And Peruvians have all the reason of the world to be concerned

My condolences to my Peruvian friends. I love Peru, his people, his Inca past, Machu-Picchu, the Nazca lines, his japanese-spanish influenced cooking (one of my favorite dishes is the "Chupin de Camarones" uhmm) and specially its pisco sours, which is my favorite drink. Must say that mine are great and I am famous for making them :D Ok, now going back to the sad part of this note. My peruvian friends are leaving soon Toledo's great administration and face elections. They will be choosing between "Cancer" Ollanta Humalla or "Aids" Alan Garcia.

If you know a little bit of Peru, you will know why I am refering to Alan Garcia as "Aids", but why am I referring Humala as "Cancer"? One, his friendship with Hugo Chavez (do I have to say more?) but, more than his bad choosing of friendship or allies is Humala's MARXIST-NATIONAL-SOCIALIST family. (Uhmmm where I have seen that idiologic combo before? Does the name Stalin rings a bell?)

Just read this:

Peruvian front-runner's family an issue

By Monte Hayes, Associated Press Writer | April 5, 2006

LIMA, Peru --Presidential front-runner Ollanta Humala admires a former dictator and once launched a military uprising himself. He promises heavy state intervention in a free-market economy and wants to end U.S.-backed eradication of Peru's coca crop.

But with national elections set for Sunday, what really scares some people is his family. His father is a Marxist who praises Hitler. His mother suggested that gunning down homosexuals would reduce immorality.

One brother is in jail awaiting trial for an armed revolt. Another brother is running against him for president, although Ulises Humala's racist platform advocating second-class status for the light-skinned elite has drawn him less than 1 percent support.

Ollanta Humala -- who holds a narrow lead over Lourdes Flores, a pro-free-market former congresswoman -- insists he harbors none of the intolerance that characterizes his clan.

"I'm not homophobic," the 43-year-old retired army lieutenant colonel said during a recent meeting with foreign correspondents. "In the 21st century, I don't think anyone should be discriminated against for such preferences or options, whatever word you want to use."

But many Peruvians are skeptical.

"He can't be believed," said Fernando Rospigliosi, a former interior minister. "He's a man who lies systematically."

Ollanta Humala is widely perceived as part of a rising tide of leftist leaders in Latin America responding to widespread discontent with free-market policies seen to have done little for the poor, and with the discredited political class that implemented them.

He is closely allied with Venezuela's populist President Hugo Chavez, another former military man who led a revolt as a precursor to running for elected office, and with Bolivia's recently elected socialist President Evo Morales, a coca-leaf farmer who like Humala supports and end to U.S.-backed coca eradication.

How much influence the Humala clan would have in Ollanta's presidency remains unclear.

His jailed brother, Antauro, who joined Ollanta in a short-lived military uprising against former President Alberto Fujimori in 2000, recently said his father would have a strong role.

"My father is a fundamentalist of pure reason," he said. "If you're talking about public posts for him, that is unimportant, as it is for the rest of the family. Our strength is ideology. He is an ideological patriarch of the Peruvian people, whose weight is greater than that of the combined official team."

Ollanta dissociated himself from the declarations and has shown increasing annoyance with questions about his family. (Of course! How conventient, let's wait until I reach government and I will put them all as ministers and ambassadors, that's what Hugo Chavez has done).

"What my parents say is their business," he insisted last week. "They're not running for anything. They don't belong to my party and they're not going to be part of my government."

But TV talk show host Jaime Bayly noted that Ollanta for three years let Antauro publish a newspaper named "Ollanta" that preached violence against minorities.

"If he really repudiated those ideas, he should have demanded that his brother withdraw his name from the publication, but he didn't," Bayly said.

Bayly, who is bisexual, says he has seen the family's intolerance firsthand. He said that when he invited Humala's parents onto his show, the father responded: "Tell that queer we're not going to his program and when we're in the government, we're going to have him shot."

A few days later, Humala's mother, Elena Tasso, was quoted by the Expreso newspaper as saying: "I bet if they shot two homosexuals, you would see less immorality in the streets."

Antauro claims he acted on Ollanta's orders in leading an uprising last year in an Andean town that left four police officers dead, a charge Ollanta denies.

Several weeks ago, Antauro gave a taped statement to a radio station saying President Alejandro Toledo, his wife and Peru's 120 congressmen should be executed by firing squads for treason. He also said "revolutionary measures" would begin July 28, the day Peru's next elected government will take office.

Antauro is running from jail for congress; if elected he would enjoy immunity from prosecution for his uprising.

Ollanta brushed off his brother's prediction, calling him "crazy."

But he has been evasive about accusations linking him to other violence. Villagers in eastern Peru say he ordered the torture and killing of suspected leftist guerrilla sympathizers in 1992, when he commanded a jungle counterinsurgency base. Humala calls the charges a smear campaign. (Yeah sure)

The Humalas say they prepared their seven children from a young age to be revolutionaries. At dinner, each child had to discuss some aspect of Peruvian history from a nationalist viewpoint. (National Socialism anyone? Remeber Hitler and his Aryan rant? Do we want this "Cancer" again for the world?)

The 75-year-old patriarch, Isaac Humala, says he is a descendant of Inca royalty and always hoped his children would transform Peru into a nation dominated by its "copper-skinned" majority of Indians and mestizos, stripping power from the white elite.

He has said he raised his children to take power -- if necessary through a military coup and that is why he sent two of his sons to a military academy.

"If I command 60, 100 or 1,000 armed men, I can take the palace and from the palace impose ethno-nationalism," he said, referring to the racial creed he preaches.

© Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

Well, we know the guy was raised on a non-democratic, homophobic and racist envirronment. Don't come later and tell me you didn't know. Now, something else, let's talk about this "going back to Inca times". What does this mean? A country ruled under a pre-christian world? Or is it just a racist issue in which you are white you will be segregated, like blacks were in the US south until the civil right movement? I don't think both choices are good at all. You know, I love Inca culture and everything, but I don't think Peruvians want to live on a bloody Incaic rule, where you have to sacrifice live children to their Gods. It's good to visit Inca culture in the museum, not to have it on a Peru's government. You know what, nobody chooses their family, that's why some people are not qualified to be President of a Nation.

A dark cloud is heading to Peru. My condolences, friends. :(

UPDATE:
Video of the nutcase dad talking about how is a good thing to be a militar so they can take over governments by a coup.


Video of nutcase brother Antauro Humala talking about the state should take over the media. Antisemtism included.

