USA + ENERGY = Venezuela

Blanca Garrido said in its analysis that the security of the USA is mixed with the future of the Bolivarian Revolution, they know that the Venezuelan government controls PDVSA and whether the Venezuelan oil wells are dynamited, in the event of a war, the world economy would be on the brink of a crisis never before experienced.

As Chacumbele is Chacumbele this could not be ruled out ...

Hugo Chavez new aircraft carrier

Venezuela's Witchcrafted Bank Notes

Traditional witchcraft characters are used by Hugo Chavez government in the new bank notes.

Venezuela: Good news

OPERATION BALBOA by Rocky

Hummmmmm..............

I personally prefer to see him with Nahomy Campbell or Ruddy Rodriguez...
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I always thought that

Today Fausto Masó wrote in EL NACIONAL: "... we must wait with patience to the vast majority of chavists in the street, not ministers and ambassadors, to see what they have in front, in sight ..."

I have neighbours and some co-workers who have already changed their mind about Chavez.

On December the 2nd, they did not vote NO, but did not YES either.

They preferred to abstain. And now they complain about food shortages and insecurity.

Garcia, the PODEMOS party deputy, not only contributed more votes to the NO option.

He made dissent legitimate

And forced the other chavists to put their feet on reality.

Yesterday, I watched the German film "The Lives of Others"...

It only reinforced my view that we should be optimistic.

The libertarian spirit and common sense in the end will reach even today henchmen.

It takes time but eventually the entire totalitarian and inhuman scaffolding plummets.

We will have to save the good things of chavismo.

But the totalitarian, Stalinist, fascist and Castro thing will to go to Carl Marx famous history dustbean...

The new economy

None of these skyscrapers is located in the First Wolrd and the two gentlemen in the last image govern 1/3 of the world polpulation and their successors years will control half of the global economy in 25 or 30.

It is a new world and today from Davos the news of a new economic paradigm is coming: http://theletterisback.blogspot.com/2008/01/un-nuevo-paradigma-econmico.html

An interesting developpement , no doubts...

Just finished watching GOONG

Venezuelan Opposition Alternative for Change

On December 2, 2007, the majority of Venezuelans rejected the proposed totalitarian constitutional reform and spoke at the same time of "a different vision for the country", with different values and goals with the model proposed.

Venezuelans, not just the democratic parties, have to:

1 .- Rescue the prestige and functioning of institutions.

2 .- Respect for Ideological Pluralism .

3 .- A Decentralized country

4 .- A safe country.

5 .- Respect for private property and economic freedoms.

6 .- Combat of poverty.

7 .- Quality non ideological education.

8 .- Foreign Policy for democracy and peace.

9 .- Profesional Armed Forces.

10 .- Unit to initiate the changes.

-- It is time for Unity is time for Venezuela

-- Long live the spirit of the January 23


Caracas, January the 23rd 2008

Venezuelan Regional Elections

According to opinion polls and experts estimates, if the regional elections were this Sunday, the probable results WOULD BE as follows:

	WINNER
STATE	OPPOSITION	GOVERNEMENT	OPEN
Amazonas	OPP
Anzoátegui	OPP
Apure		GOB
Aragua	OPP
Barinas	OPP
Bolívar	OPP
Carabobo	OPP
Cojedes			?
D. Amacuro		GOB
D. Capital		GOB
Falcón		GOB
Guárico	OPP
Lara	OPP
Mérida	OPP
Miranda	OPP
Monagas		GOB
N. Esparta	OPP
Portuguesa			?
Sucre	OPP
Táchira	OPP
Trujillo		GOB
Vargas		GOB
Yaracuy			?
Zulia	OPP
TOTAL	14	7	3

Hugo Chavez said he consumes coca

The ugly american is next door

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Admiral Mike Mullen, Chief of Staff of USA Armed Forces is visiting Colombia now and will meet with Minister of Defense, Juan Manuel Santos.

What a silly role

Clara and Emmanuel

10 to 1

Hillary is not home and dry yet

Colombian DTOs

DESIGNATED TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS (DTO)

1. USA

CRITERIA

(Reflecting Amendments Section 219 of the INA in the 2001 USA PATRIOT Act)

· It must be a foreign organization.

