Venezuela sends uranium to Iran

I remember when the Jungle Mom and her husband were talking about their expulsion from the Caura river by his Highness Hugo Chavez because they were spies from the Empire... but the thinking was that Hugo wanted to militarized and clean out the south of lurkers for some "strategic" reason... and now this story comes up... mmmm... methinks we were right on the spot.

May 25 02:08 PM US/Eastern
By MARK LAVIE
Associated Press Writer

Source.

JERUSALEM (AP) - Venezuela and Bolivia are supplying Iran with uranium for its nuclear program, according to a secret Israeli government report obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

The two South American countries are known to have close ties with Iran, but this is the first allegation that they are involved in the development of Iran's nuclear program, considered a strategic threat by Israel.

"There are reports that Venezuela supplies Iran with uranium for its nuclear program," the Foreign Ministry document states, referring to previous Israeli intelligence conclusions. It added, "Bolivia also supplies uranium to Iran."

The report concludes that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is trying to undermine the United States by supporting Iran.

Venezuela and Bolivia are close allies, and both regimes have a history of opposing U.S. foreign policy and Israeli actions. Venezuela expelled the Israeli ambassador during Israel's offensive in Gaza this year, and Israel retaliated by expelling the Venezuelan envoy. Bolivia cut ties with Israel over the offensive.

There was no immediate comment from officials in Venezuela or Bolivia on the report's allegations.

The three-page document about Iranian activities in Latin America was prepared in advance of a visit to South America by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who will attend a conference of the Organization of American States in Honduras next week. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is also scheduled to visit the region.

Israel considers Iran a serious threat because of its nuclear program, development of long-range missiles and frequent references by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to Israel's destruction. Israel dismisses Iran's insistence that its nuclear program is peaceful, charging that the Iranians are building nuclear weapons.

Iran says its nuclear work is aimed only at producing energy. Its enrichment of uranium has increased concerns about its program because that technology can be used both to produce fuel for power plants and to build bombs.

Israel has been pressing for world action to stop the Iranian program. While saying it prefers diplomatic action, Israel has not taken its military option off the table. Experts believe Israel is capable of destroying some of Iran's nuclear facilities in airstrikes.

Iran, under Ahmadinejad, has strengthened its ties with both Venezuela and Bolivia, where it opened an embassy last year. Its alliance with the left-led nations is based largely on their shared antagonism to the United States but is also a way for Iran to lessen its international isolation.

The Israeli government report did not say where the uranium that it alleged the two countries were supplying originated from.

Bolivia has uranium deposits. Venezuela is not currently mining its own estimated 50,000 tons of untapped uranium reserves, according to an analysis published in December by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The Carnegie report said, however, that recent collaboration with Iran in strategic minerals has generated speculation that Venezuela could mine uranium for Iran.

The Israeli government report also charges that the Iran-backed Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon have set up cells in Latin America. It says Venezuela has issued permits that allow Iranian residents to travel freely in South America.

The report concludes, "Since Ahmadinejad's rise to power, Tehran has been promoting an aggressive policy aimed at bolstering its ties with Latin American countries with the declared goal of 'bringing America to its knees.'"

The document says Venezuela and Bolivia are violating the United Nations Security Council's economic sanctions with their aid to Iran.

As allies against the U.S., Ahmadinejad and Chavez have set up a $200 billion fund aimed at garnering the support of more South American countries for the cause of "liberation from the American imperialism," according to the report.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor refused to comment about the secret report.

To know everything. A nation of informers.

I hope this movie, The Life of Others (Das Leben der Anderen, in its original German) is familiar to many of you. If not, you must see it. I recommended specially to the fellow Venezuelans who are living in Venezuela's territory right now.

I wonder what celebs like Sean Penn, Naomi Campbell, Danny Glover and Kevin Spacey, and anti-war activist Medea Benjamin from the Pinkos club and Noam Chomsky think about this new lunacy from "democratic" President Hugo Chavez. And what about those Obama supporters who love Hugo? Joe-for-Oil Kennedy, any comments about this?? Just to name a few of those peace loving Hugo Chavez's supporters who habitat in democratic countries all over the world.

