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The gold was escorted through Caracas by troops and armoured vehicles. It was unloaded from a plane and taken under heavy guard to the Central Bank in the capital, Caracas. President Chavez has explained the move as an act of sovereignty that will protect Venezuela's reserves from global economic turbulence. However, critics say it is expensive and unnecessary. http://www.makeahistory.com/index.php/recent-news/43031-venezuela-pulls-gold-reserves-from-western-banksThe gold was escorted through Caracas by troops and armoured vehicles. It was... more
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WikiLeaks cables have revealed that Catholic bishops played a key role in 2002's abortive military coup in Venezuela
In 1997 Eamon Duffy, president of Magdalene College, Cambridge, brought out the best one-volume history of popes that has ever been written. He called it Saints & Sinners.
In the light of the latest news from Venezuela I would respectfully urge him to set about writing a companion volume about the leaders of the church in Latin America. I suggest that he calls it Saints, Traitors & Sinners.
The church in that region has of course produced some remarkable saints – some of them unrecognised in the upper reaches of the Vatican. Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador; the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter slain by the western-supported Salvadorean army on the campus of the Central American University; the prelates and clergy killed by the repulsive military regime in Argentina and Cardinal Raúl Silva, archbishop of Santiago de Chile at the time of Pinochet's putsch, were and are among the brightest stars in the church's firmament.
Yet the clergy had – and still has – its villains.
Among the latest revelations to emerge from WikiLeaks is that, in 2002, as plotters in Venezuela's capital Caracas were liaising with the US authorities about the conspiracy to topple President Hugo Chávez, the leaders of the Catholic church in that country were defying the instruction of Pope John Paul II to desist from having anything to do with the coup d'état. Instead they threw their lot in with Pedro Carmona, the extremist rightwing businessman, who took office for less than 48 hours during a brief military coup in April 2002.
The cables reveal that Cardinal Antonio Ignacio Velasco, the Salesian archbishop of Caracas, was on hand to sign papers purporting to legitimise the ridiculous Carmona as he dismissed the congress and the judges, and briefly sent Venezuelan politics back into the dark ages. Happily, the genuine popularity of the legitimate head of state was such that the Carmona gang and their military accomplices were routed and Chávez was restored to power.
In doing what he did, Velasco, who died in 2003, and the majority of his fellow bishops, betrayed not just the papacy but their compatriots at the instance of a foreign power – in this case, the United States. This added to the prelates' marginalisation in Venezuelan life by the majority who, unsurprisingly, see them as firm upholders of the establishment in a major oil-producing country, where half of the population live below the poverty line.
Velasco and his successors are remembered now as part of the camarilla that opposed the reform programme of the Chávez government, which, in the 12 years it has been in power, raised a quarter of the country's population out of poverty.
The US government's – not to mention the western media's – condemnation of Chávez has, for years, done much to blank out the successes of a government which is still not just legitimate but popular. Few in the west realise that extreme poverty has been cut drastically and unemployment has been halved so that no more than 7% of the population is out of work.
On 19 November 2002, several months after Velasco's catastrophic mistake, the US envoy to the Vatican, James Nicholson, reported to his masters in Washington that the Holy See was alarmed at the outlook for further civil violence in the coming months. "The pope himself has insistently asked the Venezuelan bishops to cool their political activism and instead encourage dialogue," he said.
But by that time it was too late. Despite the fact that a mass was reported to have been offered in Caracas on Wednesday for Chávez as he recovers from his emergency operation in Havana, leaders of Venezuela's Catholics are seen to be on the wrong side, the side of the rich. But wasn't there something in the gospels about rich people, camels and the eyes of needles?WikiLeaks cables have revealed that Catholic bishops played a key role in 2002's... more
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That's some serious flooding they've got there, guess they are making the most of it.That's some serious flooding they've got there, guess they are making the... more
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La cantante teen Miley Cyrus cometió un tremendo error durante el concierto que ofreció en Venezuela. En pleno concierto, la bella Miley pateó la bandera venezolana.La cantante teen Miley Cyrus cometió un tremendo error durante el concierto que... more
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OK, I admit it. I'm not a US citizen. I'll never be President. Jan Brewer will kick me out of the country. I'm disappointed that I'm an exotic, white "anchor baby". But then, I met The Donald™ and he said,"I have a fabulous opportunity for you." And the rest is fabulous history.OK, I admit it. I'm not a US citizen. I'll never be President. Jan Brewer... more
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Lina Ron died on 5th March 2011 due to a heart attack. She died in the Clinique La Arboleda of Caracas. Her ending ceremony will be in La Plaza Andres Eloy Blanco which is next to Vice President and General buried in South Graveyard.
