WOLA: slowly starting to see the Venezuelan tragedy

As the Venezuelan crisis mounts the last presentation made by Professor David Smilde at WOLA, the Washington Office for Latin America, showed less of a bias in favor of the Venezuelan regime.  Please see:

http://www.wola.org/video/chavismo_under_pressure_economic_crisis_and_political_challenges_in_venezuela

I have no doubt Professor Smilde is trying to be impartial but he still clings to the idea that the Venezuelan government is just a bad government, still not accepting that it is a  corrupt, inept and murderous regime. Every one of these adjectives can be sufficiently documented.

In his presentation Professor Smilde made much emphasis on the economic side of the Venezuelan  problem. He was right in saying that basic foodstuffs, medicines and other are scarce. But he explained it  as a  problem of the government’s own creation, of dramatic economic mismanagement. He makes it sound as if the government always had good intentions but erred in its policies. Of course, this is not the case. The government is consciously, ideologically driven into actions that are ruining the country. It is not a matter of having good intentions but applying the wrong policies. It is a matter of ideological perversity.

Professor Smilde says that Maduro tries to follow Chavez’s model but lacks his charisma. This would seem to suggest that Chavez had it right. The reality is that Chavez’s model was already extremely harmful to the nation. Chavez’s model ran the country into the ground. Even when he was very ill, this corrupt leader had the perversity of running for president for the next six years, when he already knew he would not live for six more months. His campaign consumed billions of dollars, as admitted by former finance minister Jorge Giordani. . This is a fact that Professor Smilde glosses over.

Professor Smilde says that Maduro is ruining the Chavez’s legacy, one he defines as reformist and popular. He correctly says that Maduro’s popularity is now very low (currently is running below 20%). However, if I understood him correctly, he added that the regime can still turn things around, that the coming elections are not yet pre-determined. Chavismo, he says, is not over.

He talks about the coming legislative elections but does not mention that the elections will be monitored by the same corrupt officers, illegally selected.

One comment made by professor Smilde is unacceptable to democratic Venezuelans. He says that the chances for a succesful dialogue in Venezuela promoted by UNASUR have been compromised by the issuing of sanctions by the U.S.  against members of the Venezuelan government. This is absurd. Smilde should know that UNASUR  is run by Ernesto Samper, a man who became president of Colombia thanks to the drug cartels and is now an unconditional supporter of Nicolas Maduro. The dialogue they promote is a mechanism for maintaining Maduro in power.

For WOLA the Venezuelan situation still belongs into the realm of conventional political science. The reality is that it belongs into the criminal realm of human rights violations and failed states.  

Pareja venezolana se luce en la TV estadounidense... como estafadores

Con la primera dama de los Estados Unidos

Claudio Osorio Rodríguez y Amarilis Morán - Osorio: los venezolanos que estafaron a Obama, Clinton,  Jeb Bush, inversionistas de todo el mundo y jugadores de Basquetbol de la NBA

Con Bill Clinton. Los esposos Osorio dieron miles de dólares a los demócratas para la campaña preszidencial

**** ESTAFARON UNOS $40 MILLONES, TENÍAN CASAS EN SUIZA, EN STAR ISLAND, FLORIDA, YATES, ANILLOS DE DIAMANTES DE $50.000, CONDOMINIOS., ETC.

UTILIZARON LA TRAGEDIA DE HAITÍ PARA OMETER SUS CRÍMENES.  

*** LOS AGARRARON. ÉL PASARÁ 12 AÑOS EN PRISIÓN. NEGOCIÓ PARA QUE DEJARAN LIBRE A LA ESPOSA

Una historia que llenará de orgullo al próspero club de estafadores venezolanos. Vea “American Greed”, programa que acaba de salir al aire en la televisión estadounidense.

