As Chavez and his cohorts celebrate the 20th. anniversary of this shameful day, there is simply nothing to celebrate of that coup against democracy, on the contrary, this is the anniversary of a day of shame for Venezuelans. The histrionics are there for all to.  see, what “Bolivarians” and “Chavistas” are celebrating is the cult of Hugo Chavez. He has said it many times over the last few days: The Armed Forces are “Chavistas”, not “Bolivarian”, not “Revolutionary”, but his own, the serve only him, not Venezuela. It is all about the cult of Chavez. And today, drunk in his own power, Hugo Chavez talked about “Fidelismo” and “Chavismo” on the same footing, another sign that all that matters is the cult, the rest, is just simply irrelevant.

And while “Chavismo” has left a trail of death and victims, from the Tascon list, to 120,000 murders with total indeffirence, to those fired from PDVSA, to those murdered in opposition marches, the real forgotten victims are those of 20 years ago. More than one hundred people murdered for a project that led nowhere. They were mostly civilians, caught in the cross fire of soldiers who were defending the democratically elected Government, including the President, his wife and his daughters, and soldiers who were led to the coup under false pretenses. Very few of the latter knew even why they were there. The page of a newspaper above tells the forgotten and very shameful story that Chavez claims to celebrate today, as if it was an epic battle. He did not even fight. He failed at his military objective of killing the President, he was pardoned and this allowed him to embark in his very personal project of “Chavismo”

And don’t believe for a minute that he is improvising, as documents captured that fateful day twenty years ago show, among the tactics was “to stimulate hate between classes”, “establish links to the FARC” and as this other document shows, the goal was to establish a Marxist Leninist domination, a socialist society, without “any rush”.

But the cult has left a country in shambles, full of corruption and dysfunctional institutions, a decimated infrastructure and the penetration of the country’s armed forces by Cubans and the oil industry by foreign Governments, whose only objective is to take over much needed hydrocarbon resources, when PDVSA can no longer expand production because Chavez destroyed it.

It is a day of shame, as well as the anniversary of a day of shame, with the Autocrat/Dictator inviting others like him to this so called celebration. The democrats of the region stayed away, while Hugo Chavez tries to instill fear in his own citizens.

There is still hope that things may change this year, either by vote or by fate, Chavismo may simply wither away in Venezuela some time soon. Hopefully, its trail of shame and blood will not be forgotten.

I learned most of what I know about human rights from Amnesty International. When I was younger (I still feel young!) it just seemed that they always took the right side, no matter what the issue was. They were consistent, they had principles and they used mostly volunteers. How idealistic could you get?

Contrast that to the “leftist” movements, who claimed to support  Amnesty International then when it was on their side, but who now criticize when AI blasts their heroes, whether Fidel, Hugo, Lula and the imitation autocrats that have unfortunately taken over power in Latin America. And shame on Dilma Rousseff for using the “sovereignty” argument when she went to Cuba to visit the two bloody Dictators, Raul and Fidel, and failed to even defend another woman, Yohani Sanchez, who has been trying for years to travel abroad. The link is that Rousseff was being beaten up by right wing thugs at the same time when I first became acquainted with Ammnesty International. The difference is that  while AI keeps hitting hard, Rousseff is in her own La-La land, oblivious to human rights violations around the region,  in the incorrect and naive belief that the horror she lived through, will never come back to the region.

Oh, Dilma! How power corrupts intelligence. Ask Venezuelans, we never thought our democracy would be threatened and look what a Thugo fate brought to us! And you have not criticized him and remember, you are not immune!

But I digress…

Because the whole point of this post is that Amnesty International is still at it. Today, the Secretary for Education for their Venezuela Chapter Vivian Diaz was there, reminding the Venezuelan Government that recruiting kids is illegal under international law. Moreover, Ms. Diaz reminds the Government that AI has complained about this before and that the recent pictures simply makes the problem more visible.

Kudos to AI, who continues hammering at it, right and left, defending everyone’s rights in the face of the fake democrats that believe that rights can be suspended whenever their own political projects justify it.

