Sunday, June 29, 2014

Versión de "La Salida" para los chavistas

La manera en que Giordani fue botado nos pone a pensar. Y pensándolo bien uno entiende que más allá de cualquier diferencia ideológica o de cualquier ilusión de cambio económico, lo que se esta gestando dentro del chavismo es "La Salida", pero de algunos de ellos, a disfrutar de lo que se han robado. Si algo ha sido confirmado estos días, aunque sea parcialmente, es lo que escribe Rafael Poleo desde hace ya bastante tiempo. Según Poleo un grupo dentro del chavismo ha decidido ir a la posición pragmática de negociar una salida. En este caso lo "pragmático" no significa un cambio de modelo, no significa mas democracia. No. Significa hacer los cambios necesarios para que los altos jerarcas puedan salir del poder de una manera "soft", y entregar el coroto a unos sucesores que cargarán con casi toda seguridad con las culpas. El cambio de Maduro de comunista barato a neo liberal de pacotilla solo puede explicarse con la decisión de Cuba de entregar Venezuela a intereses transnacionales a cambio de que él, y los Castro y unos cuantos más salgan ilesos, con una porción suficiente del botín acumulado para un retiro cómodo.

Para poder explicar y entender esto hay que entender primero cual es la situación del chavismo y de Venezuela.

El gobierno desde que murió Chávez ha sido incapaz de encontrar soluciones al desastre que el gigante dejó. Chávez, que ya se puede decir ha sido el peor presidente de nuestra historia, no vaciló en arruinar el país creando un "modelo económico" cuyo objetivo era el control político a través del control económico. Punto. Eso fue todo.

Ni Chávez podría enfrentar hoy las consecuencias de su soberbia y testarudez, aunque lo hubiese hecho mejor que Maduro en eso que los chavistas estarían menos inquietos, en particular en la víspera de un congreso que es una verdadera caja de Pandora. El hecho es que las peleas internas y tribales del chavismo han imposibilitado cualquier mejora económica, cualquier paz social, cualquier lógica administrativa. Los herederos de Chávez son lo peor que se unió al chavismo, quedando al tope por la sencilla razón de que cualquier persona con autoestima y dos dedos de frente salió del chavismo para finales del 2007. Lo que nos dejó Chávez fue una cuerda de corruptos, incompetentes e izquierdistas trasnochados como el mismo Maduro reconoce. Pero eso si, con real y armas y la mente malandra para usarlos sin pudor.

Pero resulta que calculando lo que se habían robado aprendieron a sacar cuentas y pueden ver que las cuentas del estado no dan ni van a dar si no se hacen algunos cambios, ni siquiera si los suníes conquistan a los chiítas del sur de Iraq. subiendo el petroleo a nivel de recesión occidental. También se dieron cuenta que por mas represión que hagan, por mas medios de comunicación que cierren o se adueñen, por mas cadenas que haga Maduro, el respaldo baja y baja.  

Agreguemos a eso que los vivos en la Habana entienden mejor lo que esta pasando en Venezuela que los que están en Miraflores. Ellos también tienen sus problemas. Ellos saben que con la muerte de Fidel, ahora en cualquier momento, se pueden desencadenar los mil y un demonios en una isla que posiblemente no recibe ya hoy en día todo lo que recibía de Venezuela hace un par de años.

¿Que hacer?

La situación interna

Primero hay que entender que la salida chavista nunca va a ser por las buenas. Esa gente robó demasiado, mató demasiado, drogaron demasiada gente en el mundo para salir lisos. La salida chavista no será por las buenas porque o habrá mucha violencia o habrá mucha impunidad que es igual de malo para el futuro.

La represión no es algo que le daría asco a gente como Cilia Flores o Jorge Rodriguez. Pero los militares no lo van a hacer porque ellos no quieren ser los bolsas que irán presos por crimines contra la humanidad mientras que la tribu Flores, posiblemente incluyendo hasta el enchufado sobrino del conserje del edificio donde vive el primo Fulano Flores, se la pasa de shopping por allí.

Pero los militares tiene un tremendo rabo de paja también. No solamente está la represión presente y pasada, la corrupción, pero también esta el narcotráfico en manos de militares cómplices, algunos de ellos incluso promovidos a ministros. No nos caigamos a cuentos: el ejercito venezolano no tiene nada que se pueda rescatar. Ni va a tumbar al gobierno ni lo va a defender, lo único que va a hacer es colaborar en buscar una institucionalización del sistema que permita a los culpables mas grandes salvar el pellejo y parte del botín, para ellos, sus hijos y sus nietos. Más nada.