Peru withdraws ambassador to Venezuela.

In response to this lovely act of lunacy from the top state representative of Venezuela:



I would have done the same.

LIMA, Peru (Reuters) - Peru said on Saturday it withdrew its ambassador to Venezuela for the second time this year over "persistent and flagrant interference" in the country's affairs by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

In a statement, the Peruvian government cited Chavez's threat on Friday to withdraw his ambassador to Lima and cut relations with Peru if former President Alan Garcia won the Peruvian presidential election. Chavez favors leftist Ollanta Humala.

"The Peruvian government has decided to withdraw its ambassador to the Republic of Venezuela with immediate effect due to its persistent and flagrant interference in Peru's domestic affairs," the Foreign Ministry said.

Venezuelan officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Chavez's comments followed Garcia's criticism of the Venezuelan leader as "shameless" for attacking U.S. free-trade deals with Peru and Colombia while continuing to sell his country's crude oil to the United States.

Chavez, a self-proclaimed socialist revolutionary sharply at odds with Washington, first clashed with Peru at the start of the year after openly backing Humala, who won the first round of the April 9 presidential election.

Peru temporarily withdrew its ambassador from Caracas on January 5 after President Alejandro Toledo accused Chavez of "political meddling" in the election by supporting Humala.

Garcia is almost certain to face Humala in a runoff in late May or early June, which polls say the former president is likely to win.

A Datum poll released this week showed Garcia leading Humala in the second round by 54 percent to 46 percent.

BLACKMAIL AND THREATS'

Peru's withdrawal of its ambassador followed a diplomatic note of protest to Venezuela on Friday night and Peru's complaint to the Organization of American States over Chavez' statements.

Toledo told Chavez on Friday "not to interfere" in Peru's election with "blackmail and threats."

Garcia, whose 1985-1990 government led Peru to economic collapse, added Chavez "did not have the moral or political authority" to criticize him.

Chavez presents his ideas of 21st-century socialism and South American integration to counterbalance U.S.-backed free-market proposals for the region. He often attacks U.S. "imperialist" foreign policies and capitalism.

He recently pulled out of the five-member Andean Community trade bloc after accusing Bogota and Lima of scuttling the group by signing deals with the United States.

Peru and Colombia say the bilateral trade deals with the U.S. government are vital to their economies, but Bolivia, led by Chavez ally President Evo Morales, has said it will also reconsider its Andean bloc membership.

24th Century Living...

http://www.24thcid.com/

Ha ha this is too much!!

Tony Soprano alive and kickin' in Venezuela...

Mother of Jesus, pray for us sinner until death caught us after confession. I don't know what is going on in Venezuela these days, but seems to me that a mafia boss is getting very nervous and it's showing what he's capable of by a series of very notorious murders. Honestly, who is this guy, is it a group of people? Who is behind? All of this is impossible to know. Do you think there's a link between last month's notorious murders that have been creating a lot of news on the chavista and oppo environment? You be the judge.

First murder, business man Filippo Sindoni. (March 29th)
Second murders, the Faddoul Brothers (sons of a succesful business man) plus his driver (April 4).
Third murder, graphic reporter Jorge Izaguirre in the middle of a job, taking pictures of a protest (April 12th).
Fouth murder, Presbítero Jorge Piñango.

I can't believe my ears from what I just heard (listen to the video embedded please). Yesterday, Venezuela's Attorney General, Isaias Rodriguez, in an afternoon conference, with total lack of speech sensibility or in accordance with the chavista' gaw law in which the media has to be very careful what it says in the afternoon so the sensibility of the children who are watching TV is not perturbed, said the following in reference to the assesination of Presbítero Jorge Piñango:

1) I am saying what I am gonna say because this is serious and responsible information and the nation needs to know the TRUTH.

2) I am saying what I am saying because of the spin the media has done to me in reference to the Danilo Anderson murder case and I don't want this to happen again.

3) Seems that Presbítero Jorge Piñango's murder is also about to take a spin, so I am gonna tell you what really happened.

4) Piñango went to Motel Bruno (located in the very centric area of Sabana Grande in Caracas), registered himself with a young and handosome looking man, was founded naked, murdered by suffocation (asphyxia), and naked with wounds in his head, and showing of anus manipulation and feces in the room (I am kidding you not, I guess he didn't know that the word "sodomy" can resume all the gruesome details). And there was also found an stimulant, (he insinuated it was a sexual stimulant, viagra style).

5) Everything I said is TRUE, and I want to be very clear so we won't get people spinning the information and the opposition taking this for their political advantage. The nation deserves the TRUTH.

Well, well, well... apparently point 4 is completely spinned, since Presbítero Piñango was founded dead by suffocation, but with no apparently signs of violence (not sure about the sodomy yet), and, pay attention to this, instead of a sexual stimulant, what was found was a medicament called Rivotril (Clonazepam) with two empty bottles of beer. Could it be that somebody give the priest this medicament with some alcohol? (pass out effect, just like with the date-rape drug rophinol). Good Lord, the PR of the ministry had to send a memo correcting all the missinformation given on Rodriguez's gospel of truth speech. How irresponsible is that? Who missinformed the Attorney General like that? Why the emphasis that he was so sure and he needed to say the truth when obviously the man didn't know nothing?? I mean he could just shut up, he wasn't on a pressure to speak or anything like that. The man was Wrrroooong, very wrrrrong. Should we fire him for irresponsible and mediocre? How come the opposition cannot take this demostration of mediocrity to their advantage? I mean, I don't want an Attorney General like him. Do you?

Something else, the priest, who was the subsecretary of the Episcopal Conference in Venezuela (representant of the Vatican in other words), went to that hotel as a priest and driving the SUV property of the Episcopal Conference... uhmmm...

Watson, if you are a homosexual priest (God forbids) and you want a little bit of action, are you gonna drive to a motel on the SVU property of the church?? I mean, nobody is that idiotic. You can disguise yourself, leave the car on a close by public garage and meet with the "young and handsome" lover in another place than a cheap motel (which is btw, located on a very busy street in Caracas). Don't you think somebody like him would be scared of be seen?

Obviously this is all the characteristics of a montage to desprestige the catholic church. Not that surprizing.

So, in a month, some entity, who is operating the same way than the cosa nostra does, has been succesfully threatened 4 sectors of the society: the civil society, the business owners, the media reporters and the church.