                                                                           LINK

http://www.cnbc.com/live-tv/american-greed/full-episode/charity-begins-at-home/404922947993

Money wasted in remembering a traitor/Dinero malgastado en recordar a un traidor

En los Estados Unidos el régimen de Nicolás Maduro está gastando millones de dolares en recordar la fecha de la muerte del traidor que se llamó Hugo Chávez Frías. Mientras asesinan a niños y adolescentes en nuestra patria, gastan dinero en hacerle propaganda a quien traicionó la democracia venezolana y arruinó al país.  El afiche de Chávez con Guevara, dos carniceros malditos, lo dice todo. Ojalá que en cada sitio de estos haya Venezolanos dignos que le griten a los mercenarios y corruptos chavistas lo que se merecen. Yo estaré en Washington para decirles lo despreciables que son.
In the U.S. the Maduro regime will be spending millions in remembering the death of the traitor Hugo Chavez. While they murder children and teenagers in Venezuela they spend money in propaganda for the man who was a traitor to his country and ruined the country. I hope that in everyone of these places there will be dignified Venezuelans who will shout to the corrupt chavistas what they deserve to hear. The poster of Chavez with Guevara, the two butchers, says it all. I will be in Washington to let them know what despicable they are.

Venezuela National Day of Action Activities by City March 5 is the second anniversary of the passing of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez, who transformed Venezuela through his courageous struggle to help Venezuelans become protagonists of their destiny.  The Venezuela Strategy Group, a coalition of solidarity organizations and individuals has called for actions on March 5 to commemorate Chavez’ legacy and to build opposition to US efforts to replace the democratically elected government of President Nicolas Maduro through violence. The US government is working to destabilize Venezuela’s democratically elected government, using US tax-payer dollars to finance anti-government organizations in Venezuela, encouraging coup attempts and even terrorist attacks on their population. Now, the US is applying sanctions against Venezuela to punish the government and people for defending their sovereignty. It is up to us, the people of the United States, to demand that the US government stop the attacks and destabilization of Venezuela, respect international law and Venezuela's right to self-determination. If you live in any of the cities which have announced activities on or around March 5, please turn out to remember the advances Venezuelans won through the Bolivarian Revolution led by President Chavez, and to demand of the US government – Hands Off Venezuela! Boston, MA March 5, 6:30pm Encuentro5, 6:30pm 9A Hamilton Place To commemorate the passing of the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, President Hugo Chavez, we're asking people to come and share some of their thoughts and experiences in remembrance. Free and open to the public Chicago, Ill. March 5, 4:30 p.m. Rally - Federal Plaza March 6, 6-8:30pm Remembering Chavez’ Legacy Trinity Episcopal Church 125 E 26th St, Chicago, Illinois 60616 Hammond, IN – Purdue University March 4, 12:30pm Chamber Hall, 3rd Fl. SULB Speaker, Jesus Rodriguez, Consul General, Chicago Venezuela Consulate Larkspur, CA – Redwoods Church March 5, 7:30 pm 2nd Anniversary of Death of President Chavez Video of Miguel Tinker Salas speaking on US – Latin American Relations in the 21st Century Discussion led by Martin Sanchez on developments in Venezuela Los Angeles, CA Friday, March 6, 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Immanuel Presbyterian Church (3300 Wilshire Boulevard) Forum in defense of the Bolivarian Revolution New York City, NY Thursday, March 5 5th Avenue between 33rd and 34th Street 4:00 p.m. March: "Human Rights Watch, Weapon of the U.S. State Department" San Francisco, CA Thursday, March 5 24th and Mission St. 5:00 p.m. Rally in Solidarity with Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution Tucson, AZ March 5,  7pm Global Justice Center 225 E 26th St. Remembering Hugo Chavez; Resisting US Intervention. Speakers on Chavez’ legacy and current US efforts at “regime change.” Washington, DC March 5, 6:30pm Bolivarian Hall, 2445 Massachusetts Ave., NW Remembering our Friend and Compañero, Hugo Chavez March 7, 7-10pm St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton Street, NW DC The Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Committee/Comité de Solidaridad Latinoamericano y Caribeño Invites the Community to a Celebration of The Life and Legacy of Hugo Chavez. Join us for an Evening of Music, Poetry, and Solidarity.

A surprising survey about Latinos in the U.S.