Y no esperemos ayuda de la oposición. ¿Alguien cree que Ramos Allup va a dirigir una marcha de protesta contra un régimen que le permite a la familia de su esposa ingentes negocios? Hay suficiente Adecos y Copeyanos de esos del 58 para hacer una marcha seria? ¿No hemos visto el bochorno de Aveledo, AD y Primero Justicia en ver quien abandona de ultimo a Machado, Lopez o Arria? Esa oposición esta lista para negociar a puertas cerrada las migajas que le toquen una vez que el régimen cuadre el futuro de Venezuela con el mundo globalizado.

La geopolítica

Esta año nos ha esclarecido mucho. 

En Rusia no va a haber democracia, siempre gobiernos inestables, de lideres imperiales mas o menos exitosos pero siempre fracasados al final. De esa gente Europa no puede esperar un suministro fiable de energía ni una relación económica de parámetros racionales.

En oriente medio lo que tenemos es una guerra de religión, oculta y ahora declarada frontalmente. Esa gente, los chiítas y los suniés tiene menos diferencias que entre el Papa y los pentecostalistas y sin embargo se odian mas que nos odiábamos en la Europa de la Reforma del siglo XVI. Suministrarse de petroleo en oriente medio expone a un sin fin de extorsión, chantaje, violencia, terrorismo. Con esa gente no se puede trabajar, ni siquiera para organizar un mundial de fútbol. Los únicos que tal vez puedan con esa gente en el futuro son los chinos. Vamos a entregarles el medio oriente y que se las arreglen. Tal Vez la India pueda compartir por tener tantos musulmanes adentro.

¿Como hacen Japón, América y Europa? Los japoneses tendrán que conformarse con Indonesia y Birmania. Los gringos pronto serán energeticamente independientes otra vez, y cuentan con las reservas de Mexico y Canada, por si acaso. Brasil tiene lo suyo y solo queda Venezuela para Europa, con las migajas que pueda conseguir en Africa. 

Si todo sale como parece que lo están planeando, dentro de 10 años habrá un mundo tri-polar con EE.UU, Brasil (si se sacuden a Dilma en octubre) y Europa, con una aliado en Japón y un polo rival en China si es que no se hunde antes en una crisis política sin fin. Lo demás, Rusia, medio Oriente, África, que hagan lo que quieran y no molesten.

"La Salida" vista por los chavistas

Lo que se trata es de mejorar un poco las cosas en Venezuela, para que la gente se tranquilice y empiece a olvidar las fechorías que cometieron Cabello, Ramirez, etc.  Hay muchas maneras de intentarlo, aunque en mi opinión dudo que alguna vaya a funcionar. Pero en fin, sigamos la corriente a gente como Poleo.  He aquí una opción.

Se le hecha la culpa a Giordani y a "la izquierda trasnochada" de lo que se pueda. Amparado en eso se puede devaluar, aumentar la gasolina, etc.

Como no sera suficiente, se le echará más tarde más culpa a Maduro. Pero gracias a la trampa electoral la oposición a pesar de sacar 1 millón mas de votos que el chavismo, este mantiene una mayoría de 2-3 diputados en la asamblea de 2015. Eso otra vez crea una crisis dentro de la oposición cuya dirigencia otra vez le mintió a su electorado (pero una dirigencia que cobrará con un par de gobernaciones más y tal vez 30 alcaldías más en 2016). Con Lopez y Machado presos y Capriles desprestigiado de una buena vez por haber promovido esperar hasta el 2015, la nueva asamblea tiene un año de gracia por lo menos. Es posible que la oposición se divide a la par del chavismo para crear una "nueva mayoría" que organizaría el gran perdón de los ladrones y narcos.

Ya que los resultados fueron débiles para el chavismo, Maduro nombra a un nuevo vice presidente y renunciaría a los pocos meses. Como pasamos la mitad del mandato el nuevo presidente se queda hasta el final (el TSJ puede permitir de alguna manera no esperar los 4 años requeridos para evitar nuevas elecciones). Este nuevo chavista presidente recogería el principio de una recuperación económica. Con eso sale reelecto para 6 años mas de chavismo.

Con este mecanismo Maduro y Flores pasan a retiro tranquilos con todo lo que se han robado aunque queden rayados en los libros de historia. El sucesor en el 2016 por ahora podría ser o Cabello, o Ramirez o Rodriguez Torres aunque de aquí a allá pueden surgir otros. Pero apostar a un militar. El pueblo pendejo creyendo que un militar pondrá mas orden tropezará otra vez con la misma piedra.

¿El resultado final?

Asumamos que un escenario parecido ocurra, que el chavismo consiga salirse con la suya y que la mayoría de sus jerarcas logren salir ilesos a disfrutar sus hurtos. ¿A que precio?

Lo único positivo es que nos evitaríamos (¿pospondríamos?) una cruenta guerra civil que ya más o menos empezó de todas maneras. ¿O es que los números de asesinatos mensuales no se comparan favorablemente con guerras en otras partes?