· The organization must engage in terrorist activity, as defined in section 212 (a)(3)(B) of the INA (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(3)(B)),* or terrorism, as defined in section 140(d)(2) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. § 2656f(d)(2)),** or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism.

· The organization’s terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security (national defense, foreign relations, or the economic interests) of the United States.

LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS OF DESIGNATION

· It is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide "material support or resources" to a designated FTO. (The term "material support or resources" is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(b) as "currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safehouses, false documentation or identification, communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel, transportation, and other physical assets, except medicine or religious materials.)

· Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances, removable from the United States (see 8 U.S.C. §§ 1182 (a)(3)(B)(i)(IV)-(V), 1227 (a)(1)(A)).

· Any U.S. financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which a designated FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

OTHER EFFECTS OF DESIGNATION

The U.S. Department of State lists the following items as additional considered beneficial effects of designation:

· Supports efforts to curb terrorism financing and to encourage other nations to do the same.

· Stigmatizes and isolates designated terrorist organizations internationally.

· Deters donations or contributions to and economic transactions with named organizations.

· Heightens public awareness and knowledge of terrorist organizations.

· Signals to other governments our concern about named organizations.

FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

· National Liberation Army (ELN) (Colombia)

· Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) (Colombia)

· United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) (Colombia)

2. EUROPEAN UNION

COUNCIL DECISION 2005/221/CFSP of 14 March 2005 implementing Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism and repealing Decision 2004/306/EC.

GROUPS AND ENTITIES

· Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

· United Self-Defense Forces/Group of Colombia (AUC) (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia).

The propaganda effect did not work yesterday...

El Comandante wants you to read Trotsky

He is reading "The Transition Progam" and other writings by Leon Trotsky and he wants you to read it too. The Program was approved in the IV International Congress of 1938.

¡Oops!

Narcoguerrilla frees 2 hijacked victims

Somewhere in Colombia

Venezuelans in the hands of the FARC narcoguerrilla

5 years

Carlos Eduardo Rosales San Juan de Colón 06-07-2002
Euman R. Moncada Torbes 08-08-2002

4 years

Arcángel Moreno La Fría 31-01-2003
Nelson Esteves San Crisóbal 23-01-2003
Porfilio Dávila Arellano Rubio 23-04-2003
Rigoberto Chaparro Colón 21-06-2003
Rafael Antonio Gutierrez Coloncito 19-08-2003
Argenido Rico García El Milagro 15-10-2003
Vitre Mundo Borrero San Joaquín de Navay 18-10-2003
Efraín Acosta Suárez Abejales 24-10-2003
Ana de Dios Pabón Cordero 03-12-2003
José Antony Pabón Cordero 03-12-2003
Germán Chacon Vivas Cordero 03-12-2003

3 years

Ramon Alfonso Velazco Rubio 28-02-2004
Ornella Ferranti San Cristóbal 31-08-2004

2 years

José Ildemaro Vivas San Cristóbal 08-09-2005
Faustino Santos La ceiba 21-10-2005

1 year

Reinar Zambrano Troncal 5 22-04-2006

9 months

Antonio José Galviz El Piñal 28-03-2007

3 months

Blanco Oliva Delgado Rubio 07-09-2007

2 months

Carlos Arias La Fría 30-10-2007

1 month

Luis Osorio Barboza San Cristóbal 20-11-2007
Janibel Alcedo Táriba 22-11-2007
Doris Perez Táriba 22-11-2007

More propaganda for the USA and Europe

"REHENES": The last film by Oliver Stone

Does Isea understand what it means?

Reducing inflation from 22.5% in 2007 to 11% in 2008

Rafael Isea: Reducing inflation "has become our primary objective..."

This reduction is to be carried out "without compromising social wellbeing..."

Is he aware that the revolutionary government "14th of february devaluation" was an important factor in the 2002 and 2003 instability?

New Hampshire or how a defeat is manufactured

Today the topic is bound to be the primaries in the USA, not by the actual outcome, but by the media handling before and after the voting.

I am including a chart which shows the strangest surveys I have seen and the more malicious “projections” that one can imagine.

Let me explain. Over the past few days an scenario was manufactured where Senator Barak Obama "would win” with 40% and Senator Hillary Clinton "would lose” with 30%. Just look at the chart to understand that the straight projection was rather, Clinton 40% vs. 20% Obama.