If they think the Patriot act is the ultimate attack to freedom, they haven't seen nothing yet. This law is far more ruthless since it requires all its citizens, including their own chavista Judges to "... comply with requests to assist the agencies, secret police or community activist groups loyal to Mr. Chávez. Refusal can result in prison terms of two to four years for most people and four to six years for government employees."

I don't need to say more, but let NY Times Simon Romero's front page article speaks for itself.

A total disgrace for the once democratic country of Venezuela. Mr. Comrade have arrive to stay, and with the support he gets from abroad, well, seems he is not going anywhere. =(

Daniel have an interesting post about this horror as well, don't miss it.

INTERPOL’s forensic report on FARC computers and hardware seized by Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia - INTERPOL today presented the results of its forensic examination of eight seized FARC computer and hardware exhibits following a request for assistance in March of this year by Colombia, one of INTERPOL's 186 member countries.

INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble advised senior Colombian law enforcement officials that INTERPOL's team of forensic experts discovered 'no evidence of modification, alteration, addition or deletion' in the user files of any of the three laptop computers, three USB thumb drives and two external hard disks seized during a Colombian anti-narcotics and anti-terrorist operation on a FARC camp on 1 March 2008.

'Based on our careful and comprehensive forensic examination of each of the eight seized FARC computer exhibits and on consideration of all the evidence reviewed by our experts, INTERPOL concludes that there was no tampering with any data on the computer exhibits following their seizure on 1 March 2008 by Colombian authorities,' said Secretary General Noble.

(...) Read all the article in here.

Download the report in here.

After this incident one only have to assume Hugo Chavez will be pressured to resign from office, but no, he is threatening Colombia with war instead.

No pressure, because the groups that should be doing it, the moronic Venezuelan political opposition and the military, are either with him, or scratching their bellies. I have to think they support him if they don´t speak up and pressure right now as a united force.

NO EXCUSES.

Hugo, we are watching you....

The Naval Special Warfare Commander, this is not any line officer, was appointed to reestablish the 4th fleet... guess who must be taking some Valium right now so he can get some sleep, :)

Former top SEAL to command Navy's reestablished 4th Fleet

By Steve Stone
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 24, 2008

Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, the Navy's former top SEAL and current commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, has been tapped by the Pentagon to head the reestablished 4th Fleet.

Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of Naval Operations, announced Kernan's appointment today to head the fleet which will be responsible for naval forces operating in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

"Re-establishing the 4th Fleet recognizes the immense importance of maritime security in the southern part of the Western Hemisphere," Roughead said in a statement this afternoon, "and signals our support and interest in the civil and military maritime services in Central and South America."

Roughead said U.S. naval strategy relies on having a good working relationship with international partners "as the basis for global maritime security."

He said the new fleet will show a commitment to the region and will serve "to build confidence and trust among nations" in the region "through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests."

The new fleet, to be headquartered in Mayport, Fla., will become operational July 1, the Pentagon said. But its establishment will not involve any increase in forces assigned to Mayport.

Kernan will be the first Navy SEAL to serve as a numbered fleet commander.

The 4th Fleet, first established in 1943, was a major U.S. Navy command in the South Atlantic during World War II. Its mission was to protect the U.S. against raiders, blockade runners and enemy submarines.

The fleet was disestablished in 1950 and its responsibilities shifted to the 2nd Fleet.

The other U.S. naval fleets and their areas of operation are:

• Second Fleet, in the Atlantic.

• Third Fleet, in the Eastern Pacific.

• Fifth Fleet, in the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean.

• Sixth Fleet, in the Mediterranean.

• Seventh Fleet, in the Western Pacific.

During World War II, there also were an 8th, 10th and 12th fleet.

News also here.

Richardson working hard for his VP spot with Obama

What do you know. Bill Richardson, the disloyal man who left Hillary hanging like a Christmas ornament after he endorsed Obama, is now working hard for his VP spot on Sen. Obama's presidential campaign.