Lo negativo abunda. Para empezar la impunidad nos asegura que el sucesor de Maduro, sea un chavista en el 2016 o la oposición en el 2019 tendrá que lidiar con una administración publica hipercorrupta, hiperarrogante que nadie podrá controlar. Pero eso no es lo mas grave.

Para conseguir una transición, una salida que los favorezca, el grupo de malandros que se llama gobierno de la república va a entregar el país a la globalización económica. Vamos a perder nuestra soberanía por ya no tener recursos propios para ejercerla.

Chávez se entrego a los cubanos para conseguir ser presidente vitalicio. Lo logró, aunque los cubanos lo mataron, o al menos aceleraron su muerte. A cambio se quedaron con una Venezuela empobrecida, sin recursos humanos ni tecnología de punta, sin comida, que pueden vender al mejor postor para ellos salir ilesos de la dictadura horrorosa que establecieron en 1958. Allí termina la patria.

Sinceramente espero que Poleo y la interpretación que hago de sus textos estén errados.  Desafortunadamente yo ya pensaba en algo así antes de que Poleo lo escribiese en Zeta. El plasmó en blanco y negro una realidad que no se puede ocultar pero que muchos tratan de ignorar, tanto en el chaburrismo como en la oposición.



Friday, June 27, 2014

Just as a side thought.... Pensamiento fugaz...

If Giordani and now those who support him, Isea, Navarro, Alvarez, Osorio...  are so sure that they are clean and that they know who betrayed the revolution through corruption, what about some names?

¿Si Giordani y los que ahora lo apoyan, Isea, Navarro, Alvarez, Osorio... están tan seguros de que son impolutos y que saben cuales son los corruptos traidores de la revolución, por que no soltar unos nombres?

La lista de la vergüenza internacional

En las Naciones Unidas hubo un voto sobre los derechos humanos en Siria. ¡Miren quien voto en rojo en contra!

Argelia: dictadura y fraude electoral continuo
China: represión; genocidio en el Tibet y otras partes; apoyo irrestricto a Corea del Norte, el peor sistema de hoy.
Cuba: una isla convertida en el mas grande campo de concentración de la historia.
Rusia: represión y corrupción; genocidio en el Caucaso; agresión imperialista en contra de Ucrania

Y los que se abstuvieron en blanco tampoco son unas joyitas...

Pero miren los amigos y vecinos de Venezuela que votaron Si, en verde: Argentina, Brasil, Perú, Chile, Costa Rica, México, y claro, los EE.UU. (que nos dirán los chaburros que dan ordenes a Argentina y Brasil...)  ¿Ven lo aislada que Venezuela está hoy en dia? Una pobre colonia de los tiranos de La Habana.

Es que a veces da vergüenza decir que uno es venezolano.

PD: Del judio Hillel Neuer via el conservador Juan Nagel, obviamente gente sin crédito para el chaburrismo sectario y fascista.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Of planes and clouds, debacle and loyalty, outdated lefties and pragmatist delusions

It seems that suddenly things are speeding up.  On one side the government keeps proving that it cannot produce a single fresh, novel idea, on the other side rats are having trouble abandoning ship. But they are trying hard.


To amuse you let's start with the regime, once again, caught pants down on something that it should know better by now. I mention here this year "El Niño" and how the expected, predictable drought will catch the country as unexpectedly as it caught it already twice under Chavez tenure. Electrical plants are not finished to supply a possible lack of hydro power. The electrical grid seems as chaotic as it was 4 and 8 years ago. There are now small but significant power outages in Caracas, and in Margarita we had two outages of more than an hour the week I was there, in spite of the hotel' own generators...

But also the drought will affect agriculture and water supply to cities. So, what does a foolish government do when it trips for the third time on the same stone? Promote seeding clouds, with the help of Cuba, of course. The remedy is promptly decried by people who know best, that accuse the regime of distraction for not having done what it was supposed to have done years ago, from building new dams to stop the illegal stealing of water that happens all around (and that is by definition wasteful as poorly executed). But "Mision Vivienda" to build sub par housing does win elections whereas "repression" in forcing people to pay for water and electricity does not bring in votes.

Amusingly that we are speaking of planes to seed clouds, there will be less planes in the skies of Venezuela. The reason is that the government owes billions of dollars to airlines and these ones are tired of waiting. And nobody will come to replace the departing airlines because no one is going to risk it, because the companies that left will pressure their governments to block new routes toward Venezuela, etc. I read and hear in some sectors that airlines did make a mint during the fixed currency period, but what good it does them if they cannot repatriate their benefits. And besides, it is not their fault that the regime set up such devastating policies... Airlines are willing to negotiate to cut down their profits, but not to transform them in losses.