Lina Ron was born in September 1959 in Anaco and her full name was Ninette Lina Ron Pereira. She was a political leader in Venezuelan and was a founder and president on a political party known as Unidad Popular Venezolana similar to President Hugo Chavez.Lina Ron died on 5th March 2011 due to a heart attack. She died in the Clinique La... more
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http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=385556&CategoryId=10718
Blast at Venezuela's Munitions Plant Leaves 1 Dead
The incident occurred about 4:30 a.m. at the Venezolana de Industrias Militares Corporation, or Cavim, located some 80 miles west of Caracas, near the city of Maracay, capital of Aragua state. The victim was identified as Evelyn Marrero, a mother of three who worked at an Aragua government radio station (VIDEO)http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=385556&CategoryId=10718
Blast at... more
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Across the globe today, you'll find almost three dozen raging conflicts, from the valleys of Afghanistan to the jungles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the streets of Kashmir. But what are the next crises that might erupt in 2011? Here are a few worrisome spots that make our list.
Breakdown of each spot in article
Ivory Coast
Colombia
Zimbabwe
Iraq
Venezuela
Sudan
Mexico
Guatemala
Haiti
Tajikistan
Pakistan
Somalia
Lebanon
Nigeria
Guinea
Congo
Out of Chaos comes Order.Across the globe today, you'll find almost three dozen raging conflicts, from the... more
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CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan lawmakers on Monday imposed broadcast-type regulations on the Internet, barring some types of online messages under measures that opponents say are a threat to freedom speech.
President Hugo Chavez’s allies in the National Assembly approved the revised "Social Responsibility Law," which extends rules for broadcast media to the Internet.
The law prohibits messages and images that "disrespect public authorities," ”incite or promote hatred" or crimes, or could create "anxiety in the citizenry or alter public order."
It also says electronic media must establish procedures to "allow the restricting, without delay" of content deemed objectionable. Violators may be punished with fines.
Chavez opponents and press freedom groups have strongly criticized the law, saying it is another in a line of legal changes that they fear could be used to clamp down on freedoms. Questions remain about how the measures will be enforced.
Chavez defended the law Sunday, saying it is intended to help protect citizens against online crimes.
"We aren’t eliminating the Internet here ... nor censoring the Internet," Chavez said. "What we’re doing is protecting ourselves against crimes, cybercrimes."
As examples, Chavez mentioned messages promoting drug use, prostitution and other crimes, and said his government has an obligation to take a stand.
Pro-Chavez lawmaker Mario Isea said the law — which will take effect once published in the Official Gazette — will not restrict the use of the Internet.
But opposition lawmaker Pastora Medina argued it is intended to "restrict, censor" and also promote self-censorship.
The Venezuelan Electronic Commerce Chamber condemned the measures in a recent statement, saying they aim to clear the way for "censorship and blocking of websites."
The regulations are broad and will therefore be complicated to apply, said Frank De Prada, editor of the Venezuelan news website Noticias 24. He said the new law "not only limits citizens’ freedom of expression but also their right to information."
(More in the link)CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan lawmakers on Monday imposed broadcast-type... more
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His critics said the move turns the country into a near-dictatorship. It comes just two weeks before a new national assembly is sworn in with a larger opposition bloc that could have frustrated some of his plans to create a socialist state.
The firebrand leader had only asked his allies for the right to govern without referring to congress for a year. Instead, they handed him the powers for 18 months as proof of their "revolutionary commitment", said Cilia Flores, the national assembly president.