Richardson is the clear Obama choice for VP. The Obama people knows that the Hispanic community, Mexican descent in its majority, are not gonna vote for a brother, so the choice has to be an Hispanic candidate.

So Richardson first move, is to make friendship with the Marxist friends of the continent.

And, so it is, he is visiting Venezuela (or Minnesota?), in order to meet with Chavez. The excuse, is the excuse of everybody, the hostage thing with the Colombian terrorist group FARC. Only Chavez can help.

So, Richardson, being the Democratic populist he is, has to partake in the hostage party a la Jimmy Carter during the Iranian hostage crisis. Ufff...

This is Jimmy Carter visiting Hamas. Their politics is to meet with dictators any time.

This visit also makes me go back to the documents found on the computer of Raul Reyes, when he had some account of an envoy of Obama stopped by to say hello. People cry loud, very loud, to say this wasn't Obama people, that Obama doesn't know (pobrecitoooooooo vale, he doesn't know shit).

Well... I dunno... I see a very reasonable assumption that those people were in fact, Obama people testing the water. As Richardson is doing the same right now. This is only another signal of what's gonna be Obama's relationship with Chavez.

Some people, of course, those talented American-Venezuelan politics experts, will see this as a good sign, after all Hugo is el Señor Presidente, no? And Richardson is Hispanic descent. This seems like good news uh? Not!

Let's not forget what Hugo Chavez is. His friendship with the presidency of the US of A would only set him for life in Miraflores. The people of Venezuela who are fighting for clear elections and Democracy in the country would be disregarded the same way that Marx disregarded the middle class who is not revolutionary. Let's not forget the way the Hispanic lobby agenda in the united states is very Marxist, the same way Chavez uses the Indigenous false pride for his own benefit, the Hispanic agenda in the US acts the same way, fueled by groups like Mecha, and the Hispanic council for the races (La Raza)... they are the Chavistas of America. Kind of the same people, eh.

We only need to wonder how much Richardson is asking Chavez to contribute to Sen. Obama's campaign.

The strange Minnesota-Venezuela connection

Do something like that ever happened to you, Venezuelan living in America reader? It did happen to me once. A guy asked me where I was from, I said "Venezuela", and after that, he kept telling me how cold it was. I was thinking to myself what? Venezuela, cold? So I told him, you know, Venezuela is warm all year long. He was like, aww, I though you said "Minnesota".

Minnesota? Venezuela? I honestly cannot see how come when I say Venezuela they understand Minnesota, but it must be something that Venezuelans say that native America speakers understand as Minnesota, since it's a common joke.

I had no idea. LOL.

I cannot imagine how annoying must be to be a Venezuelan living in Minnesota :)

There is even a Facebook group for this phenomenon hahaha

This little HBO Latino "Habla ..." shorts can be very funny. Don't miss the one of the Asian looking Brazilian Carla... hahahahah

Venezuela takeover cements Chavez's tough style

By Frank Jack Daniel

CARACAS (Reuters) - A shock nationalization of Venezuela's cement industry is a reminder that President Hugo Chavez has not abandoned his socialist ideology despite promising to focus on more mundane problems such as crime and food shortages.

Chavez, who launched a multi-billion dollar nationalization drive last year, taking over energy and utility assets, announced the cement seizure late on Thursday in a new move to increase government influence in key industries.

After a painful defeat in a December referendum on speeding up leftist reforms and giving him wider powers, Chavez put on hold some radical policies such as eliminating the central bank's autonomy.

He instead vowed to tackle issues such as a scarcity of milk that has hurt his popularity, but has shown with the new nationalization move that he plans to push ahead with his self-declared socialist revolution.

Chavez has had a rough-and-tumble few months, embroiled in a legal fight with Exxon Mobil over his oil industry nationalization and a diplomatic crisis with Colombia that briefly raised fears of a border conflict.

Support for his government sank to 34 percent in February, according to one poll, its lowest point since 2003.