She is Gabriela Ramirez, the so called People’s Ombudsman(woman), which in Spanish and in Venezuela’s Constitution is called the People’s Defender. She is supposed to be ready to defend everyone’s rights. .

Well, a few days ago, pictures came out of children armed with weapons. Big weapons (Ak-47′s?). The pictures were not anonymous, they were clearly identified with the “Colectivo La Piedrita” activities. (They even have a Facebook page) This is a paramilitary group that has always promoted having and bearing weapons, going around with covered faces and the like. Of course, once pictures like this one appeared all over the place, with a clear indication to where they came from:

La Piedrita leaders began saying that this was just part of a play…

Yeah, with real weapons, there is a clear message there, no? In fact, they even held a protest to ask for “respect” for the armed children.

Of course, the Government began “investigating” this, but they had to do little, just go to 23 de Enero and find La Piedrita and those responsible for this. They have yet to do it.

And the National Assembly also expressed their outrage, creating yet another commission which will not even bother to go to 23 de Enero, about 10 minutes away from where the Assembly meets. They are probably afraid to go there anyway. They don’t like oligarchs there.

I wonder what the guy that Chavez put in charge of disarming the people thinks about all this? I guess he is to busy preparing the website.

And we had not heard from Gabriela, pictured above, she always delays her appearances, as if she is not truly connected to the upper ups and  is waiting for some guidance on what to do or say. Unless she has to defend the Government, that is always automatic. But today she did show up and apparently she found a true crime in all this and concentrated on it:

She finds publishing the images as illegal, insulting and degrading to the kids, as arming them. In fact, she even suggested there was no crime, the weapons may not even be real. She even called on opposition parties not to use the images in the campaign. La Piedrita gets the benefit of the doubt, the candidates don’t. That is why I published only a small picture, it will be a small crime in Gabriela’s eyes. Sort of arming a kid with a Beretta instead of a Kalasnikov.

Funny, she did not condemn “La Piedrita” either for defending the rights of the kids to be shown with weapons, even if it was only a play.

Yeap, we know who the real criminals are in Venezuela: anyone that does not support Hugo IS one.

Venezuela is truly the world upside down.

Note added: Was PSUV Deputy Robert Serra present at the La Piedrita event?

Seems like it…, I am sure he voted to investigate too.

Daniel wrote an excellent post on why Hugo was simply speaking for the gallery yesterday when he threatened to nationalize banks if they do not comply with the required credit quota for agricultural loans. The punchline is the most important part, Chavez is simply lying, private banks are indeed complying with the quotas, it is the public banks that actually fail to do so, but, of course Chavez does not even suggest he may sell his banks to the private sector.

But it is even worse, Chavez plans to make it obligatory for banks to transfer their agricultural credit portfolio to a fund managed by the Government. Read: credits given out with depositors money will be moved so that they are “controlled” and “managed” by the revolutionary Government, who has shown little ability to control and manage anything. But think about it, if the Government does not ever return the money, the amount “owed” is comparable to all of the banks capital, about US$ 9 billion. You get the picture, no?

What Chavez is actually doing with his lying, is just passing the buck, trying to blame the private sector for the failure of his thirteen years of trying to change Venezuela’s agriculture through idiotic policies. And as if to prove it, Hugo Chavez in the same episode of his variety program Alo Presidente, happened to remove his Minister for Agriculture, reportedly for medical reasons. Even if we give Chavez the benefit of the doubt, we suspect he was mad at Minister Loyo for one reason or another. Chavez’ solution to the problem is even worse: He named his Vice-President Elias Jaua as temporary Minister of Agriculture, as if he did not have anything to do.

This is incredibly stupid, when Chavez already announced a week ago that Jaua will leave the Cabinet in June, to run for Governor of Miranda. When agricultural policy is in such disarray, you want someone that knows his stuff and will be able to be around for quite a while and shape it up. But Jaua will not be. That is simply bad management.