But does this matter anyway? Today I learned that after July 1 when the travel currency will go up to 50 Bs for a single USD, my planned trip to Europe this fall for work will cost me two month basic pay check. Two months. Off season. Plus my expenses there of course.  If it were not a travel for business purposes, I could not travel. Period. Truly, it does not really matter that there are less flights, people are going to travel less anyway and the regime knows that and plays with it. Drought and travel are just two markers of the economic crisis.

Which brings us to the economy which some still try to point at the root of the Girodani affair illustrated in the last two posts.  Well, in all fairness there is chance of some improvement now, but all for the wrong reasons, and thus it will be short term improvement if anything.

Today we had yet another minister of Chavez coming out in support for Giordani and another for Navarro, same difference. Plenty for Maduro too, strictly on obedience lines, on loyalty excuses. For me all should go to jail together but that is another story. Whatever it is, the debacle inside chavismo seems to go crescendo, forcing Maduro to pitifully demand loyalty to the army and to his followers, and come out as the sole decision maker in economical matters when we all know he knows nothing on economy and does not take any decision without the permission of at the very least Cuba. Yet, he went as far as stating that it was an outdated left attacking him. Say what?
Bien desconsiderados son algunos de estos trasnochados de izquierda, atacando en el momento en que el enemigo busca cortarnos la cabeza y destruirnos.
Very ungrateful are some of the old fashioned lefties, attacking at the moment in which the enemy is trying to chop off our heads and destroy us.
Truly, the cliché "all revolutions eat their children" is alive an well.

But this of course forces us to evaluate a little bit more closely the Giordani effect inside chavismo. We have a few factors that cannot be dismissed, food sales in volume have been going down for 5 months in a row; Cuba/Castro are still the masters of chavismo; the military are realizing that the levels of repression that will be needed are not acceptable for their own future. How does this fit together?

First you must remember that whatever passes as an "economic system" in Venezuela is ANY system that will allow the perpetuation of an elite in power. Any. As such one cannot be surprised to suddenly hear Maduro toss out Giordani as a retard lefty.

Second, the bolibourgeois nouveau riche are wondering where to hide. You may have followed the crusade of Alek Boyd unmasking a particularly nasty gang of corrupt "businessmen"at Derwick, but today an item from Miami speaks volumes. It turns out that the new owner of Globovision, Gorrin, wants a new manse in Miami. They all want at least a pied a terre in Miami... One would think that fresh from the purchase of Globovision who is not flourishing since that purchase, a wise businessman would think before investing 12 millions ONLY for the land. That is right, he supposedly spent 12 to buy a house and plans to tear it down so as to build one more according to his tastes, for a final bill of who knows what. Well, the local owners association has decided to ban him as unsuitable for the neighborhood. See, since February 12 chavista higher ups are becoming unacceptable, and worse in the fancy neighborhoods they crave to spend their golden years. Amen of the probable need for many of them to escape justice.

I am absolutely certain that this reality is seeping into many chavista minds that realize that after a few scores of protesters murdered, jailed, tortured and what not, they may need to remain forever in Venezuela. As such they need to turn Venezuela more livable, and not only for their own comfort but in the hope that once things are not as bad they may have time to wash their faces before leaving for good into the sunset.

It is of course a delusion, they have committed too many crimes and too many of them will not go unscathed. But that will not stop them for trying, hence the first step to kick out the ones that wanted a economic system to make the populace dependent of the regime for its longevity. The consequential created misery now does not compensate anymore the dependency syndrome and we are over a powder keg with fuse and all, just waiting for someone to find the way to light the fuse.

Rumors abound that the regime is negotiating a financial deal to avoid the IMF, along with its Cuban masters who are also in a dire predicament as Raul and Fidel days are numbered by the Parcae. Many people are pushing for it, from the Chinese who want their money back to oil companies willing to invest under better conditions, and other assorted vultures. But first the Chavez revolutionary system had to be put to rest and this required booting Girodani and getting ready for a major purge which will probably result in a new leftist party creation like Front de Gauche in France or Podemos in Spain. The first true division of chavismo if you will.

On May 31 2007 I was writing that morally the revolution had died that week. I had to wait 7 years to be able to write that the economic revolution died last week (well, it has been in a zombie state for quite a while but economies cannot have clean deaths as ideas can). The only problem is that we do not know what is coming. One thing we can be certain is that the regime is aiming at finding new ways to be able to control the economy that are less damaging to its poll numbers. However, as long as it feels that it cannot release control, no substantial change will happen. Whatever we may see at first will be cosmetic partial liberalization since the exhausted private sector is in no position to offer a political challenge. But like it was the case for NEP like policies in history, such equilibrium are short lived, China being perhaps the sole exception of an economic liberalization that was not accompanied by a political one. At some point liberalization triumphs and goes to democracy (Korea) or repression comes back with a vengeance, as awful as Stalin if needed.

But we can always hope that the unraveling of the regime may be going suddenly faster than expected...




Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Giordani "debate" within chavismo

I do feel vindicated: what really matters about Giordani's attempt at self justification is where do his supporters stand and where will they evolve inside chavismo.

Let's start with his support, so far rather meager though significant. Navarro was one of the faithfulest of the faithful of Chavez, a leftist Central University professor that surrendered even his logical scientist background to an irrational love fest toward Chavez. For years there was nearly not a meeting where Navarro was not spotted on the same stage as Chavez, even if in a corner. He occupied several ministry positions (inefficient in all of them, of course). And yet in the last couple of years of Chavez he was less present, almost absent in the end. We have an idea why now: a sickening Chavez could not control his entourage as well and I suspect that Navarro was pushed away by the Maduro AND the Cabello camps.

So Navarro shot back with his own letter demanding that the regime replies to Giordani charges. Poor naive university professor... Tssk, tsssk... Promptly he was dismissed of his positions inside the PSUV chavista organization and will be sent to the disciplinary section where he will be properly chastised, expelled and what not. Promptly least anyone else has the bad idea to demand accounts from the regime.

Unconditional support for Maduro et al is easier to come: all because "we should follow Chavez orders" 'cause, you know, we are good socialists/sons of Chavez/ brain dead zombies/etc... I am just going to point to a particular disgusting one. Not because of what the writer actually writes to justify his to death allegiance, but because Basem Taljedine is also congratulating the mass murderer Assad for his recent "reelection" as a slap against the US and some other nonsense. What is terrible here is that such guys do actually have air times on state media where they can promote their hatred...

Of course, Taljedine is not the only one wanting a final dictatorship to secure the revolution once and for all. We got two more examples. The last one is that the high court clearly violated the constitution, rewriting it outright to allow military to take part directly in political activities. That is right, who is going to question anyone in a public meeting when some military appear to show their support to the questioned individual? Besides, now that chavismo is unable to fill the streets with popular support, why not bring in the troops to fill the empty space? Will any soldier dare to go to an opposition march in uniform?

The other example that escaped me while at the beach was the new minister of transport. Luis Graterol was appointed, coming from the direction of the Caracas airport. What is wrong with that? Well, this is the guy that was in charge of the airport when a few tons of cocaine were smuggled inside an Air France flight. To date, the brains behind the operation have not been found (where they ever sought?), the only people rotting in jail are underlings who simply received orders (from whom?). Graterol at no time was asked to resign for not controlling his airport, which as a military one would have sought him able to do so. If he wanted. Clearly, whether Graterol is involved is not the point, the point is that the regime has no intention of fighting seriously drug traffic, the proper way to be for modern dictatorships.

We are in a dictatorship, I never cease to point out to still too many amazingly deaf ears.

Monday, June 23, 2014

Giordani should be named ambassador to North Korea

So, while I was away, a few things happened that caused quite a lot of brouhaha. And yet I feel no need to cover them extensively. Let's say that in a way they were "pre-covered" months ago through this blog entries. But the news that North Korea will open an embassy in Caracas forces me to write this quick post.


The first thing is that Giordani, the longest serving minister of Chavez, was finally booted by Maduro. All sorts of explanations swirled, from the demise of the radical wing to the ascendancy of the moderates and new bright economic days away, passing by Maduro becoming finally "el presidente". None of the above.

Giordani dismissal was accompanied within hours of an extensive letter that he published. First comment: for such a long letter to be published so fast and so bitterly can only mean that Giordani had known long ago that his days were numbered. And he was ready to torpedo under the flotation line as needed. He was and is a jerk, though and through.

Basically the letter aims at putting all the economical blame on Maduro. Giordani conveniently forgets to mention that when he was sworn in the currency floated at around 500 to a dollar. When Chavez died the official rate was 6300 to a dollar. Regardless of what Maduro has done evil, and he has done a lot, Giordani presided over a regime that saw Venezuelans lose more than 90% of their assets. Simply put, as long as Giordani does not acknowledge that fact and apologizes for it, whatever he writes has zero credibility. Second comment: Giordani letter is a self serving exercise whose lone aim is to create political trouble inside chavismo. No more should be read into it.

What does the exit of Giordani means for the future? Nothing and something.

Nothing because his replacement, Menendez, is another commie that may be somewhat more of a pragmatic like Ramirez, the strong man these days it seems. But that does not mean anything because not only he will not be able to change the economic system which is strictly geared to preserve the power of the chavista mafia-elite, but I doubt very much that Menendez has the intention to change anything, nor,for that matter, the capacity to do so if allowed.

Something because after all Giordani leaves orphans within the radical wing that will need to place their support with another faction of chavismo, not necessarily the other radical factions led by people like Rodriguez (Caracas mayor) or Jaua (foreign minister cum shadow pothole fixer for Miranda state). In a situation that seems on a tight cantilevered equilibrium, any sudden displacement of support can cause serious inner trouble.