I just attended a session at the Inter-American Dialogue in which The Chicago Council on Global Affairs presented the results of a survey of Latinos in the U.S. and their preferences for U.S. foreign policy. The results are somewhat surprising, as several of its main findings seem to be strongly counter intuitive, see: http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/blog-entry/latinos-and-future-us-foreign-policy

The survey was made to a group that reflects the composition of the Latino population in the U.S.: 62% Mexican, 4% Cuban, 6% South American.  35% of the respondents only have primary school education, 29% of the respondents have a  high school diploma while 30% have some college education or  a college Bachelor’s degree.

The main conclusion of the survey is that Latinos think about U.S. foreign policy issues in very similar terms to those of the overall U.S. public. They:

·        Favor U.S. strong leadership in the world and think of the U.S. as the most influential country, now and within the next 10 years

·        Consider terrorism, Iran’s nuclear program and cyber-attacks as the main threats to U.S. national security

·        Support the use of military force to prevent a government from committing genocide, to deal with a humanitarian crises, to ensure oil supply, to combat terrorism and to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons

·        Favor the dialogue with Cuba, Iran and North Korea

Some differences exist with respect to the larger population.

·        They seem less threatened by large immigration numbers coming into the country

·        They consider climate change a bigger threat than the larger population does

·        They think positively of the U.N.

In their feelings towards other nations they seem to show preference for countries such as Canada, Mexico (of course), England and France. Brazil is the Latin American country they like the most, after Mexico. Only 50% like Venezuela, although this is more than the larger U.S. population; less than 50% like Cuba, while only 40% of the larger population like this country.   

Some of the strongest counter intuitive results of the survey include the issues of climate change (89% consider important or very important that it should be limited), the use of force to insure oil supplies (55%)  and placing sanctions on countries that violate international law (72%). In the case of climate change this seems odd, as Latinos are generally quite indifferent towards the environment in their own countries. In Venezuela, for example, the neglect of the environment is significant and so is the case in Mexico. It was suggested during the meeting that what Latinos in the U.S. worry about is the weather, rather than the concept of climate change as a whole, since many of the respondents might be engaged in the agricultural sector. Their approval of military force to insure oil supplies is also surprising as most of the sample is of Mexican origin and they surely would not like the possibility of the U.S. taking over the oilfields of Mexico. Their large preference for the placing of sanctions on countries that violate international law is also surprising since Latin Americans have traditionally been adverse to the idea of U.S. intervention in the region, almost to the point of fetishism.  There is a suggestion of a double standard in this issue, as the respondents probably favor intervention in other areas of the world, not in Latin America.  

In general, the survey is useful but seems to generate more questions than answers. For example, what do more educated Latinos think? What do non-Mexican Latinos think? Although the sample surveyed reflects the correct proportions existing in the U.S. population, it would be important to know what Latino minorities think: Cuban, South American and so on.

According to the panelists the Latino group in the U.S. with more clout, after the Cuban, is the Colombian.

What do these influential minorities think? What do Latinos think about the Venezuelan crisis? Do they approve U.S. sanctions against Venezuelan corrupt members of government? Their posture in such an issue could differ dramatically from the lax attitude of Latin American governments, as shown in the OAS and UNASUR. The survey did not include questions specifically related to Latin America, for whatever reason. I also wonder if the U.S. presidential candidates should base their campaign among Latinos in this or other similar survey, without taking into account the possibility that the results might reflect what the interviewer wants to hear.