Curiously, a big Venezuelan flag which is posted on a very visible part of the city (in Chuao), broke down. Coincidence that the country is tearing apart into pieces? I don't think so. I don't believe in coincidences, you know?



What a omen!

20,000,000 Chavez fans can't be wrong!

A little humor from The Nation.



Thanks to Jacques Cousteau for this link :D

Two protest, one claim (supposedly).

Opposition protest


Chavista protest

Today in Caracas, there were two protests regarding insecurity and street crime. As many of you know, personal insecurity, street crimes, murders, kidnapping and all kinds of dangerous things are very common in Venezuela. They were terrible before Chavez, seems it hasn't change but for the worst. I can't imagine.

The point of writing this note, is that there were two protests, because one was from chavistas and one from members of the opposition. WTF? Do you think street crime see the ideological difference on a target? If so, isn't that a big, BIIIG problem for the society? Much beyond simply insecurity, police affairs?

Chavistas: "We are supporting the President and his misiones" (what's the name of the protest, again?, yes, it's called: "Move yourself for security"-or in other words take a stand aganist insecurity... so what the misiones have to do with street crime my dear?) "We are claiming to the defense and security of the Land", not for those who are laying there (on the other protest)" Ok, thanks!... and then the insanity keeps coming: "we have to avoid get into a GW Bush manipulation, since he is a monster which will bring caos and we will be taken out of our Universities" (AAH? - more or less that's what I undersdood, I have no idea why GWB will take them out their Universities). Gee, I guess there's never a bad moment to say one or two bad things about GWB, doesn't matter if he has anything to do with the issue or not. I though Sophism was a dead philosophy, but nooooo it's very much alive and well among the left and specially in a country call Venezuela. *sight*

The good thing is that they ended handing in a document with proposals to the Justice Minister. I can't help but to imagine what's written in that piece of paper:

1-Eliminate GWB
2-We are chavistas and support Pres Chavez and his anti-imperialist view against GWB and we support the misiones because they are good. Keep the misiones, they don't have anything to do with this proposals but it's good to mention the good thing that our president, the "King of the Poors" does. (or was it the "King of Comedy"? :)
3-Eliminate the CIA since they are the ones behind street crime
4-It's all about the gringos, let's get them (but not the ones who are travelling with Medea Benjamin, those chancletúos are cool, they are fighting with us against the imperialist paws)
5-We support the wonderful work that Pres Chavez is doing (well, can he maybe do a little bit more with street crime? If you will? Please? Isn't that too much to ask? But please, don't get us wrong, we looooooove President Chavez and his big mouth).
6-It's opposition fault, let's get those sifrinos once and for all
7-The missiones are good and we support the president
8-Let's eliminate the "rich" they are the source of all problems (Chavez and Chacon probably didn't like this one that much, since they are the new "riches" of the country. Only Cartier watches and the last model available)... uhmm
9-Create a new mision maybe? How about mision maisanta to regenerate criminals with looove? Because we looove Pres. Chavez, you know?

Opposition: People went to the strets and layed down as symbolism of the people who had died because of crime, for the Faddoul brothers, for the kidnapping and murder of Filippo Sindoni. One of the opposition leaders, Liliana Hernandez, said that they are claiming for the government to create real anti-crime policies. They didn't mention GWB.

Daniel has more pictures of the oppo event. Please don't miss one of the last ones, a little chavista board that says more or less (Daniel's translation: "Lay down for security while we... have 10 millions [votes] to push down your gullet [the Chavez extremely vulgar campaign theme]") In other words, "whatever... we will win the elections with 10 millions votes" (Hello? what does this protest has to do with politics? It tells you two things: a) How divided is the society in Venezuela. b) Chavistas can't care less about fixing the country). Chavez always mention that slogan, btw, (why he is so sure he will get 10 Mil votes? Because he has everything fixed already? (!) Why they care is not about making a possitive difference to their country, but to leave their mafia job in the government. That's why these people have to leave office.

Mexican party ad uses Chavez to prove their point

Do I need to comment on this ad from the PAN of Mexico? Imagine, the Mexicans PAN is asking their citizens if they want something so negative like this man for their country. I have to agree with their concern.

Could this be the reason that Lopez Obrador is loosing points?

We know in Venezuela that this man (Chavez) has very "mala pava"(*). He is like a Reverse Midas, everything he touches is transformed to human waste.

"mala pava", or "pavoso"= are people who carry a dark cloud over their shoulder 24-7 and spread it to everything they relate to, their work, their friends, etc...

The reality of Venezuela. Children die of hunger while the irresponsible chavista government give away money like crazy to other countries.

In Santa Cruz de Mara, in Maracaibo, Vzla, 30 children die of hunger on a monthly basis. 70% of the people don't have a job. People go to the city hall not to ask for jobs anymore since they know there are no jobs, but to ask for a bag of food, medicine or a funerary urn (for children, mostly). A lot of people say in this documentary (in spanish) that they have to beg not to die for hunger. Do I have to remind you that Venezuela is a very rich OIL country? That everyday it receives enough CASH to invest it in its people very confortably? This is happening 7 years, almost 8 after the King of the poors Hugo Chavez took office as president of Venezuela. Go figure. Do you think people are inventing this? Do you think this is a CIA complot to outs Hugo Chavez and his regime of mediocrity and robbery? I don't think so.

Sadly, this is the Venezuelan reality, while Mr. Chavez give away cheap oil to US Americans, who at least have a house with heat and can eat and sleep on a bed. But for the extreme poor with no means to eat in rural Venezuela, there's no help. Curiously, the name of this "caserio"(*) shown is Nazareth, Nazareth. And the main occupation of the town is fishermen. God, help us. The punishment that w'all are gonna receive will be big.

A woman said in this documentary that the president is indeed eliminating the poor, killing them with hunger. Who's fault is this situation? Do you think is unfair to blame the government for this? This government or the other ones? Which ones?

The major is asking for the National Assambly to change the ruling of Corpozulia, which is the principal source of income in this sector in Venezuela. Sadly, the documentary didn't explain exactly why Corpozulia is not helping better with jobs and services to the people of this region. Corruption? Mafia?

(*) caserio= very small rural town

Aló Presidente, spanish (from Spain) version.

Now, the Colombian version:



Videos dedicated to Ruben Castañuelas, avid revolutionary reader of CC.

Caracas, Venezuela. 4-11-02.

These are the 25 people who are against Chavez in Venezuela. This is the oligophrenic escuálido (opposition) "dream" that according to chavistas never happened on 4-11-2002...