At any rate, in case anyone thought for an instant that removing Giordani was good news (I was not, I tweeted instantly that this was all B.S., even before Giordani letter became public) the regime today made it it crystal clear that it is a dictatorship and pretends to remain one, and a harsher one as needed. By opening a North Korean embassy in Caracas in the coming months, the regime establishes contact with what is likely the most repressive regime in the world (though in all fairness some Islamic fundamentalist wanna be states can compete). It is to be noted that Venezuela has ABSOLUTELY NO NEED to have an embassy from North Korea or open one there. NONE. The purpose of such a venture is symbolical, a message to democracies to shove up their democracy.

Since this blog always tries to be constructive it cannot let go this rarest opportunity to be so and suggests Maduro to name Giordani as the first ambassador of Venezuela to North Korea. Justice will be met where needed.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

The where's Waldoniel 2014 edition

Even yours truly has felt the need to escape it all for a few days. Alone, far from the madding crowd. Work crisis under control as much as it is possible these days, S.O. stable, it was time to take care of myself. I know I am going to pay for it eventually, but I will have more energies, I hope.

This is where I am.


Bonus for guessing it right: if you are in the area you can write me to invite me for drinks Friday night.

Hint: it is not a place deserved by American airlines, otherwise I would be stranded and in need to look for a rental...

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?— {Davies}

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Maduro 3 Santos 0?

So Santos just won his reelection. I am not too optimistic for a good second term. So many things can go wrong when you have such a false start for a very complicated process with a neighbor that wants nothing better but you to fail.  The more so when the neighbors seems to be scoring several unexpected goals, a little bit like the hefty surprise victory of Colombia over Greece yesterday by 3-0.

Indeed, it has been a good week for Maduro. Besides the opposition unable to rally convincingly against regime's abuse (Maria Corina Machado seems to be the next victim to be offered by the MUD tomorrow), ISIS in Iraq is sending the price of oil up. Oh, not enough for the needs of Maduro but certainly enough to give him enough oxygen to prolong our agony for a few more months. Not to mention that a putative world recession would benefit Maduro as his imports would be cheaper, now that recession or not oil prices are to remain above 80.

Now, Santos reelection is a third plus for Maduro. I knew yesterday that Santos victory was a given when Colombian TV showed his cheers when the Colombian team scored. Right then and there, Santos got at least +2 points and in a close election that was all that he needed.

It is not that I am against a negotiation between the FARC and the Colombian government, but that negotiation so far seems to be held with so many trumped card that one cannot fail to understand the severe questioning made on that process. I am not strident like Uribe  but I think that Santos has been had. And he knows it and tries to make the best of it, to further his personal ambition more than anyhting lese I think.

Why has Santos failed? First, an obvious detail: Santos was elected 4 years ago with the vote of a strong right, and now, that he has lost a majority within the right, he is reelected with the votes of the left. This makes him a weak president. Santos will be blackmailed by both left and right to rule, he has no majority of his own. Trying to gain a majority of his own with the left will be unnatural for the patrician he is, and the left will eat him at the first opportunity. Trying to regain a majority on the right will come at the cost of giving up his peace plan with the FARC. He is lame duck as of tonight.

I heard Santos tonight, and his victory speech was not a celebration, it was more of a campaign speech, a justification speech, a search for allies speech. Sure enough within minutes Uribe's speech announced that he was the leader of the opposition, that there is no honeymoon for Santos, that the crisis is only starting. Tough lame-duckness, at that.

I cannot understand how come Santos, the FARC bomber during Uribe's tenure, has decided to put his political future in the hands of mafiosi, drug traffickers, professional murderers and what not. And I am including in that group not only the FARC (and now the ELN that seeing how well the FARC is doing want in) but Cuba and Chavez. When Santos reached office he had in his hands the means to damage Chavez badly. Instead he forgave him in exchange for his help to tame the FARC. Chavez acquiesced  because in Havana they were looking for a way to repeat in Colombia what they achieved in Venezuela: transform a minority left into a majority government in the space of 2-3 years though exceptional historical circumstances.

I do not think that the Castros can repeat in Colombia what they did in Venezuela. To begin with there is in Colombia a strong democratic right that is not going to lay at the feet of a new Chavez the way it happened in Venezuela in 1999. And second, there is no Chavez like figure. But that final objective can wait.

What the Castros are getting today with a weakened Santos that owes his seat now to minority leftists in Bogota, is neutrality on Venezuela troubles. We can be almost certain that the Santos second term will not see visits of opposition leaders at Casa de Nariño. Santos second term will never confront UNASUR, and even less about Venezuela. In short, prolonging Havana negotiations between Santos and FARC for a year or two is enough for Colombia to leave alone Maduro until he can exterminate Venezuelan opposition, including massive electoral fraud next year. Then, with chavismo unmovable once and for all, it will always be time to turn the gaze toward taking over Colombia, helped by a Correa in Ecuador who know has taken the open dictatorship road with his own plans for eternal reelection. Well, that is the idea anyway.