It would be worth investigating how the Latino  feel about the U.S.  This must be, I agree,  difficult to measure. Some of the answers obtained in the Chicago Council survey did not seem to corroborate my own, purely impressionistic, beliefs. As a 12 year- immigrant to this country I have been surprised, even shocked, by the large amount of Latinos I have met who speak about the U.S. in pejorative terms, even those who have been here for many more years than I have. I know my experience is not statistically significant but it would be interesting to know if it can be tested. I have seen this largely among low education immigrants who do blue collar work, but I have also seen it among many of the better educated Latino. Many sound resentful, although the reasons are almost never given. The message seems to be that “they cannot get used to this culture” and feel nostalgic about their countries of origin, although they don’t show any intentions to return. This has always been a mystery to me, as I am fully enjoying my stay in this country and have no problems with saying so openly. I sense that many Latinos are reluctant to look or sound not “patriotic” enough.  Mrs. Adina Bastidas, a former Director at the Inter - American Development Bank for Venezuela, used to say that she had been living in Washington DC for several years and was proud of not speaking English and of never going to a Museum, probably for fear of “contamination” with the gringo culture. Portuguese writer Eca de Queiroz used to say that he spoke English “patriotically” bad.

I would love to see an expanded investigation of the Latino attitudes and feelings in the U.S. as I sense that, as compared to other ethnic groups in the U.S., Latinos show a lower degree of integration. 

La indignidad de Pepe Mujica, el ex-presidente del Uruguay

Se hace el ciego pero le encantan los sátrapas

En reciente entrevista, ver: http://www.elpais.com.uy/informacion/mujica-teme-golpe-militar-venezuela.html  el ex-presidente del Uruguay, José (Pepe) Mujica nos muestra una visión muy mediocre de la tragedia venezolana, tan miope como la que lo llevó a ser un Tupamaro en la década de los 70.  

Dice, por ejemplo: “Capriles y su entorno quieren una salida institucional y otro grupo quiere dar un golpe de estado”. Mujica, quien asistió a un mitin presidencial del agonizante Hugo Chávez, prestándose por dinero recibido del dictador, a un fraude gigantesco contra el pueblo venezolano, no ha leído la constitución venezolana. Si lo hubiera hecho vería que hay artículos que expresamente demandan que el pueblo pida el cambio de un régimen político que haya violado la constitución y las leyes del país y que reprime a sus ciudadanos apoyado en una Fuerza Armada corrupta. Según Mujica, Cualquier venezolano que ejerza el derecho a la protesta es un golpista. Solo una actitud blandengue y complaciente con la barbarie en el poder  sería constitucional.

Agrega Mujica que "Sería un gravísimo error que se salieran de la Constitución", al referirse a la oposición que demanda un cambio mediante el ejercicio de la protesta pública. Confirma así su ignorancia de la constitución venezolana. Peor aún, se cuida mucho de decir que quienes han violado la constitución a su antojo han sido los miembros de la pandilla chavista.  Los venezolanos sabemos que Mujica calla esto porque su gobierno recibió grandes beneficios de ese régimen. Durante su presidencia Mujica fue un cómplice activo y descarado del ilegítimo régimen venezolano.  

Mujica dice que tratará de influir para que el problema venezolano “tenga una salida constitucional”. Tiene que comenzar por saber de qué habla la constitución venezolana. Debe saber que Maduro está en el poder debido a una violación de la constitución. Debe saber que la Fuerza Armada que lo apoya incondicionalmente obra a espaldas de la constitución. Debe saber que la represión que utiliza en contra de los opositores viola la constitución. Francamente nos aterrorizan los “buenos oficios” de Mujica, los cuales suenan a los de Samper, el narco-ex-presidente Colombiano.  

La actitud de Mujica contrasta con buena parte de la izquierda uruguaya, la cual se ha manifestado en contra de la represión llevada a cabo por Maduro. Refuerza nuestra creencia de que Mujica es simplemente una ficha ideológica que apoyará al chavismo venezolano a pesar de todas las barbaridades que está cometiendo. No olvidemos que este personaje se vistió con una casaca militar venezolana en 2011, para asistir a una reunión del CELAC, ver: http://informe21.com/content/oposici%C3%B3n-uruguaya-critica-al-presidente-mujica-por-lucir-uniforme-venezolano Es un mediocre payaso. 

Rafael Correa estafado por Sharon Stone/ Rafael Correa swindled by Sharon Stone

Rafael Correa paid Sharon Stone $275,000 to attack Chevron and she collected but did not show up. Correa is suing her/ Rafael Correa le pagó $275.000 a Sharon Stone para atacar a Chevron y ella cobró pero no fue a la reunión. Correa la está demandando.