The official reason for the move was to allow Mr Chavez to deal with the devastating aftermath of weeks of floods by fast-tracking tax increases and funding for construction of new homes.
But amid a fresh wave of nationalisations of farms and businesses, he has already outlined a long list of new laws that extend far beyond relief and reconstruction.
He taunted the incoming opposition congressmen in a television address.
"You won't be able to make a single law, little Yankees," he said, deploying one of his favourite insults, which depicts his opponents as American stooges.
"We're going to see how you make laws now."
The 18-month period means the opposition will be blocked from any significant role in Venezuelan politics until just months before the 2012 presidential election.
The lame-duck parliament dominated by Chavez allies is also planning a revised "Social Responsibility Law" which would impose tough regulations on the internet and ban online messages "that could incite or promote hatred," create "anxiety" in the population or "disrespect public authorities". The country's broadcast media already faces similar controls.
The law granting presidential decree powers – for the fourth time in his nearly 12-year presidency – also will allow him to enact measures involving telecommunications, the banking system, information technology, the military, rural and urban land use and the country's "socio-economic system."
His foes accused him of taking advantage of the floods to stage a crude power grab by violating the constitution as he tried to impose a Cuban-style system.
Julio Borges, a recently-elected congressman, said the opposition will keep fighting and that "the Cuban project is going to fail."
The new congress takes office on Jan 5 with 67 of the 165 seats controlled by the opposition – which would have been enough to remove the two-thirds majority needed to approve some types of major legislation and to confirm Supreme Court justices.
Anticipating that shift, pro-Chavez lawmakers earlier this month appointed nine new Supreme Court justices, reinforcing the dominance of judges widely seen as friendly to his government.
Lawmakers on Friday also approved a separate law that describes banking as a "public service" and clears the way for increased state intervention in the sector. Venezuela's private banks make up about 70 per cent of the industry, while the government controls the rest.
The moves seem aimed at intimidating opponents and neutralising potential obstacles ahead of the presidential race. In September's parliamentary elections, the pro- and anti-Chavez camps emerged with a nearly even split of the popular vote.His critics said the move turns the country into a near-dictatorship. It comes just... more
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There's been devastating floods in Venezuela leading to at least 25 deaths and many homeless by the mud slides.
According to reports, President Hugo Chávez invited the homeless to stay in the presidential palace until the government can resettle them.
"Chávez also visited the hillside slum of Antimano, in western Caracas, where he called on people to leave their homes to avoid the potential risks posed by more heavy rains.
"They told me that you did not want to leave until Chávez came. Well, here I am," he told residents."-GuardianThere's been devastating floods in Venezuela leading to at least 25 deaths and... more
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Then-US Ambassador William Brownfield wrote that Cuban spies had "direct access" to President Hugo Chavez.
Another cable sent in 2010 said Cuban agents controlled spying operations against the US embassy in Caracas.
The left-wing governments of Cuba and Venezuela are close allies and outspoken opponents of the US.
The secret diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks were published by the Spanish newspaper, El Pais.
Similar allegations of Cuban intelligence influence in Venezuela have been made by Venezuelan opposition groups, but US officials have not publicly expressed such concerns.
The leaked cable from Ambassador Brownfield says the ties between Cuban and Venezuelan intelligence are so close that the two countries agencies "appear to be competing with each other for the Venezuelan government's attention".
Indoctrination
The ambassador wrote that Cuban spies were so close to President Chavez that they provided him with intelligence unvetted by Venezuelan officers.
"Cuban agents train Venezuelans on both Cuba and Venezuela, providing both political indoctrination and operational instruction".
The ambassador concludes that the Cuban involvement could impact US interests directly.
"Venezuelan intelligence services are among the most hostile towards the United States in the hemisphere, but they lack the expertise that Cuban services can provide".
The level of Cuban involvement in other agencies of the Venezuelan government was harder to confirm, he wrote.
The embassy "had received no credible reports of extensive Cuban involvement in the Venezuelan military", but there were reports that Cubans were training Mr Chavez's bodyguard.
But Cubans were likely to be involved "to a great extent" in agricultural policy, as well as in an identity card scheme.