Thanks for nothing, Santos.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Can we get a grand unified theory of political physics for Venezuela?

There are a lot of interestingly awful things going in Venezuela right now and I may dare offer a grand unified theory. Applicable for no more than 48 hours until a new universe of crap and lies suddenly opens with new laws of political physics.

Since theories are based on facts that will be proven, or not, let's start with facts.

Today there a couple of items that are noteworthy.

The first one is that the latest hearing of Leopoldo Lopez, supposedly secret, has been recorded and has been released in two installments at CÑN. So let's start with this first item: a secret hearing was leaked and not by the Lopez people who probably had their underwear searched. It was leaked by someone inside the regime. Why?

The second item is that in spite of the international ridicule about to suffer, the regime decided to emit arrest orders against Pedro Burelli and Diego Arria (and others but I am simplifying).  OK, let's see.

Pedro Burelli lives outside of Venezuela now, is quietly building up his personal fortune in diverse venture capital and does not need to do anything with Venezuela. In other words, there is no real reason to expect him to be involved in a coup/assassination that could jeopardize his settled life in the US of A. I am not saying he is not involved, I am saying that there are plenty more people that could credibly carry a coup, inside Venezuela that should be investigated before Burelli. Say, a few military inside the regime, like those releasing the Lopez audio? The charges are based on fraudulent e-mails that Burelli simply demanded Jorge Rodriguez to reproduce in full to prove that they were not forgeries (you know, headers, IP, etc...). Jorge Rodriguez is not producing them on the lamest of excuses and thus the Venezuelan attorney general went bonkers, announcing that the investigation was serious and now deciding for the arrest of Burelli.

What is the real problem here? A member of the most radical wing of chavismo, in full fight for control of the succession, has made an ass of himself and will probably be prosecuted for defamation in the US as he had the Venezuelan embassy issue the written material in the US. For all of its internal infighting chavismo cannot afford to have a single one of its pieces fall least the whole thing unravels. And so, as Burelli is seeking with Google the evidence to confound once and for all Rodriguez, the regime needs to attack like crazy first. Typical thug response, shoot first, ask questions later.

As for Arria, it is simply ridiculous to assume he would be in any position to perpetrate an assassination attempt, even if he wanted to. But he has been a constant international pain in the neck for the regime and the time has come to get rid of him.

Let me add, after all, a third item today: the regime decided through yet another bogus high court sentence that contradicts previous ones, and recent at that, that the CNE directors with long expired terms are maintained in place for as long as it takes. There is a clear reason for that, the regime does not have the legal votes to replace Tibisay Lucena by an equally subservient, electoral treachery practitioner, so they just unconstitutionally decided to retain her for life. But there is another reason, I am sure: the regime has plans for a vote anytime soon and they need the controlled election board, CNE, they own now to remain in place.

So, what is my grand unified theory?

The battle rages inside chavismo. But they need to maintain  a semblance of unity. If one piece falls, it may just bring all down together. One way to preserve that unity is to bring regularly to the public altar of sacrifice some opposition figure on any charge. The details are irrelevant, what matters is that the blood thirsty chavista lumpen is satisfied and that all factions share the blame for the innocent victim, and thus find further reasons to stick together.

But that does not stop the internal fights, it just postpones the final outcome. That is where the further jailing of Lopez makes sense, and the leaking of the hearings that is making quite a lot of damage to the regime as it exposes the kangaroo courts we have now.

I propose that Lopez is Diosdado Cabello prisoner, one of his trump cards to use against the regime as well as against the opposition. Hence why someone leaked the audio.

It is a trump card against the regime because if Cabello were to feel threatened he could have Lopez released to create trouble for those inside chavismo attacking him. The Cuban gang for example.

It is a trump card against the opposition because if the opposition players do not rally behind him he could release Lopez that could instantly become the main opposition leader. Thus people like AD and PJ who secretly prefer Lopez in jail than outside campaigning are blackmailed into some sort of compromise with Cabello if needed.

Of course, poor Lopez: his life is in the end irrelevant to Cabello who has long ago passed the point of caring for any human being. His only chance of survival may well be unfortunately to accept to play the game with Cabello... Hence that someone released the audio, to weaken Cabello trump cards.

Which brings the CNE. The regime, cornered by an economic crisis, cornered by an intractable internal war that no one seems to be able to win, may wish for an electoral option to settle something. A referendum on the economy, an amnesty, something? A dismissal of Capriles from Miranda and the need of adequate electoral fraud to make sure the opposition does not get Miranda state? Maybe a bigger event like a sudden resignation of Maduro? Or as simple as preparing an atrocious further gerrymandering for parliamentary elections next year since it is clear that the regime is not going to get the 48% it got three years ago. Only through more gerrymandering can the regime hope to retain a weak majority (assuming we reach that deadline as a pretend democracy still).