Analysts said the planned cement takeover was a further bid to win back supporters who have criticized the government for failing to build enough houses to cover a shortfall in Latin America's third largest cement producer.

"The measure in some ways is an attempt to move more rapidly in one of the problem areas," said Daniel Hellinger a political science professor at Webster University in St Louis.

Chavez had threatened in the past to nationalize the industry and his announcement on Thursday will stoke fears of takeovers in other areas where he has also warned assets could be seized, such as the banking and steel sectors.

Chavez accused the cement industry, privatized in the 1990s, of worsening the housing situation by exporting their product instead of selling it to builders in his OPEC nation.

The nationalization affects companies like Mexico's Cemex, Frances Lafarge and Switzerland's Holcim, and follows a shopping spree for milk companies and plants that has expanded the government's role in food production and distribution.

Cemex shares were down almost 3 percent on Friday.

Chavez, who typically pays compensation for takeovers, called for the nationalization to happen "in the short term." Mining Minister Rodolfo Sanz said on Friday he had no further details about how the takeover would proceed.

Chavez scored a victory in March when a British court threw out a $12 billion asset freeze that Exxon had won, an implicit recognition of Venezuela's willingness to pay for takeovers.

DEFAULT STRATEGY

Nationalizations appear to be a default strategy for the former paratrooper to resolve problems. In diplomatic disputes with Spain and Colombia in recent months, he threatened to take over companies from those countries doing business here.

In 1992, Chavez tried to seize the presidency in a botched coup and had a manifesto to reverse the privatizations of previous governments. Since winning power at the ballot box in 1998, he has implemented much of his pre-coup program.

Despite stepping back from proposals rejected by voters in December, such as extending his expropriation powers, Chavez has never hidden his desire to make Venezuela a socialist state.

After his referendum defeat, the government plastered Caracas with large billboards that said "For Now...," making clear it plans to revisit the socialist reforms later.

Chavez is now preparing a windfall oil tax to increase the government's share of income when crude prices are high.

He had taken a more conciliatory tone with business in recent months, for example cutting red tape for dairy firms like Nestle and Parmalat to speed up imports and put milk back on the shelves.

Last month, he announced plans to expropriate a 200,000 acre (80,000 hectare) farm, but the dairy supplier and milk plant were both bought on the open market.

Alberto Ramos, senior economist at Goldman Sachs, said the cement industry nationalization would create inefficiencies in the economy.

"This is another iteration of the gradual move to a command economy as the government is steadily encroaching on private sector activity," he said in a research note.

(Editing by Saul Hudson and Kieran Murray)

Read Daniel's take on this story here.

And, Katy's here.

Uribe and Chavez in the Summit

UPDATED. I am listening to the Summit right now. Uribe, what a president! I have a serious case of president envy. I am very happy for the Colombian people right now. Not long ago, a Colombian friend told me how hard was to travel with a Colombian passport. So this man is working very hard to save his country, we have to understand the tragedy of Colombia, it seems nobody is putting themselves on Colombian shoes. Every single word he said was very well said. Serious, to the point. He made his case. Something very important he said, in my opinion, is that they had Reyes 6 times before in Ecuador soil, and every time they informed it to the Ecuador government, Reyes disappeared.

Watch his speech here (In Spanish).

I didn't listen to Rafael Correa.

Brasil, very serious and professional speech.

Bachelet, same line than Brasil.

Cristinita Kirchner... lame... clownesque style... but at least she was to the point.

In genereal, the presidents condemned Colombia and put on the side of the "humanitarian" talks, do I have to tell you? The populist "peace" speech. But any of them -of the ones I saw- dared to talk about the big problem that the FARC represents to our Latin American societies. Only Uribe.

And then we ask to ourselves why Latin America has so many problems? With so many clowns as Presidents?

Chavez has been talking for 15 minutes and all he has said was sad jokes, about Samper wanting him to put in in jail. And the Presidenta Kirchner laughing at his jokes. Now he is deviating to this and that to the other, to get to the point that he has been incriminated many times. He hasn't finish and don't think he will...