Whoever made this video did a good job on putting all the images together. Congratulations.

Hugo I ignored by Chilean former President Lagos

I wonder why Lagos is soooo evil by ignoring this sweet, charming, adorable, quality human being who doesn't like to pick up fights in the neighborhood. More than ignoring him he just gave him a very cold-fake smile and kept going.

And Chavez stood alone with his clown face and with his open arms...

Thanks DroD for the video :D

For the ones who think that Fidel's regime never had engaged in tortures

By the way, he is Chavez's mentor. Do Venezuelans need to worry about this mentorship? What do you think?

Thanks JSB for this video.

Mr. Chavez in the british media (Channel 4)

Thanks JSB for the link.

Venezuelan leader asks courts to wield his idea of justice

Posted on Tue, Apr. 11, 2006
By Jackson Diehl

Hugo Chávez, who is up for re-election as Venezuelan president this year, kicked off his new campaign with an old tactic: criminal trials of his leading opponents. For years Latin America's would-be socialist revolutionary has been nursing along prosecutions of politicians, human rights activists, labor leaders, journalists and election monitors. Some have ended in prison sentences, but many have not: Instead, Chávez toys with his targets, holding the threat of jail over their heads while avoiding the embarrassment it would create for his apologists in Washington and Europe.

Now, with a vote on his tenure coming up, the president's prosecutors are back. First up in court was the election-monitoring group Súmate, which has meticulously documented Chávez's manipulation of the electoral system. The caudillo ordered up the trial of its top leaders on treason charges during his weekly television show two years ago; María Corina Machado and Alejandro Plaz have been in and out of court every few months since. Their case reappeared early this year, and by mid-February they were preparing for a judge to rule on their imprisonment. Then European Union ambassadors advised Chávez's Foreign Ministry that they planned to attend and monitor the court session. The case was abruptly dismissed and sent to another court, where it is once again pending.

Next comes Henrique Capriles Radonski, a popular opposition mayor in Caracas and the leader of the only political party to nominate a candidate against Chávez. Like Súmate's leaders, Capriles was first charged in 2004; like them he has seen the case against him discredited and thrown out by appeals courts, only to reappear as Chávez tightened his control over the judiciary. His trial is now due to begin by early May.

But unlike Súmate's Machado, Capriles isn't well known outside Venezuela. He hasn't been received by President Bush. He has already spent three months in jail, in 2004. And he thinks the Cuban ambassador -- delegate of Chávez's closest ally -- is demanding that he be sentenced to prison.

So Capriles, a slim, handsome and fast-talking pol, was in Washington late last month to drum up interest in his case. In the perverted logic of Chávez's court system, what now matters is not evidence or law but international exposure. ``I want to get every NGO and human rights group to send someone to my trial,'' Capriles told me. ``I want journalists; I want television. I want to fill every seat in the courtroom. That's my only guarantee of justice.''

The case against Capriles dates to an incident that occurred four years ago this week, when Chávez was briefly ousted by a military coup. A hostile crowd besieged the Cuban ambassador's residence, which lies in Capriles's middle-class municipality, Baruta. Called to the scene by a European ambassador, the mayor was invited in by Cuban Ambassador German Sánchez Otero. He delivered a speech urging the crowd to disperse. Sánchez thanked him.

All of this was captured on a television journalist's videotape. But two years later Capriles was charged with trespassing, intimidation and ``violating international principles,'' among other crimes. The case was dismissed in October 2004, but it reappeared last May. So far it has been before 22 judges, many of whom have begged off rather than take orders from the president. Capriles says Sánchez, who is still Fidel Castro's man in Caracas, is particularly eager for his conviction because it would cover the envoy's embarrassment of having appealed to an opposition leader for rescue.

But Chávez has his own reasons for singling out this mayor. Only 33, Capriles is one of the brightest stars in a new generation of Venezuelan politicians untainted by the discredited political establishment Chávez replaced. He is popular, having won 80 percent of the vote in his district of a half-million in his last campaign. Unlike much of the rest of the opposition, he and his First Justice party are unambiguously committed to democracy. Capriles opposed the boycott of last year's parliamentary elections and is pressing hard for a united opposition campaign against Chávez in December's election.

Contrary to his own propaganda, Chávez has reason to worry. He has never enjoyed overwhelming support in Venezuela; his ratings have mostly fluctuated a few points above and below 50 percent. A tidal wave of corruption revelations, infrastructure failures and sensational crimes has dominated attention in Caracas in recent weeks. Chávez is rooting for the opposition boycott Capriles opposes; he recently said that if it occurs he will propose abolishing the constitutional limit on his tenure.

"Chávez wants the world to think his only opposition is Bush,'' Capriles says. "But that's not true. There are lots of people in Venezuela who think differently from Chávez. Their votes should be cast and they should be counted, so the world can see them.''

No wonder the independent organization dedicated to a fair vote count got the first court date this year. And no wonder this energetic democrat was next.

JACKSON DIEHL is a deputy editorial page editor for the Washington Post.

Feathers: As Wayne would say: Excelent... Now, seriously, Diehl just made an excelent point into showing the nature of the chavista regime in Venezuela. Anyone who dare to dissent, will, someway or another, suffer from it from any type of power abuse from the government. Is that a free democratic envirronment? No, it's not. It's fascism. Not everybody is that stupid on Venezuela or profit directly from the cash cow of the corrupt government there, so yes, there is a big majority of Venezuelans who don't agree with this government and not everybody voted like sheeps for Chavez. Doesn't have anything to do to feed the poor and insulting Bush, Cindy Sheehan, it has everything to do with abusing the institutions of the country against their citizens, the abuse of power of their civil servants, the love affair that Hugo Chavez has with Fidel Castro, to the point that Fidel has influence power among our military, the way the is spending like crazy into other projects while Venezuela is in so much need of infrastructure. Well said Jackson Diehl.

Criticize Chávez at your own risk

Taken from San Jose Mercury news:

Elections reflect will of Venezuela

Jackson Diehl states that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ``has never enjoyed overwhelming support in Venezuela; his ratings have mostly fluctuated a few points above and below 50 percent'' (Op-Ed, April 11).

In 1998, Chavez was elected president of Venezuela with 56.2 percent of the vote; in 2000, in another presidential election, he received 59.8 percent of the vote. In the 2004 referendum to recall Chavez, 59.1 percent voted ``No.''

If Diehl wants to look for unpopular presidents, he doesn't need to leave Washington, D.C. As hard as it is for Diehl to believe, Venezuela is a country where the will of the people is actually reflected in the office of the president.