Rafael Correa is just another gangster, just like Nicolas Maduro, Raul Castro, Evo Morales or Daniel Ortega. He uses Ecuatorian money to further his personal agendas and personal vendettas. One is against Chevron, the company that fought succesfully his attempt, in cahoots with U.S.  lawyer Steven Donziger, to extract billions of dollars from the company through a fraudulent trial. After the fraud was uncovered Correa has continued spending millions trying to get even with Chevron. This contract with Sharon Stone, an aging film star with beautiful legs (the legs are the last to go), was not honored by the star and, now, Correa, is trying to get his money back. 

Here is the report:  

A public relations firm representing the government of Ecuador sued Sharon Stone in federal court on Tuesday alleging that the actress absconded with a large speaking fee for work promoting that government’s long-running legal and political battle against oil giant Chevron. The complaint, filed by New York-based MCSquared PR, alleges that Stone and the American Talent Bureau, a speaking agency that represented her, accepted $275,000 to attend an anti-Chevron event in Ecuador last year but failed to appear as promised. The lawsuit reveals additional details about MCSquared’s pricey work for the Ecuadorian government. It inked a $6.4 million contract with the government in 2013 to attack Chevron in furtherance of the government’s attempts to collect a multi-billion dollar Ecuadorian judgment against the company. 

In Spanish there is a saying: “Ladrón que roba a otro ladrón, tiene cien años de perdón”. A thief who steals from another thief can be pardoned for 100 years.

Ignorancia y guabineo: Parada, Insulza, Maduro, Borges y Fundación Ayacucho

Por mucho menos desastres renunció Nixon, pero Maduro dice que reposero no renuncia

**** CINCO VIÑETAS DE LA VENEZUELA CHAVISTA

Diputado chavista no sabe sumar

Un diputado chavista llamado Orlando Zambrano ha dicho que el gerente corrupto de PDVSA ( perdonen la redundancia) José Luis Paradas adjudicó UN MILLÓN QUINIENTOS MIL CONTRATOS A DEDO. Ver:

http://www.noticierodigital.com/2015/02/exgerente-de-pdvsa-dio-a-dedo-1-500-000-contratos-segun-diputado-chavista/

Si cada contrato le hubiera tomado cinco minutos leer y firmar, el  corrupto Parada hubiera necesitado algo así como 30 años trabajando 24x7 para hacerlo (no he sacado la cuenta exacta)

José Insulza sigue hablando necedades

EL UNIVERSAL, miércoles 25 de febrero de 2015  03:38 PM

Washington.-  El secretario General de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA), José Miguel Insulza, instó hoy al gobierno y a la oposición a dialogar con el fin de evitar más muertes de inocentes en Venezuela. Insulza condenó a través de un comunicado la violencia, "venga de donde venga", un día después de que un joven estudiante venezolano fuera asesinado durante protestas .

Insulza no entiende o no quiere entender que la violencia desatada por la barbarie chavista no se cura con “diálogo”, mecanismo insulso en la Venezuela de hoy, solo propiciado por quienes piensan que así salvan su responsabilidad ante la historia. Este mequetrefe que es Insulza ha debido promover, hace tiempo, una acción enérgica de la OEA en contra del régimen asesino y ladrón de Nicolás Maduro.

Otros rebuznos petroleros de Nicolás Maduro en Trinidad

En Trinidad, donde fue a buscar papel tualé, Nicolás maduro aprovechó para rebuznar sonoramente sobre petróleo, una de sus grandes aficiones. Dijo:

"Debemos seguir avanzando en tecnología para hacer más limpia la producción de petróleo que es la fuente energética todavía de todo el siglo XXI, seguir avanzando en las energías limpias, en métodos de producción de energía que no dañen la corteza terrestre, ni el ambiente. Una energía limpia es el uso de gas, pero hay métodos que fracturan la corteza terrestre y entonces ya no es limpia porque contaminan las aguas, los manantiales”.