The ambassador added that it was impossible to tell how many Cubans were working in Venezuela.
Cuba's biggest and most public involvement in Venezuela is in the provision of tens of thousands of doctors and nurses who provide basic health services in poor areas.
In return, Venezuela provides Cuba with subsidized oil.Then-US Ambassador William Brownfield wrote that Cuban spies had "direct... more
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WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS VIOLENT AND GRAPHIC IMAGES. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Venezuelan TV Airs footage of knife wielding man attacking four machine gun carrying police officers ................and knife dude wins!!WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS VIOLENT AND GRAPHIC IMAGES. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.... more
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MOSCOW — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reached a deal with Russia on Friday to build the South American country's first nuclear plant, as questions arose why a nation rich in oil and gas would feel the need to venture into atomic energy.
The two nations also signed other energy agreements. Russia has cultivated close ties with Chavez's government to expand its global clout and counter U.S. influence in Latin America.
The ITAR-Tass news agency said Russia plans to build two 1,200 megawatt nuclear reactors at the Venezuelan plant. The cost of Friday's nuclear deal wasn't immediately announced.
The deal is likely to raise concern in President Barack Obama's administration but continues a pattern of Russia pressing to export its nuclear expertise.
Russia has just completed Iran's first nuclear power plant and recently reached new deals to build nuclear reactors in China and Turkey. It's talking with Indian officials about building a dozen of nuclear reactors there and also wants to build a nuclear reactor in the Czech Republic.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sought to pre-empt questions about why Venezuela would need nuclear power by saying the deal would help Caracas reduce its dependence on global market fluctuations.
"I don't know who will shudder at this," Medvedev said at a news conference after the signing. "The president (of Venezuela) said there will be nations that will have different emotions about that, but I would like to emphasize that our intentions are absolutely pure and open: We want our partner Venezuela to have a full range of energy possibilities."
Venezuela relies on hydroelectric power for most of its electricity, and a severe drought last year and in early 2010 pushed the water level at country's largest hydroelectric dam to perilous lows. The lower levels, combined with a lack of adequate upgrades to the power grid, prompted rationing measures for a time, including rolling blackouts. Chavez says nuclear power is part of his government's plans for diversifying its energy sources.
Medvedev said Russia sees nuclear energy as a priority, despite its own hydrocarbon wealth, and described Russia's civilian nuclear technology as highly competitive abroad.
"We are building many plants in different countries, so why wouldn't build such a plant in our close partner, Venezuela?" he asked. "That will offer a certain degree of independence in case of a drop in world energy prices."
Chavez said Venezuela wants to reduce its dependence on oil and gas.
"Strategic cooperation with Russia gives my country a huge advantage," he said.
The Venezuelan leader has grown close to Russia, Iran and China while assailing U.S. policies, and his rhetoric about the need for a "multi-polar world" has resonated in Moscow.
"Russia and Venezuela staunchly support the creation of modern and fair world order, so that our future doesn't depend on the will and the liking of just one country, its welfare and mood," Medvedev said in a veiled reference to the United States.
Chavez defends Iran's nuclear program, saying he is sure the country isn't building nuclear weapons. Chavez says countries like his and Iran have a right to develop atomic energy to expand their energy options.
"This is something that we will watch very closely," U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Friday. "The last thing we need to do is see technology migrate to countries or groups that should not have that technology."
Chavez' nuclear ambitions appear to be one more way for him to thumb his nose at the U.S. It's unclear how much money he is prepared to commit to the atomic program, or how quickly he could move to build a reactor.
Chavez met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin later Friday. Putin said a delivery of 35 sophisticated tanks would soon be made, Russian agencies reported. There was no elaboration. State news agency RIA Novosti reported that Venezuela has since 2005 spent $4 billion on Russian arms, including helicopters, warplanes and Kalashnikov assault rifles.
True to his flamboyant style, meanwhile, Chavez praised the Soviet Union and presented Medvedev with several bars of dark chocolate and cans of banana confiture and cocoa powder as the two leaders sat facing reporter's questions.