Chavez is talking about respect now... the nerve...

He mentioned Raul Reyes's computer, laughed and said mentioned we have to get calmed otherwise we all will get very hot... it sound like a threat to me (he was obviously referring to Uribe's taking him to International Court).

Chavez keeps talking, he has just hit the nail on the head on why Latin America is the septic tank it is. He said that Uribe wants to push the "terrorist" status to the FARC, that he "respect" that from Uribe but he wasn't gonna be shoved with it from Uribe. Then make a joke, and all the clowns laughed...

I am so ashamed to be Venezuelan right now... ufff... que papelón!...

Now Chavez mentioning the USA... of course... Chavez cannot go a day without mentioning the USA... the Iraq war, weapons of mass destruction, etc... the socialist dissociate speech...

Chavez said that Colombia is revindicating a principle that he invented himself (?)

Did Hugo knows about United Nations Resolution 1373? Could it be this and "invented" principle for Hugo Chavez?

He is asking for Piedad Cordoba, and the mother of Ingrid Bethancourt to step in in the summit.

I can hear the populist violin music sound right now...

Again, I ask to ourselves why Latin America has so many problems? With so many clowns as Presidents? That's the simple answer. These people have no interest in solving any problem for our countries.

I see Uribe's face right now on the TV and he tells me everything that I need to know. How can a serious president who is really determined to eradicate the cancer of terrorism in his country WORK with this collection of clowns that he has for neighbors?

As I am writing this Chavez is singing... coñooooooo.... that's why Latin Americans are the clowns of the world.

Chavez now mentioning Einstein... geez...

Uribe is retaking the speech and answering like the man he is to Correa, Ortega and I imagine Chavez soon...

The summit has ended and Uribe has stand and giving a hand shake and a hug to Hugo Chavez, Correa, Ortega, CK, etc... oh well... the fact that those government are pro-FARC won't end with a hug or a hand shake.

Behind the Chavista bomb attack and the invation to the Archbishop Palace

"The next five years saw a brutal dictatorship in a country that by now was notorious as the almost archetypical home of Latin American dictators. A regressive new constitution reverted to indirect elections for president by a puppet legislature. Pedro Estrada, described by historian Hubert Herring as "as vicious a man hunter as Hitler ever employed," headed the vast National Security Police (Seguridad Nacional-SN) network that rounded up any opposition, including military officers, unable to escape. Hundreds, if not thousands, were brutally tortured or simply murdered at the notorious Guasina Island concentration camp in the Orinoco jungle region. Labor unions were harassed, and the Venezuelan Confederation of Labor was abolished and replaced by a confederation under the control of the FEI. When the Central University of Venezuela became a center of opposition to the regime, it was simply shut down. Strict controls over the press recalled the worst days of the Gómez regime. Political power concentrated around Pérez and an inner circle of six tachirense colonels who held key cabinet positions. Pérez revived Gómez's old "Democratic Caesarism" doctrine and gave it a new name, the "New National Ideal," under which politics would be deemphasized in favor of material progress (dubbed the "conquest of the physical environment" by apologists for the dictatorship)."

-Richard A. Haggerty, ed. Venezuela: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1990. (Source here)

Yesterday, I was thinking over the bomb attack to the Venezuelan chamber of commerce (FEDECAMARAS), and the Chavista invasion of the Archbishop Palace, and Chavez father-scolding-a-child attitude like he didn't know anything about these two insurrection incidents coming from his own people.

Those two incidents had unclear motivations. The fact that they left casually a police officer credentials -with a note from some Chavista violent terrorist movement taking responsibility of the act- on the site couldn't be a mistake, but on the other hand it didn't make any sense for them to do that. Secondly, the crazy invasion to the Archbishop palace. The Devil's Excrement questioned the reasons for Chavismo to have taken this place. There was no reason, but to make noise, in my opinion. That, until today.