Cuantos rebuznos en un párrafo tan corto! En primer lugar, eso de “debemos seguir avanzando en tecnología” es una ridiculez. La PDVSA de Maduro no ha hecho más que retroceder en este campo, convirtiendo a INTEVEP en una bodega de reposeros y “milicianos”. En segundo lugar, sigue diciendo que el “fracking” daña la corteza terrestre. Luego dice que contamina las aguas y daña los manantiales. Este pobre diablo no sabe que el “fracking” ha sido utilizado en Venezuela por años, que todo mecanismo de producción petrolera pudiera contaminar las aguas de superficie, si se rompe la cañería de perforación superficial o si ella se cementa mal. Eso de que el “fracking” daña la corteza terrestre es un exabrupto, ya que el “fracking” puede producir pequeños movimientos sísmicos pero no grandes terremotos, como alguien le ha soplado. No sabe el jumento que los riesgos ambientales de explotar la Faja Hugo Chávez Frías, como se le menta ahora, son tan grandes como llevar a cabo tareas de “fracking”. Para comenzar, vean los cerros de coque en el oriente del país contaminando el aire y el paisaje. 

Julio Borges no juega para el equipo de la democracia

En declaraciones recientes ha dicho lo siguiente:

Caracas, 25 de febrero. Noticias24).- El coordinador nacional de Primero Justicia, Julio Borges aseguró este miércoles que la tolda amarilla no tiene “planteado” firmar el “acuerdo de transición” y que su enfoque está en las elecciones parlamentarias.

“Nosotros no hemos firmado el documento, ni nos hemos planteado hacerlo. Estamos enfocados en el tema de la Asamblea Nacional, nos parece que toda la energía tiene que estar puesta en la vía de la AN.

Este paladín de la ambigüedad y el guabineo torpedea de nuevo una iniciativa de la oposición que no es golpista, que no excluye otras iniciativas y que pide algo justo, como es una transición hacia la democracia y la libertad. Borges sigue en su jueguito mezquino de desvirtuar iniciativas que no son suyas y debilita a conciencia el movimiento opositor. Este Borges es más ciego que Jorge Luis. Él no quiere que lo confundan con “los golpistas”, qué horror!

Una Fundación Ayacucho prostituida, como todo lo que cayó en manos del chavismo

La Fundación Ayacucho anuncia que dará becas para el estudio en dos universidades argentinas, para cursar lo que a ellos les interesa, no lo que a los estudiantes les interese. Dicen:

El Gobierno Bolivariano y su ente adscrito la Fundación Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho (Fundayacucho) convoca a las y los venezolanos que deseen cursar estudios de cuarto nivel (Especialización, Maestría y Doctorado) en la República Argentina.. los seleccionados podrán formarse exclusivamente en dos prestigiosas instituciones de Argentina: Universidad Nacional de Lanús y Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento.
Las y los profesionales podrán postularse en las siguientes áreas de estudios, tipificadas como prioritarias para el desarrollo de la nación… Las y los interesados deben registrarse en la página web www.fundayauccho.gob.ve

Para comenzar, si usted trata de entrar en el link a la fundación Ayacucho, tal y como está arriba, verá que es imposible por una sencillísima razón: está mal escrito!! Con dos “c”. No funciona. Lo importante, sin embargo, es que los y las aspirantes solo podrán ir a dos universidades pre-seleccionadas, no a Harvard, o a La Sorbona ni nada que se le parezca.

Entré en el sitio de la llamada General Sarmiento y eso es un cueva de ñángaras y de madres de la Plaza de Mayo. La Lanús tiene menos de 20 años de fundada y parece ser una mezcla de universidad bolivariana con universidad de Moruy. Ofrece estudios en seguridad ciudadana, educación física y otros. Parece ser del nivel de un Junior College en USA, a pesar de que ofrece maestrías, por ejemplo en epidemiología, cuyos requisitos de selección se limitan a ser graduados de cualquier universidad después de cuatro años de estudios.

 Para esto ha quedado la Fundación Ayacucho.