In another deal signed after the talks, Russia's state oil company Rosneft agreed to buy from Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. 50 percent in Germany's Ruhr Oel GmbH, a 50-50 downstream joint venture between PdVSA and British oil giant BP. The Russian oil company will pay $1.6 billion for the stake, the company said in a statement.
Ruhr Oel holds stakes in four German refineries and petrochemical plants.
Rosneft president Eduard Khudainatov said the deal will help Rosneft "expand our presence with high quality assets in key international markets". The deal will leave 18 percent of Rosneft's refining capacity "in the heart of industrialized Europe."
Russian companies are involved in exploring Venezuela's shelf for oil and gas, but Putin's deputy in charge of energy, Igor Sechin, said their efforts have been unsuccessful so far.
Russian state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom spent $300 million drilling the first borehole, but found no gas there, Sechin said, according to news reports. Gazprom is exploring Urumaco 1 and Urumaco 2 blocks in the Gulf of Venezuela, but Sechin did not specify which of them proved to contain no gas.
Sechin also said that Venezuela agreed that Gazprom should be given another sector to try its luck there.
Chavez's government has bought more than $4 billion in Russian weapons since 2005, including fighter jets, helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles. New weapons deals have been under discussion, but no new agreements were announced Friday.
Russia and Venezuela also have launched a joint business to tap vast oil deposits in eastern Venezuela.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/15/russia-venezuela-reach-de_n_763960.htmlMOSCOW — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez reached a deal with Russia on Friday... more
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez admitted last week that his government is "carrying out the first studies" of a nuclear program. He attempted to portray it as an innocuous program designed solely for peaceful purposes.
On Sept. 21, I held a briefing for journalists and regional experts where I revealed for the first time information about Chavez's nuclear program and his troubling and substantial collaboration with Iran. This research -- conducted during the past 12 months by a team of experts who analyzed sensitive material obtained from sources within the Venezuelan regime -- paints a far darker picture of Chavez's intentions.
Chávez has been developing the program for two years with the collaboration of Iran, a nuclear rogue state. In addition to showing the two states' cooperation on nuclear research, these documents suggest that Venezuela is helping Iran obtain uranium and evade international sanctions, all steps that are apparent violations of the U.N. Security Council resolutions meant to forestall Iran's illegal nuclear weapons program.
Chávez's suggestion that he is merely studying the idea of a nuclear energy program is misleading. In fact, in November 2008, Iranian and Venezuelan officials signed a secret "science and technology" agreement formalizing cooperation "in the field of nuclear technology." (The text of the agreement, available in Farsi and Spanish, is available here.) The week after the agreement was signed, Venezuela's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum prepared a presentation for the International Atomic Energy Agency documenting the establishment of a "nuclear power programme" in Venezuela. That presentation, obtained from sources within the Venezuelan government, reveals that an "Atomic Energy Committee" has been managing the nuclear program since 2007.
All countries have the right to a peaceful nuclear energy program under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which Venezuela is a signatory. However, Chávez's decision to rely on one of the world's worst proliferators to help develop his country's capabilities in this sensitive technology sets alarm bells ringing. And his recent public declarations understating the nature of his nuclear program raise more questions than they answer.
It's not only Venezuela's cooperation with Iran on its own nuclear program that raises questions -- other documents provided by sources within the Venezuelan government reveal a suspicious network of Iranian-run facilities in that South American country that could contravene Security Council sanctions.
For example, a November 2008 contract between a Venezuelan state-run firm, CVG Minerven, and the Iranian government firm Impasco grants the Iranians a "gold mine" concession in the heart of the Roraima basin in the southeastern state of Bolivar, which sits along the Venezuela-Guyana border. Although gold mining in Venezuela goes back decades, the basin is also home to one of the world's largest deposits of uranium, according to a survey by the U308 Corp., a Canadian uranium exploration company.
There is nothing illegal about the commercial mining of uranium -- unless it is conducted by Iran. Security Council Resolution 1929, passed this June after an aggressive diplomatic effort by the United States, ordered all governments to prohibit any Iranian involvement in "uranium mining, production or use of nuclear materials and technology." If Iran's Impasco has struck gold in Venezuela, that is nobody's business. If it is mining uranium, that is quite a different matter.