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But the reality is harsh. Voters in NH yesterday were about 500,000. Of these, 220,000 Republicans and 275,000 Democrats.

The actual (official) results were:

1. Clinton: 110,000
2. Obama: 102,000
3. McCain: 79,000

That is, if there is some polarization at this moment it would be between Clinton and Obama, not between Clinton and McCain, who incidentally seems to me an excellent candidate.

This is my opinion, a little unusual, on the primaries yesterday.

N.H.: Will voters confirm polls today?

Where is Plan B of Chavez and FARC?

Consuelo Gonzalez and Clara Rojas were kidnapped in Colombia many years ago but now , according to Coombian newspaper EL TIEMPO, "... all roads lead to Venezuela. Analysts, family, members of the humanitarian commission who was in Villavicencio and even FARC communications intercepted by the Colombian army (confirm it)..."

Remember that the Venezuelan journalist Patricia Poleo said last year (August 4th) that these ladies "were" at a farm in the Venezuelan state of Apure, later "were moved" to another farm in the state of Barinas, and more recently they "were" at a military installation of the Venezuelan capital.

Well. One never knows...

"Emmanuel" cost Venezuelans one million/day

(Foto Archivo AP)

The failed 'Operation Emmanuel' headed by Venezuelan President to "rescue" Emmanuel had a cost of more than one million dollars per day, according to Carlos Berrizbeitia.

The failed operation was designed personally by the failed Venezuelan president in agreement with the FARC narco-guerrilla and the "consent" of the Colombian government. It involved a massive mobilization of helicopters and airplanes, journalists, filmakers (Oliver Stone included), advisers, foreign commisioners, hours of satellite sercvice and the travel relatives of the hostages and additional support staff.

Obama said what?

"I will be the US President who will use the genius of farmers, scientists and entrepenuers in order to free this country of the oil tirany once and for all..."

Who was him talking about?

Undemocratic Commander in Chief

A team of broken bates

On Saturday, January 05, I published in this blog Spanish Clon, a long comment about the "new" team of government ministers designated (rather rotated) by the Mad Commander. I titled that post with a literal translation of the popular local expression, "un equipo de bates quebrados" which is used to refer to a team of inept base-ball players.

Today prestigious writer Teodoro Petkoft published an Editorial in daily paper TalCual which almost repeats my Saturday afternoon arguments. It is very good to see that someone with such political knowledge shares the opinions of this humble blogger.

Unfortunately my Saturday comment is too long and local to translate. However if you wish can look at the complete text at:

http://theletterisback.blogspot.com/2008/01/un-equipo-de-bates-quebrados.html

Enjoy it...

Bad economic news, Comandante

From different fronts we received the news: One was a sick Castro "reflexion" wich touched the subject, other was Rafael Poleo column yesterday and today I found the American Association of Economists discussed the magnitude not its certainty.

The bad news is this: apparently a RECESSION is already here.

It means less oil consumption, but also higher import costs because high energy prices of this last year will be charged in 2008 and PDVSA would sell less and cheaper.

Just work out yourself the consequences for Venezuela...

Ripe banana does not green again

The Mad Commander now wants to take the country to 1999, when he was very popular and the middle class supported him and there were entrepeneurs WITH ENTERPRISES working to full capacity and farmers WITH FARMS and producing meat and milk in great quantities. I presume he wants now to go 1999 because he was defeated when asked us to vote for a larger time regression to the 1960s or 50s or even to 1917 or beyond. Sorry, but it is "too little to late" as most probably mister "jorg-dobli-u-busss" would say...

China advanced technology

Yes in the USA, NO in Venezuela

"The scope of Barack Obama's victory in Iowa has shaken the Clinton machine down to its bolts. Donors are panicking... internally, a round of recriminations is being aimed at her chief strategist, Mark Penn, as the representative of everything about her pseudo-incumbent campaign that has been too cautious, too arrogant, too conventional and too clueless as to how much the political landscape has shifted since the last Clinton reign. One adviser summed up the biggest challenge that faces the campaign in two words: 'Fresh thinking..."

Despite Iowa is a small election. The first of many. As soon the signal was there, Democrats are reacting and looking for change to imprve their proposals and gain support to win the next presidential election.

In Venezuela things do not happen like that. The defeated go to TV screen and shout to "his" supporters, offend the opposition and treatens to pass the defeated proposal of contitutional change by any mean, implying the use of violence. No change (same ministers are rooked), same slogans, same threats.