Steven Patt
Cupertino

Criticize Chávez at your own risk

Steven Patt points to the election victories of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, by majorities of 56.2 percent (2000) and 59.8 percent (2004), as evidence that Chávez serves at the will of the people (Letters, April 13). Remember the ever-popular president of his people Saddam Hussein, who won by majorities in the high 90 percents?

Because free speech is one of our fundamental freedoms, Pratt can feel free to take cheap shots at our president in a public forum. Were Patt to publicly make derogatory comments about his hero Hugo Chávez while visiting Venezuela, he would be experiencing different kinds of shots coming his way.

Jack Azevedo
Santa Clara

Excelent...

Memo...

The latest meeting Iran-Venezuela ... thanks to Alek Boyd for noticing it.

Good Friday Post

Just want to wish you all a happy Eastern time, but moreover, I also want to ask my 4.5 readers of the whole planet earth to meditate or pray (whatever religion you have or if not religious, any philosophy you have, if none, for goodness sake pick one), just that, add a little bit of more meditation to your life.

God bless you all,

For catholics: Today is the day you can start praying the Divine Mercy Novena. The Feast of Mercy will be the next Sunday after Eastern (April 23, 2006). This is a Feast that Jesus himself asked Sister Faustina Kowalska to help established it. Whomever become a devote of the Divine Mercy of Christ, and confess and receive communion the day of the Feast, will receive total forgiveness of your sins and sorrows. This, only happens when you receive Christening. So, would be good if we all catholic take advantage of this, and give our trust to Jesus once again.

En español: La Devoción a la Divina Misericordia.

Iran says it will cooperate with nuclear agency

Finally the claim has been made, Iran has developed enriched Uranium. How long until they have enough to make a nuke? (Please, don't forget to watch in the CNN link, the video called "Iran makes nuclear claim")

Uhu... so last time I heard this story, I was reading a history book about Hitler and Chamberlain... you know what I am talking about right? The beginning of WWII.

I am starting to believe there's a real "illuminati" conspiracy theory in which the elite of this world are creating caos (just read the news, all is connected. Yes psf's, grassroots movements too...) to make a nuclear war and eliminate a big chunk of the world population. C'mon! This leaders of the world and the IAEA can't be that stupid.

Has talking on the cell phone become the new cigarette?

This is so annoying. What is up with teenagers and cell phones? Everywhere I go, there is a stupid teenager talking on their cell phone. At the mall, in traffic aboard their brand new beemer, everywhere I catch one they happen to have a have a cell phone connected to their ear. What is so important kids?

Can you imagine a teenager party where all the kids are talking to someone on their cell phones? Ha! At least, during the 80's (when I was a teenager) it was fun to play femme fatale with the cigarette, not trying to impersonate a very busy CEO at the edge of a nervous break down.

Cigarettes kill people, but talking on the phone 24-7 and not taking care of what's happening on the road kill faster!!

Cheers,

Chavez Threatens to Expel U.S. Ambassador

Words of Hugo I:

"The ambassador went to Coche seeking an incident," Chavez said during his weekly televised address Sunday. "It was a provocation to look for another incident, seeking an escalation."

Chavez offered muted criticism of the protesters — "We reject any kind of aggression," he said — but clearly warned the ambassador. "If you continue provoking us, go pack your bags because I'm going to throw you out of here," he said.

Oh yes, yessss I want American bloooddd! C'mon... for the way this south american blood thirst version of dracula speaks you will thinks he is the owner of the Ranch. But hey! Is he really the owner of the Ranch? I guess so. The rest of Venezuelans, people of peace and good intentions, have to shut up and let the nutcase tyrant speak like this if we want to stay out of trouble.

I wonder what the gringos, specifically the revolutionary leftist activist Media Benjamin, Cindy Sheehan, Baby Chesa Boudin, and internet Chavez admirers to the core Justin Delacour, Dan Burnett and Steve Hunt would think about listening Bush talking like this on his Sunday talk shown. Bush saying that he will kick the ass out of the abassador of Venezuela if they keep provoking the "people" of the US. But wait! I wonder why these people will think of Bush having a Sunday talk show!! For Christ sake!


The devil posing like an "angelito serenado" carrying the cross... can someone please give him a bigger cross?

(Click on the title for link and video).

The apocryphal Gospel of Judas

Eastern week has come, and with it, all the meditation and Jesus movies that I like to wach during this time. Yes, I do. My all time favorite has to be "Jesus of Nazareth" directed by Franco Zefirelli in 1977. When I think about Jesus, he has to looks like a)Robert Powell or b)like the picture of the Divine Mercy, although he surely might looked more arab that these two caucasian representations.

Anyway, keeping up with the topic, have you heard about the news about the Gospel of Judas ? (a new documentary of the Gospel of Judas just shown by the National Geographic TV) I just ended watching it and I must saw it was fascinating. According to this Gospel, Judas is not the ultimate traitor but the ultimate loyal friend and disciple who helps Jesus to accomplish his mission in life. Wow. Very interesting. Actually puts him on the level of obedience than Abraham, who was one of God's favorite son. Can you imagine how hard if you are one of Jesus apostles and he ask you to hand him in? Hand in the son of man to the romans? And you will be curse by your friends and everybody forever and ever? The church is saying about this that Judas was a good guy who turned bad and didn't repent, but to me this gnostic account makes a lot of sense. I have to say that I always have found the fate of Judas a little bit unfair since he did what he did because he was possessed by the evil one. If you ask any catholic priest who he thinks might be in hell he will probably said that the only one person the catholic church thinks with some certainty (since nobody has come to tell ever) would be Judas Iscariot. But his soul really didn't do anything since he was possesed, or was he? Did he had responsibility on his actions or he was just following orders?

As a catholic, this document really put a lot of questions and doubt in my mind, unfortunately, more by ignorance than because of anything else, since those questions are apparently the reason of the gnostic movement came to live in the 1st century A.D. So, I went to the basics and dig a little bit about what is the position of the church in this regard and this is what I've found. The questions about good and evil, as I say before, were the origin of the gnostic movement, and for them, evil can be explained as follow:

"Q: Why would the leaders of the Gnostic movement have been interested in Judas?

Father Williams: One of the major differences between Gnostic belief and that of Christianity concerns the origins of evil in the universe.

Christians believe that a good God created a good world, and that through the abuse of free will, sin and corruption entered the world and produced disorder and suffering.