Which raises another question: Why can’t Chavez let the Vice-Minister take the position? Why can’t Chavez even come up with a single name to replace Loyo? Is the revolution so short of “qualified” people?

And we suspect the answer is : Yes it is. The revolution lacks experts who are not fully loyal, rojo rojito inside out, that Chavez can trust. That is why the Cabinet has become such a revolving door of the same incompetent personalities, asked to solve all of the problems. Jaua is after all, a sociologist, who became Ambassador, who became Minister of Agriculture and then Vice-President. And he has not held that many positions so far.

But Chavez moves on using his best Terminator style, trampling over everything and lying to “the people” he claims to love, but cheats at every step. Ready to nationalize the banking system to satisfy his predatory insecurities, no matter what the cost and inefficiencies and using the people’s money.

Hugo is simply clueless, but so far, he is the President, the terminator President, who destroys everything in his path, just because…

Agriculture is just one of his areas of destructive expertise.

I apologize for being absent since Monday, but things got complicated after the debate on Monday, stopping me from blogging until now. Not that I did not want to. After Leopoldo Lopez’ withdrawal and endorsement of Henrique Capriles, I actually had to, but perhaps it was better this way, as I was able to be surprised by the diverse reactions to the political maneuver, many of which were surprisingly negative.

I found Lopez’ decision to be a good political move, typical of a primary process. Lopez had clearly not gained much in the polls since joining the race, in fact some polls suggest he had lost ground and politically it was risky for him personally to perform badly, obtaining even less than ten percent of the vote. There is no question that Lopez’ legal case remains an anvil hanging from his neck. Too many people that I talked to believed it too risky for him to run and win, only to be banned from taking office. I have always disagreed with this, believing that a victory by Lopez in the Presidential race guaranteed that he would take office. Nevertheless, this fairly widespread belief, combined with Lopez’ poor campaigning in the initial stages of the race, simply did not allow him to gain ground.

Lopez could have simply stayed out, rather than join Capriles. This is something that some Lopez supporters find infuriating, they somehow find it insulting that Lopez can think that their votes can simply be endorsed to Capriles on Lopez’ say so. Of course they can’t, but that is what primaries are all about. Lopez wanted to make a statement and stay visible, but Lopez also needed a lifeline for his Voluntad Popular party, which requires funding for its candidates in the regional race and for its nationwide network. Lopez’ withdrawal would make it hard to have a continuos flow of funding that would surely go to the other candidates in the race. The move guarantees this funding.

And while it is clear after listening to so many people gripe about the endorsement that not all of Lopez’ votes will go to Capriles, it is also clear in my mind that a good fraction of them will, which added to the apparent strong support for Capriles, should push him over the very magic, and desirable, fifty percent number and seal the fate of the election.

And in that, the move is politically masterful. Two, new generation, persecuted politicians, have put the nail in the coffin of the Cuarta Republica, represented by the traditional political parties and politicians that back Un Nuevo Tiempo’s candidate Pablo Perez. Not that these parties will go away, but a loss by Perez in February, will do away with some of the encroached traditional politicians used to manipulating everything in smoke filled rooms.

In that sense, the move is not only brilliant, but if it works, it will be historical and will become when the sixth or a potential sixth, killed the fourth.

And clearly, if Leopoldo was going to support someone, it had to be Capriles, he could not back any of the others, including Maria Corina Machado, who so far has shown less progress in gaining support than Lopez, even if we don’t have any numbers after her “To Expropriate is to rob” statement. And even if she did, she still does not have a national structure to get out the vote on primary day.

Which is in a sense, Lopez’ biggest contribution to the Capriles campaign: combining both structures to insure that Pablo Perez does not win simply because Un Nuevo Tiempo and Accion Democratica managed to use their political machinery to get out of the vote. And Lopez’ Voluntad Popular has even a far wider presence (in geographical extension, not in size) than Capriles’ around the country, which in my opinion reinforces Primero Justicia’s well and contains the possibility of a Pablo Perez surprise.

Hopefully, the resentment over the move will be forgotten by the time February 12th. comes around and the other parties remain united in the Presidential race.