The end we already know will be a deeper rejection of any proposal from the defeated leader.

But he does not understand what Democracy is. Something the Hillary campaign does very well...

Good and bye, bye...

Colonel Narciso (CN) impossed Ms. Cilia Flores as President of the NA. Disregarding her poor role as head of theNA during 2007. Second to CN, she is the main responsible for the failure of the constitutional reform proposal and now CN rewarded her with repetition as President of the NA.

To disguise CN "dedocracy" (finger naming) it was announced after an "intense political meeting" (a great fight) in which they agreed to the formation of the National Assembly board "by consensus".

PSUV (that is Hugo Chavez) decided that Cilia Flores would repeat as President, Roberto Hernandez as VP and the a novelty: PPT deputy Jose Albornoz will be the second VP.

The same made at the executive cabinet, where CN rewarded inefficiency and poor results.

Paradoxically, this mad behaviour is good for the venezuelan opposition, since CN would leave sooner...

Hugo Chavez: From fiasco to fiasco

FARC, the colombia guerrilla group, was negociating a hijaked children they did not have and got Chavez in a very ridiculous position...
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Venezuela: Homicidies & Revolution

Bagdad is safer than Caracas: In Caracas there were 670 violent deaths during Decembre 2007, mean while in Bagdad there were 568. Graph bellow shows Venezuela increasing death rate since Hugo Chavez came to power in 1998.

Goverment lawyer explains amnesty scope

Carlos Escarrá, congressman and legal adviser to Hugo Chavez during the failed constitutional reform campaign, praised the Mad Commander "humanism" and at the same time clarified to the more fanatic members of the government top brass that... "the presidential decree establishes the crimes to which extends the influence of the amnesty but it will be the the judges who will be responsible for identifying individuals eligible for the benefits of this decision ... "

Child Born to Hostage Is Not With FARC

Washington Post - Officials Say Boy Was Put in Foster Care. A 3 1/2 -year-old boy whom Marxist rebels pledged to include in a hostage release that collapsed Monday is not in their hands, and has almost certainly been living in a foster care program in Bogota, Colombian officials said in interviews on Tuesday. They believe they have located the boy and are conducting DNA tests to confirm his identity.

Insulza celebrates "anything" coming from Chavez

I do not remember another so lost OAS executive in all my life. Insulza has set a continental record by celebrating the incomplete amnesty for political prisoners and other prosecuted citizens issued sunday by Hugo Chavez.

In fact, the most misinformed OAS president ever is celebrating today a Decree issued to distract public attention from the blunder of "Operation Emmanuel".

Top bureaucracy isolated from the population

Today it was the turn for the EX General Attorney to declare against NATIONAL RECONCILIATION. Before him the Interior Minister and the top Mad Commander declared on the same line.

The "exfiscal" said he prefers the "cohabitation" of two irreconciliable blocks: One capitalist and one socialist.

He is still living in the 60s and confirming that the TOP bureaucracy around "Colonel Narcisus" is deeply isolated from THE REAL WORLD (¿Remember the Berlin Wall?) and from the population, even from the colonel dearest supporters...

Dum dog

This time the Mediator is inadequate

Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that aims to assist two (or more) disputants in reaching an agreement.

Mediators use appropriate techniques and skills to open or improve dialogue between disputants, aiming to help the parties reach an agreement (with concrete effects) on the disputed matter. Normally, all parties must view the mediator as impartial.

Whether an agreement results or not, whatever the content of that agreement, the parties themselves determine, rather than accepting, something imposed by a third party.

THE MEDIATOR CODES OF CONDUCT

1. A commitment to inform participants as to the process of mediation.

2. The need to adopt a neutral stance towards all parties to the mediation.

3. The Mediator must reveal any potential conflicts of interest.

4. The Mediator must conduct the mediation in an impartial manner.

5. Within the bounds of the legal framework under which the mediation is undertaken any information should be treated as confidential.

6. Mediator should seek to maintain their skills by ongoing training in the mediation process.

7. The Mediator should practice only in those fields in which they have expertise by experience or training.

8. The Mediator should be mindful of the psychological and physical wellbeing of all participants.

9. Mediators should not offer legal advice, rather they should direct participants to appropriate sources for the provision of any advice they might need.