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So there, my unified theory with an expiration date of days. I may be totally and absolutely wrong, but if anyone has a better idea, please write your own version in the comment section.

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Monday, June 9, 2014

World Cup corruption announcement

Long time readers may remember that the quadrennial world cup is a major milestone for me. Posts about soccer/football start appearing as I follow lovingly my beloved "bleus". But this will not be the case this year.  With the World Cup held in Brazil, the country in large part responsible for the situation in Venezuela today, a World Cup held by a political decision of Lula's arrogance that may well be blowing up his face, I will be monitoring preferably riots in Brazil during the cup rather than actual games. Never mind that with the loss of Ribery, France's meager chances to advance to the second round are almost nil.


I think it is some sort of divine retribution that the World Cup set up in Brazil has revealed the extensive corruption of the country's political class, and the one of a significant chunk of its business class. Amen of their combined venality.  And all of this under a government of the people for the people. El povo they call it I think. And el povo has been waking up there.

It is amazing that the intense corruption associated with the organization of such games will blow while in Brazil, the most futebol crazed nation, just as the FIFA goes under scrutiny for an obvious corrupt assignation of a future world cup to Qatar.

Whatever it is, my enthusiasm for the World Cup is dead, at least this time around. It cannot be otherwise as I ponder what part of the corrupt Brazil establishment (from Lula to Odebretch) has screwed Venezuela just as it screwed the Brazilian tax payer.  My only comfort is that maybe Dilma may lose her reelection bid now that rumors of Lula new bout of Cancer deprive the corrupt Brazilian lefties of a replacement figurehead. For the long term good of Brazilian people (and the Venezuelan one) a defeat of the Canarinha is to be wished for.


Sunday, June 8, 2014

All is dissolving, slowly but surely

For reasons that will be elaborated in another post, I have been silent for two weeks. Not that it seems to have mattered much. I do not think Venezuela matters much anymore, there is protest fatigue just as there was protest fatigue after Ahmadinejad stole his reelection from Moussavi. The world tires fast, even though inside Venezuela protest and repression keep apace while in Iran they died eventually.

The fact of the matter is that I have nothing to add. What I wrote since last year is constantly proven right. Anything new is a mere rehash of a situation in full decomposition. The causes are the same, the outcome is to be feared. The only variables are those that affect the speed of the proceedings.

True, I could entertain the readers with deep analysis on why the car production in Venezuela is now near zero, on why inflation has forced the regime to double the circulation of the highest banknote (barely worth 2 USD today), on the latest presidential assassination attempt (and counting, as Tal Cual lists it as the 13th on Maduro alone), an attempt based on obviously forged E-mails that the attorney office takes seriously. Would those articles bring anything new?

All is the same.

On one side there is thug regime, whose factions are fighting between each other for the shrinking marks of power and the "peau de chagrin" that the national income has become. As the crisis aggravate, as it is becoming more and more difficult for the mobsters at Miraflores to agree amongst themselves on any issue except survival, the repression can only become worse.

The latest show must be understood at the subliminal level, not at the ridiculous attempt to fabricate charges to jail a few more opposition politicians. That show was dedicated to the lumpenest of the chavista lumpen, those that cannot perceive any issue in their lives outside of serving the regime, those that can kill for that and thus need no rational reason to do so. They just need a reason and the regime obliged.

On the other side there is an opposition that still cannot make its mind up even though the mayoral election of San Cristobal and San Diego showed the way: stern protest until the regime knuckles down. The more repressive it gets, the more it loses support. Even chavistas in these cities for the first time crossed the line directly, without an "abstention" phase first.

Stern protest do not mean rioting aimlessly in safe areas. Stern protests mean making no concession on the regime, means stopping any negotiation farce until the regime proves its good will, means calling a spade a spade, and a dictatorship a dictatorship. Stern protests mean making the regime thoroughly responsible for the mess we are in, and ever expanding one.

After a month in Caracas I came back to San Felipe last Monday. I had to stop several times until I found a small bottled water. There are no munchies besides "Cocosette" or the chemical tasting "Samba". One place had also awful Nestle milk chocolate. Salty snacks limited to tostones, when available. The last Burger King on the road closed. Areperas were low on choices to fill up your arepas. The only soda still abundant seemed to be Pepsi. Even though I dared travel on a Monday, the worse traffic day on roads, I encountered no significant problem. It has been years that I made Caracas San Felipe on a Monday in less than 6 hours. This time it took me 4.5 hours.

Can anyone think that anything I may add to this post will make it more enlightening?