In addition to acquiring a mine strategically located above substantial uranium deposits, Iranian firms have taken over nearby industrial facilities and seem to be using them for purposes other than those publicly stated. For example, a "cement plant" produces little if any cement, a "tractor factory" produces few tractors, and both facilities are well situated for supporting Iran's shadowy activities in an area that is far from everything but uranium.
two page article, with a very truthful end paragraph. READ MORE:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/10/05/chavez_s_secret_nuclear_programVenezuelan President Hugo Chávez admitted last week that his government is... more
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Results from the voting centers finally came out early in the morning of September 27 starting at around 2:00 am after the parliamentary elections on Sunday went deep into the night. The results that have been announced by National Election Center (CNE) revealed that Chavez's PSUV has suffered a reversal to the opposition and lost the two-thirds supermajority that allowed his party to pass legislation without opposition.
The Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV) or United Socialist Party of Venezuela and its allies controlled a total of 139 of 167 seats in the National Assembly before the elections.
The current election results now show that the opposition controls a total of 62 seats to the 94 by the PSUV, a huge pickup of seats for Chavez' opponents. The loss of the super majority now means that the opposition in Venezuela will effectively be able to oppose Chavez' agenda, which up until now, had been essentially unopposed.
The opposition also won the popular vote with 52% of the vote. However, gerrymandering on the part of Chavez' government has given more power to rural areas while dividing the opposition into different regions, preventing them from gaining an overall victory in delegates.
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What does this mean for Chavez' Bolivarian Revolution?
Feel free to leave comments.Results from the voting centers finally came out early in the morning of September 27... more
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An American nuclear scientist and his wife were arrested yesterday, accused of conspiring to sell atomic secrets to Venezuela after allegedly being caught in an FBI sting by an agent posing as a representative of the Venezuelan government.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/18/fbi-sting-venezuelaAn American nuclear scientist and his wife were arrested yesterday, accused of... more
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[Translated from Spanish, by UrbanGypsy] This is an opinion piece, not written by me.
BY Oscar Espinosa Chepe
The parliamentary elections in Venezuela, scheduled for September 26, could mark a radical departure in its turbulent recent political history, becoming the beginning of the end of Chavez. This time 165 seats of deputies will be in play and, for the first time in several years, the fragmented opposition will present some degree of unity, which suggests that, for the first time, as a result of the disruption caused by the administration of the controversial Hugo Chávez, the Venezuelan people might be compelled this time to establish a limit to the abuse and mismanagement of a populist regime that threatens to turn one of the world's richest nations into a new Cuba, with its totalitarian model and all its dysfunctions.
Explaining the last 11 years is difficult due to the inconsistencies and absurdities. When Chavez came to power in 1999, aided by a significant political movement of change, with massive support from a population frustrated by the bad management of successive governments, the price of a barrel of oil was 10.40 U.S. dollars on the international market. Since then it has grown to a peak in July 2008 of 144 U.S. dollars, down at the end of that year to about $40, and then increasing, currently maintained at more than $70 - or 7 times the price of when Chavez came to power.
The substantial rise in the price of fuel should mean a great influx of financial income and should have resulted in the strengthening of the Venezuelan economy, but economic data shows the opposite. In 2009, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 3.3%, while in 2010 the fall is projected to be at 3.0% by ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), and its projected rebound in 2011 of only 2.5% makes it the poorest in South America. Meanwhile, inflation rates have been stubbornly high around 30.0% in recent years, which has influenced the collapse of the real value of wages. At the same time, under the 11 year Chavez administration, Venezuela's currency has lost 90.0% of its value. Even the extraction of oil has fallen dramatically; if in 1998 was 3.5 million barrels a day, it currently extracts only 2.8 million, according to Venezuelan consulting firms.
Ironically, PDVSA, the entity responsible for managing oil, increased its workforce from 37,900 workers to the current 100,000, a story that parallels the decline in efficiency of the once-famous Cuban sugar industry after its nationalization by its Communist regime. In a global Competitiveness List for 2010, published recently by the World Economic Forum, Venezuela ranked 122nd; the lowest position in Latin America.