The Gnostics blamed God for the evil in the world and claimed that he created the world in a disordered and flawed way. Thus they champion the rehabilitation of Old Testament figures such as Cain, who killed his brother Abel, and Esau, the elder brother of Jacob, who sold his birthright for a plate of pottage.

Judas fits perfectly into the Gnostic agenda of showing that God intends evil for the world.

Q: But wasn't Judas' betrayal a necessary part of God's plan, as this text suggests?

Father Williams: Being omniscient, God knows full well what choices we will make and weaves even our bad decisions into his providential plan for the world.

In his last published book, Pope John Paul II eloquently reflected on how God continues to bring good out of even the worst evil that man can produce.

That doesn't mean, however, that God intends for us to do evil, or that he intended for Judas to betray Jesus. If it wasn't Judas, it would have been someone else. The authorities had already decided to put Jesus to death, and it was just a matter of time. "

I have to say the catholic church never, ever has fail me with inconsistences with doctrine. God bless.

This codex founded was proven written by 3 to 4 A.D. But how old is the book written? This book was condemned by St. Irenaeus, who lived in Lyon by 180 A.D. and also condemmed all the other gnostic books (1st century) so, this book was already know by that time.

According to an article posted by Time magazine online, in resume, the message change as following:

The Bible:

TRAITOR But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born. Matthew 26: 24

POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests ... and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. Luke 22: 3-4

A DEAD END With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. Acts 1: 18

The Gospel of Judas

CHRIST'S CONFIDANT Jesus said to him, "Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom."

LOYAL SERVANT "You will be cursed by the other generations ... But you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me."

TRIUMPHANT Jesus answered and said, "[Y]ou will come to rule over them. In the last days they will curse your ascent to the holy.

Related:

About Judas Iscariot here, and here (last one, infamous disinformation tool wipipedia, mentions St. Ireneus relationship with this writings).

Other gnostic books: The Nag Hammadi library.

Other early cristian writings here.

The divine misericordy of Jesus, please, don't forget to do a Novena, starting this Good Friday and celebrate the Divine Mercy Sunday (the Sunday after Eastern Sunday). En español, click here.

Interesting, interesting...

The amorality and "hablapajismo"(*) of Hugo Chavez's regime

Can you believe this news?? Ladies and Gents, Ollanta Humala, the Peruvian Candidate that is the new puppet (along with Evo, and oil loaded wallet Hugo Chavez) of Fidel Castro's South American Collection, went to vote with non other than the Venezuelan President of the Electoral Council, Jorge Rodriguez!!!

This is soooo shocking to me, the open attitude of this people showing support to a candidate from another nation. Messing up with other countries affairs á la Ugly white American like nothing's happening.

Let me remind you, internet world, that Hugo Chavez principal critic to the government of GWB is the gringos nosy attitude towards foreign affairs. And what is he doing?? Blatantly, and in the face of the world sticking his wallet into another countrys internal affairs!

I always say that Hugo Chavez heroes are George W Bush and Carlos Andres Perez. He says that he hates them and he acts just like them (only the bad things, btw).

Seems like Tony Soprano wants to rule the waste management operations in Peru as well.

(*)Hablapajismo: Talking BS...

Immigration topics...

Today, marchs against the immigration bill that will make illegal immigrants "felons" have been occuring all over the country, including San Diego. This topic is hot and seems that if America doesn't tackle this issue effectively once and for all, this country will suffer the consecuences of it.

Some considerations:

1) Illegals are not fellons. Label them fellons won't resolve the issue. Moreover, won't prevent them to cross the border in search for a better living that they cannot get in their corrupt countries.

2) Instead of the Senate talking about this bill, they should be talking about building a wall and militarize the borders. If not a wall, then militarized the borders. Ladies and Gentleman, one of the principal functions of the military is to watch the frontiers and enforce immigration law. It happens in all the countries of the world, I never understood why is not happening here. Our borders are unprotected for anyone and anything coming in and out as they please to American soil. After they take care of the border, THEN they can talk about what to do with the illegals. They need to start paying taxes, school and health care as we all do anyway. Su dinero estar muy bienvenido por favor!

3) WTF with the majority of Mexican and other countries flags (mostly South Americans) on the immigration rallies? Can you imagine Americans descendants doing rallies in other countries with American flags? This is not cool. First of all, immigrants are not only Mexicans or South Americans, although they constitute the majority of the illegals in the US. However, I don't get the point to go to a immigration rally with other countries flags, did they miss the country? Is there something they need to tell Vicente Fox or Hugo Chavez? Ok then, please go to those countries and do a rally there and say anything you want to say to those countries (Good luck in Venezuela because marchs are almost forbidden due to the violent nature of Hugo Chavez's regime, if you dare to make a protest you have to face zero protection from the NAZI-onal guard, moreover, direct attacks from them).

4) Do I need to stress-again-how important is to protect the borders? Is the name Lopez Obrador sound familiar to you? If Lopez Obrador wins the future elections of Mexico on July 2, 2006, America will have open borders to the leftist government of Lopez Obrador and his group of friends, all hostile, very hostile to American interests (Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Hamas and Al Qaeda). Not that anyone can smuggle itself or whatever you can think of today to the border.

5) Would be a good idea once and for all if America stop the stupidity of not having only one official language. We all come here with different languages, we need only ONE to communicate to each other. Please choose and stop spending money on unnessesary driver manuals in 500 different languages. Is the government plan to have traffic signs in those 500 languages as well? What kind of stupidity is this in the name of the ACLU?

Kidnapped Venezuelan-Canadian brothers and their driver were found dead

How horrible is this news. Can you imagine the feeling of a mother and a father when their 17, 13 and 12 year-old children along with a house employee die executed-style by a bullet on their head and on the back of their neck? I really can't imagine. I CAN'T.

This news was also picked by the lebanese media since his parents, as many other Venezuelans, were of lebanese descent. (caution, graphic and very sad picture).