As to the possibility that Maria Corina Machado will mount a surprising and last minute surge, I just don’t buy it. That is simply wishful think by people who live in Caracas and who in their hearts have always viewed MCM with sympathy, but felt that she had no chance until she started confronting Chavez. I did  not see any evidence that this has changed, even if some tried to change my mind on the subject.

To me, primaries have done their job at this stage. Clearly, given the negative reactions to the news of Lopez’ endorsement of Capriles, people still have to experience a few primaries to understand why the dynamics help promote and decant the candidates, while giving them additional exposure. With Lopez’ withdrawal the field narrows and in my opinion, it just went from six to two, if not just one.

Thanks to Leopoldo Lopez campaign group, who thought blog coverage of the debate would be useful and thanks to Daniel including me in the plan, I was able to be at the Globovision debate tonight live. Unfortunately, Digitel failed to cooperate and the organizers failed to provide the required technology, despite the fact that at the Universidad Metropolitana, where the debate took place, there were plenty of wi-fi networks available.

The debate was structured around questions and then candidates could come back and say how they disagreed with answers or how they would do things differently. It would be meaningless for me to do a blow by blow of the debate, even if I do have the notes. Instead, I will give a summary of how I saw it and will comment at the end on Leopoldo Lopez’ hinting that he and Capriles will be joining forces.

First, the biggest loser in my mind was Pablo Perez. The Zulia Governor was certainly not very impressive, with meandering arguments and very general, vapor filled arguments that meant very little. He may have the party machinery, he may have the funding, but he was absolutely unimpressive, so much so, that Pablo Medina looked his equal and I don’t even plan to talk about what Medina said or did not say.

The most impressive, edging Leopoldo Lopez, was Maria Corina Machado. She had many arguments and specifics that I appreciated. While I don’t buy the “Capitalismo Popular” simplicity, she did show that she understands the economics and the vision of what is necessary to make a country click. I particularly liked how she affirmed that as President she would have the tools needed to rescue the judicial system from the Chavistas. She did not answer the last question properly, the moderator asked each candidate to say what they would say at the end of their term, while she said all the things she would do. But then she mentioned in that list, returning expropriated properties to their rightful owners, kicking Cuban military out of the country, freeing political prisoners and eliminating cadenas. Wrong answer to the question, but good answers. The lack of a nationwide structure will stop her from doing well, but she has certainly been impressive the last few weeks.

Diego Arria was consistent in his program and what he has said all along, that he only wants three years, that a Constituent Assembly is needed and this is not  a “normal” situation. He has done a good job in making his points and he will not go much beyond here, but he ran to make these points. Kudos to him for being the only one to differentiate the problem of the rural worker from those of the city worker.

I just did not like Henrique Capriles. He was vague. I did not get a felling he has vision or understanding of what makes a country grow and work. He is the front runner, but maybe I don’t get him for the same reasons I don’t get Chavismo, I just don’t know what he is about. He can tell me many times what he did in Miranda. But being President is more than about servicing people and solving current problems, you have to look way down the line, He did not mention one concrete or semi-concrete proposal to that effect.

To me Leopoldo Lopez was second to Maria Corina. I would have liked his summary question to have more punch, even if his answer was the most realistic, saying that he had partially solved problems in six years in office. But overall, he showed that he understands economic terms as well as Maria Corina, the two candidates that showed some economic and visionary concepts (Diego Arria did not even try to go there). I also like Lopez’ emphasis on making things in Venezuela, so as to eventually become an exporting country.

Leopoldo did throw a curveball at the end by suggesting that he and Henrique Capriles would somehow join forces in ways  yet to be announced. We will have to wait and see what the announcement is. Clearly, if Lopez is not going to do well, it makes sense to withdraw. And if he gives his support for Capriles, he will not only be showing his inclination for supporting unity, but also that he is willing to sacrifice in a classy way to make something happen. He has to be given credit for that. Even if he just withdraws, giving up for the common good is uncommon in Venezuelan politics. This is not a moment for selfish politics, too much is at stake.