This data points to a very serious increase of shortages of commodities, something incredible given the considerable reserves of foreign currency that the nation should have. There have also been repeated incidents of power cuts, droughts that have affected the energy production, and evidence of the poor condition of power plants, which have not worked well in the absence of a proactive investment policy and lack of maintenance of the adequate facilities that are available.
In social terms, Venezuela has seen a great increase in corruption and violence. If in 1998 there were 19 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, in 2009 it reached 75, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, which indicates that Venezuela has become the most dangerous country in Latin America. It ranks 122nd globally in levels of violence after South Africa, according to the 2010 Global Peace Index that ranks 144 countries.
There has also been a continued deterioration in the political arena. The persecution against the opposition has increased and a significant number of television and radio have been silenced or forced to reduce criticism of the government through different methods. If there are still areas of freedom, they are the result of the Venezuelan people’s determination to uphold and fight for democracy, which has so far prevented the implementation of a Cuban-style totalitarian system.
Chavismo, by the delusions of grandeur of the leader, has been characterized by continued interference in neighboring nations. Interference which has ranged from sending suitcases of money to influence elections in other countries, to supporting sustained narco-groups, of which there is abundant evidence, as is in the case of Colombia. It has resulted in insane policy choices that have caused serious friction with Venezuela’s neighbors, including the danger of military confrontation with Colombia.
Chavez has tried to tackle the growing economic disaster, political and social, with the use of chauvinistic and demagogic rhetoric, full of insults and abuse, lacking credible arguments. He has also used as a political tool the import of tens of thousands of Cuban technicians, primarily in health and education to benefit the poor in slums. This has served as strong propaganda to tout Chavez's alleged accomplishments without mentioning the cost it represents for the country. For years, in exchange for cooperation, Venezuela has delivered about 100,000 barrels of oil a day to Cuba, with special prices and financing conditions, in addition to granting important loans. Venezuela has become the main economic and trading partner of the island, and has been busy taking the place, with its oil wealth, the old position that the USSR had until 1989 of providing the island’s lifeline. If Cuba, at this time of great difficulty, lacked the Venezuelan cooperation it depends on, the economic consequences would be devastating.
Of the many hopes and dreams aroused by Chavez, the Venezuelan people have lost many of them. Much of the original must trusted allies and companions of the leader have gradually removed themselves from his ranks, and many have become his staunchest opponents. From General Baduel, who participated with him in the 1992 coup attempt and aided his return to power in 2002 after a momentary loss, to until last February, the separation of the popular governor of the state of Lara, Henry Falcon, the number of disaffected is steadily increasing. Even allies still at his side, like the Communist Party of Venezuela, have refused to join the new Unified Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and have repeatedly made criticisms of his management.
Polls show the decline in its popularity due to his continued mistakes, arrogance, as well as vulgar and aggressive rhetoric. President Chavez reached only 45.0% of support in Venezuela in 2009, 20.0% less than in 2006, while 81.0% of respondents indicated that private property is essential for economic development, according to a survey Latinobarómetro, a prestigious nonprofit organization based in Santiago de Chile, which since 1995 carries out opinion surveys on economic, social and political issues in Latin America. The survey also showed that the image of Chavez in Latin America has deteriorated significantly, with only a 40.0% approval, a level equal to that Fidel Castro. The leader with the most popularity was Barack Obama with a 70.0% approval, followed by Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva with 64.0%, Michel Bachelet close to 60.0%, and Felipe Calderón and Álvaro Uribe with about 55.0%, all showing growth in relation to previous surveys. The levels of acceptance of Chavez and Fidel Castro were the only ones with significant decreases in acceptance in Latin America.
From the above it follows that if the elections for deputies of the Venezuelan National Assembly are clean and fair, the chances of losing control of the National Assembly by Chavez are highly probable, which could have disastrous results for the fragile and dependent Cuban economy, especially if it has not foreseen this potential scenario.[Translated from Spanish, by UrbanGypsy] This is an opinion piece, not written by me.... more
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