them dance as they played and showcasing their talents by having them play solos that revealed both their abilities and versatilities. Just try to imagine close to one hundred musicians playing salsa wit D’Leon singingool to see all these musicians in formal clothes moving at the rhytm of the salsa as they played their instruments. (The only low point was that D’Leon’s voice was aomewhat overwhelmed by the music and they did not balance it, even if Galindo’s voice came through without any problem) D’Leon was his usual fantastic performer, interacting with the public, making the public sing (“Profesor Ri Rua” was incredible), clap, cheer and more than once the halls were crowded by people dancing to the songs and music that all Venezuelans at some point in their life have danced to. (Everyone there certainly knew the words) Terrific, spectacular, wonderful and memorable evening with a world class spectacle, brought to you by extremely talented Venezuelans. What a delight! Remarkably, it was a one time performance for a show that I think should run for months. Oh yes! I forgot, all of this for Bs. 22,000 (US$ 10 at the official exchange rate), but actually priceless 3:26:33 PM    comment []

Bolivia belongs to Fidel Paroding Venezuela's logo "Venezuela ahora es de todos", El Morrocoy Rojo comes out with this hilarious cartoon modifying to Bolivia " Bolivia now also belongs to Fidel" 3:25:39 PM    comment []