Now, I don't want to talk about politics in regards of this crime as it was "advised" by the minister of Justice for the citizens to shut up and don't even think to link it to politics. But one wonders... how come we can expect the Venezuelan government to control this kidnapping problem, (not the first time it happens, last week they found dead executed-style a Venezuelan-Italian business man also kidnapped, and many, many people who die by the hour) when it openly sympathize with people who doesn't blink an eye to execute other people, and moreover, apologize for it (The Jackal)? I mean, what kind of ambiguos message you are sending to the citizens? Note that this murderes (the Faddoul brothers, the business man Filippo Sindoni, and the students of the barrio Kennedy were kidnapped after being intercepted by the police (or some police costumed people) in a police stop. (In the case of the students of the barrio Kennedy I am not sure if they were kidnapped but surely attacked by the police or some police costumed criminals)

The country's national prosecutor is talking right now on the Venezuelan TV about how coherent they have been in regards of this murderers (Danilo Anderson case)... and for the Venezolanos who have been following this crime, we know they have been more than incoherent about it. He is talking about cremating the bodies (?) Hello?

Something else, the AN (National Assambly) is talking about the creation of a new state-police.... geez... this news you also can read it as a Setp 11-patriot act- conspiracy theory. What easier way than to execute 4 innocent sould, 3 of them children, to start raiding like crazy and to implement a new state-police? A Venezuelan gestapo composed by members of the cuban G-2? I believe everything to this point. Everything ladies and gentleman.

100,000 violent deads in Venezuela in 7 years. Who is the war against Hugo Chavez? Read about this here.

This is, with no doubt, a new low in the moral crisis that is happening in Venezuela. Does it look like the Corleone family is falling appart?

God bless their souls,

More about the Jackal, read here. (btw, The Jackal is first cousing of Rafael Ramirez Carreño, president of the state oil company Pdvsa)...

About Chavez's admiration for the jackal, read here.

The "Barrio Kennedy" murderers, click here.

What bloggers Daniel and Miguel are saying.



Update: The major is talking right now about today's student protest about the murder of the little brothers. He was the same one who offered this great solution to the street crime that is killing so many Venezuelans. He is talking about all the expedients that the city has against the police who worked during the government of the previous major Peña. Caramba! I don't understand chavistas, the minister of justice is asking not to making this into a political thing, and the major is exactly doing it... who understand these people?

Does this guy gives you a creepy vibe?

Brian J. Doyle faces 23 charges

Well, he should d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y give you the creeps. Otherwise you need to polish your eye into how to spot a pedophile. There's something about the smile... yes... the pedosmile test, never fails.... I think this guy from the best page on the Universe should be offered a very high paid profiler position at the Homeland Security bureau. Maybe he should aprove all the hirings there as well.

How shameful is this?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was arrested Tuesday at his Maryland home on charges he used his computer in an attempt to seduce a child and transmitted harmful materials to a minor, according to the Polk County, Florida, Sheriff's Office.

Some pearls from this news:

(...) As the two continued chatting online, police said, Doyle gave her his home and office phone numbers, and the number to his government-issue cell phone. He also had explicit telephone conversations with a detective posing as the girl, authorities said.

(...) Doyle also sent photos of himself that were not sexually explicit, but said he would send nude photos if the "girl" would buy a Web camera and send him nude photos of herself. In one photo, Judd said, Doyle's DHS security tag is clearly visible.

(...) Before Doyle was arrested Tuesday night at his home in Silver Spring, Judd said, the detective had told him that she had access to a Web camera and that her mother would be away, so "he was eager to rush home from work."

OMG

You want to read the whole puky thing? Read here.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Thaksin To Resign

Thailand's Prime Minister was forced to resign due to an opposition boycott. Mr. Prime Minister decided that for the GOOD OF THE COUNTRY AND ALSO TO UNIFY IT he was going to resign. ARE YOU LISTENING HUGO? This is a very, oh very important news for the Venezuelans citizens to read:

April 04, 2006 22:55 PM
By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK, April 4 (Bernama) -- Embattled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced Tuesday night that he would step down despite leading his party to victory in a snap election two days ago.

In a 15-minute live television broadcast, the 56-year-old premier said he would remain in his caretaker role until his successor was named.

Thaksin, who came to power in 2001, had an audience earlier with King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Kraikungwol Palace in Hua Hin.

He arrived at his office at the Government House at 7.30 pm with his wife, Pojaman Shinawatra, and two daughters.

Thaksin said his decision not to retain the premiership in the next government was aimed at restoring peace and unity in the country, which was deeply divided by his strong support in the north and northeast and growing opposition to his leadership in the capital and in the south.

During the telecast, Thaksin apologised to the 16 million people who had voted for him in the April 2 election.

Thaksin said one of the main reasons for his decision to resign was due to the celebration of King Bhumibol's 60th anniversary on the throne in June where royalties from more than 20 countries are expected to attend.

During a talk show Monday night, Thaksin revealed the name of former House Speaker Bokhin Bhalakula and Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak as two of the four who would probably replace him if he resigned.

The other two names he apparently had in mind were deputy TRT leader Pokin Polakul and another deputy prime minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, who is Thailand's candidate for the post of United Nations secretary general.

His decision, which looked unlikely until Monday, came despite him having led his Thai Rak Thai party to victory in the election boycotted by main opposition parties. More than 10 million people marked "no vote" as a sign of protest in the election and the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which organised massive rallies in the capital calling for Thaksin's ouster, has vowed to continue demonstrating until he stepped down.
In his 33 years of a high profile career, the Chiang Mai-born politician rose from a policeman to a successful businessmen when he started his own company, the Shinawatra Computer and Communications Group. Its expansion was astronomical and it was sold to Singapore's Temasek Holdings in January in a 73 billion baht (about RM6.95 billion) deal.

It was Shin Corp's tax-free sale that started a mass movement to force his ouster as critics claimed Thaksin sold national assets to a foreign company which could threaten national security.

Earlier Tuesday, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the party would join the next election if Thaksin resigned as promised.

During the talk show Monday night, Thaksin said he would resign immediately if the PAD stopped all street demonstration protests and if the former opposition parties promised to contest an election after the political reform.
"I am prepared to resign but they must give me good reasons so that I could explain to the 16 million people who voted for me," said Thaksin, who first came to power in 2001.

The boycott on Sunday saw TRT candidates running alone in 278 constituencies in 71 provinces and to win they had to get at least 20 per cent of the votes cast.

The second round of election for 38 constituencies where candidates failed to get the 20 per cent of votes will be held on April 23 and the Election Commission will allow new candidates to apply.

More than 28 million voters turned up for election on Sunday, or 64 per cent of the eligible 45 million voters, compared to 73 per cent in 2005.

Thaksin dissolved parliament barely a year after winning his second term in office, amidst massive rallies in the capital demanding that he step down over allegations of power abuse and corruption.