A very interesting experience, Daniel was able to tweet live, even if I could not blog, but cool to feel the politics up close. I will tell you who I will vote for before the primary, but no matter who wins now, I will vote in October for the opposition candidate.

I was a little shocked by this ad in yesterday’s El Universal of a company touting a door for your home that is claimed to be “Anti-Kalashnikov”. When companies play with peoples’ fears this way, you know we have a very serious crime problem. (I mean, can’t they open a hole through the wall next to the door with the same rifle?). I understand most armored cars in Caracas can not stop the bullets of an AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle, but if you are worried, you can shield your home from them now.

Another sign of progress brought to you by the Bolivarian revolution.

Thanks Hugo, we really needed that factory!

The ability to lie and twist is legendary for the Chavista revolution. From illiteracy to oil production, facts are changed, twisted and  massaged in order to fit what Chavez and the Government want to say they achieved, even if complete lies have to be said.

The latest is the new euphemism the Government has found for what constitutes building a new home. Given that the country’s problem is the shortage of housing, estimated at over 2.5 million housing units, a new home should be a newly built unit, until Chavez decided he wanted to build 150,000 housing units in 2011.

It was an impossible task from a Government that has never built more than 80,000 housing units in one year and given the fact that his “Mision Vivienda” was announced in April. But by the end of the year Chavez was talking about completing 94% of the goal and the year ended with an official number of 146,714 units built by the Government.

The number has been repeated so many times, that it has become the truth, even if nobody believes it. But this week, Minister of Oil and Energy Rafael Ramirez explained the “miracle”, Chavismo simply changed the definition. How? It now includes among new housing units built all rancho (shacks)”substitutions”.And it says that a whopping 45% of all the “new” units, were actually “substitutions”.

From what I have been able to understand, a “substitution” is the definition for a rancho (the type of elementary housing you see in the hills of Caracas) that has been upgraded in the materials that are used in its construction. Which means we have no idea what it really means.

Which also implies that we have no clue what it really meant when the Government claims to have built only 80, 692 new housing units, its best number in thirteen years, but still above other estimates.

So, maybe next time you drive by a barrio, look up and if you see a freshly painted rancho, you are seeing one such “substitution”. Not much change beyond that.

Another way of hiding the revolutions inability to do anything, just change the definition and the goal has been accomplished and Chavez is certainly pleased.

As it should be.

Well, Maria Corina Machado was not content with her good performance on Friday and comes back to stick her finger in Hugo Chavez’ eyes with this wonderful, clear and succinct statement of why it is a “grave political error, a show of the lack of respect for Venezuela’s Armed Forces and a provocation” on Chavez’ part to name General Rangel Silva Minister of Defense.

Maria Corina then lists her very clear objections:

-General Rangel Silva’s administrative performance in previous positions has been put into question.

-There have been accusations and indications internationally about presumed links between irregular groups, this has to be cleared up.

-As a Venezuelan it is unacceptable, it is a mockery to the people of Venezuela for a General to say that he does not plan to recognize the will of the majority by their votes in the most important elections of the country’s history.

What will Hugo say this time: You have called me a provocateur!

To which she could answer, No Mr. President in this case, I am the provocateur!

During Chavez’ last State of the Union address, I heard him say that he was not in favor of Diosdado Cabello becoming Head of the National Assembly, that he favored Soto Rojas for a second year in the Assembly’s Presidency, but that “discussions” led to Diosdado being named.

Say what?

Is that a Freudian slip, a parapraxis, a manifestation that Hugo is no longer Hugo?

Isn’t he the all powerful, all-mighty, who decides even whether there will be a devaluation? (Yes, there wasn’t one, but it was recommended)

So, Hugo, can you tell us who supported Diosdado? Was it the same people that supported Rangel Silva? Clearly you and the Cubans lost, but can you tell us something more? What is going in Chavismo when the anti-Cuban, pro-business, pro-shady deals faction wins?

Pleeeeeeease!!!