Prior to the election, Thaksin had promised to step down if TRT got less than 50 per cent of the votes cast. But unofficial results showed that TRT had won 16 million votes compared to about 12 million garnered by smaller parties, invalid votes and those marked as "no vote".

Thaksin's decision to give in to the protestors strengthened a long-held believe in the capital that "the north selects the prime ministers while Bangkok brings them down".

Thaksin's career in government started in 1994 when he became a foreign minister and a year later led the Palang Dharma Party. Subsequently, he became a deputy prime minister in 1995 and established the TRT in 1998.

During his tenure, economic growth had risen significantly and he was seen as having delivered on his past promises to give cheaper health care, soft loans and various other benefits aimed at his supporters in rural areas, particularly in the TRT stronghold of the north and northeast.

However, his premiership was marred by insurgency in the Muslim-majority southern provinces. More than 1,000 people have died since violence erupted two years ago, and he was slammed for the death of many Muslims during two incidents in the south.

Among Asean leaders, Thaksin is considered the most senior figure after former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down in 2003.

Bernama.com
Malaysian National News Agency

Baldwin-Hannity match

Seems that Alec Baldwin radio career cut shorter than people thought.

ACTOR Alec Baldwin stormed out of WABC's talk-radio studios Sunday night after a vicious verbal battle with Sean Hannity.

The activist actor, who was road-testing his own potential talk show, called Hannity a "no-talent whore" and an "incredibly ignorant boob from Long Island.

Hannity called Baldwin - a favorite punching-bag for conservatives - on the air just as he was beginning his show, and that's when the fur started to fly...

... The fiery exchange continued until WABC's yappy Mark Levin, who'd also called in, asked Baldwin why ex-wife Kim Basinger is "so p--ed off at you."

At that point Baldwin bolted from the studio, cutting his planned two-hour audition in half.

Read more here.

Hear the impasse in here.

Chavez a Hot Topic in Mexican Campaign

By WILL WEISSERT
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 29, 2006; 2:52 PM

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's presidential race has gone sharply negative with attempts to tie the front-runner to Hugo Chavez and portray him as a leftist revolutionary in the same mold as the Venezuelan president.

After weeks of leveling unsubstantiated allegations that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's campaign has been infiltrated by Chavez supporters, the conservative National Action Party went even further in a TV ad aired this month.

The commercial takes a clip from a diplomatic flap last year in which Chavez warned Mexican President Vicente Fox: "Don't mess with me sir. You'll get stung." Then it cuts to video of Lopez Obrador yelling at Fox: "Shut up, citizen president."

"Say no to intolerance," it concludes.

From 2,200 miles away in Caracas, Chavez spoke up to complain that "The Mexican right is using television spots ... to try and stop the rise of the Mexican left and of its presidential candidate."

Then Lopez Obrador's opponents, who had dragged Chavez's name into the race in the first place, demanded a federal probe into whether the Venezuelan's retort violated Mexico's law against foreign interference in elections.

So far, the fuss has done little to shrink Lopez Obrador's lead over former Fox energy secretary Felipe Calderon, his nearest rival, four months ahead of the vote. Lopez Obrador says he has never met Chavez, or even spoken with him by phone.

"Our adversaries are very desperate," he said recently.

His opponents portray the former Mexico City mayor as a demagogue who will scare off foreign investment, antagonize Washington, nationalize more industries and leave Mexico deeply in debt.

Chavez and his socialist revolution fed by Venezuela's oil wealth are the sharp end of a Latin American trend toward electing left-leaning leaders after a decade in which free-market economics failed to substantially dent the region's chronic poverty.

Lopez Obrador's base is certainly what he calls Mexico's "poor and forgotten." As mayor of 8.7 million in the "Distrito Federal," he provided cash grants to the needy and financed expensive public works, including a second deck on two major city highways and a new bus system designed to ease traffic woes.

Opponents claim he left the capital more indebted than ever, though convoluted bookkeeping makes that difficult to confirm.

Now he promises to hold down fuel prices at the likely expense of the state-run oil monopoly and other business interests. But he insists he's a moderate, inclusive politician who will welcome international investment and keep Washington happy.

Fox, constitutionally limited to one six-year term, leaves office in December, six months after the July 2 vote, and there are already signs institutional momentum is flowing in Lopez Obrador's direction _ Fox's former chief of staff joined his campaign this month.

Running with the leftist Democratic Revolution Party and two smaller factions, Lopez Obrador holds a 10-plus point lead over Calderon in most polls. Roberto Madrazo, the candidate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party that controlled Mexico's presidency from 1929 until 2000, trails even further behind.

Major business leaders who may soon have to work with a Lopez Obrador administration have been careful not to publicly criticize him. Jose Luis Barraza, president of the pro-private sector Business Coordination Council, denies assertions that the economy will suffer if he wins.

Business leaders have gotten used to the prospect of a Lopez Obrador victory, said Michael Lettieri of the Council On Hemispheric Affairs in Washington.

"Most see him as pretty moderate," Lettieri said. "They are coming to realize he's not this terrifying communist bogeyman who is going to nationalize all kinds of sectors."

Still, analysts see signs of nervousness. Lopez Obrador has promised to reopen the books on banking privatization scandals that presaged the 1994 peso collapse. Such a crusade could lead to charges against some former banking leaders and business people.

"For now, everything is calm, but some of his statements, especially recently, have been exaggeratedly populist," said Yasmin Corona, an analyst at Bursametrica, a financial consulting company in Mexico City. "There is fear in certain sectors."

Pamela Starr, an analyst at Eurasia Group in Washington, says Mexican business is "afraid he's becoming like Chavez, saying reasonable things now but changing when he gets in power."

But Larry Rubin, head of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico, says most investors think the country's economy will stay stable regardless of who is in power and can live with any of the three major contenders.
© 2006 The Associated Press

Related News: Dick Morris's take on the immigration debate.

Feathers says: Do you think this news just affect Mexicans? Well, think again. I wonder how much the US will like to have 2,000-mile of open border to Fidel and Chavez... geez. Your worst enemy is moving just right across the street, America. The US don't have to worry ONLY about muslim extremism, they have a buch of other problems on the backyard as well. And it seems that a lot of coorporate interest are lobbying to keep the cheap labor fluent... the US will pay very bad this mistake, if they don't take actions now.

Hugo I

As seens on this humoristical dutch website. As far as I am concerned, this picture, funny and innocent, it's a very sad observation of the reality of today's Venezuela. I would picture him more like a Tony Soprano though.

Thanks Quico for the dutch link.