Now it comes very clear to me that the insurrectionist attitude of Lina Ron, Chavez most faithful lap dog who apparently acted without her master's knowledge, was pretty well planned. And, the credentials of the police officer had a reason to be left out on the site of the bomb attack to Fedecamaras.

You see, Hugo Chavez needed those two incidents to have a excuse for the law that was approved today by the Enabling Law Cabinet. It was proposed in May 2007, and it was approved today.

Chavez might have lost a "democratic" Constitutional reform referendum on Dec 2, but Happens that through Chavez's Enabling Law, he still have the constitutional RIGHT to do whatever he pleases. This comes in evidence today, when the news that he will reform the police, and make a new Policia Nacional (National Police), should we name it Nazional Police? I don't have to tell any of you what this police will do. I can bet that the 50's Seguridad Nacional will be regarded as a nice one comparing to this one. Chavez also mentioned, about this police, that there will be on the fashion of the Cuban and Nicaraguan police.

I think those two incidents make the perfect excuse and propaganda for Chavez to say that he is working to eliminate those problems of political violence and street crime with the creation with this police, that won't nothing but similar to the Perez Jimenez's Seguridad Nacional. People will think that this is good news, that at least they will be leaving without crime, but it won't be for free.

In spite of that it is costume for us Venezuelans, and for me in particular to make fun of Chavez because of his clown-esque style, this news is no joke at all.

You know, I don't know if the rest of the people are blind or I am absolutely crazy, but this news to me is Chavez sticking his reform to Venezuelans with Vaseline. He need first to control the people, to become a terrorist state, so he can do his reform as he promised in spite of people voting against it.

I don't think that after the implementation of this police, the people, anybody, will be inclined to protest, or get out of the road too much... what do you think?

Tragedy strikes one more time on Venezuelan air...

Tragedy has stroked Venezuela's air one more time. A plane with 46 passengers flying from Mérida to Caracas (Maiquetía) went missing, but it has been discovered in the Andean mountains in Venezuela. Unfortunately the plane did crashed. The news are not talking about survivors.



Among the passengers were the internationalist Italo Luongo (here you can watch an interview with him), and a Chavista precandidate for Merida's governorship and Mayor of Rangel Township in the same state, Alexander Quintero, traveling with his 11 year old son.

This is terrible news. But more than this news, is also the amount of planes that have been in accidents in Venezuela during the last month. Only this Monday a Cessna plane with 3 people aboard also crashed in Anaco, Anzoátegui State. And between December and January, two tourist planes going to Los Roques went down as well.

Scary...

Joe Kennedy's oil

While in Venezuela people are experiencing one of the worst shortage of food in its whole history thanks to Chavez's socialist-communist policies, this is how the same Chavez help the USA people with so much looove (have the Pepto handy):

Michael Wade from A Second Hand Conjecture wrote about this:

"Chavez’s machinations to wield ever greater power within Venezuela, and increased influence without, are slowly grinding the common man into the ground. Venezuela is a massive welfare state, that increasingly forbids any sort of private initiative, and which is almost entirely funded by its oil revenues. But by funding social welfare programs instead of oil infrastructure, and by chasing out the foreign investment needed to keep the industry going, Chavez is killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. On top of all that, a sizable portion of the oil Venezuela does manage to produce is given away in an attempt to buy international influence. Such giveaways, championed by the likes of Joe Kennedy, take money directly out of the pockets of Venezuelans, and decreases their ability to support themselves. Without those petrodollars, the state does not have enough money to subsidize farmers in order to keep them producing food and selling it at the prices mandated by the government. In short, the oil under Chavez’s control represents the welfare of the nation, and he trades so much of it for his own self-aggrandizement that there is not enough left over to feed his own people.

Said another way, Joe Kennedy supports expending Venezuelan blood so that Americans can enjoy their oil. Is that a problem for anyone?"

All I want is a Super Tuesday for Venezuela!

I guess today is the perfect day to be sick and stay in bed with a big box of Kleenex handy and my big fuzzy cat making some purring company. My nose feels as big as the state of Kansas, also very runny. My eyes, very watery and itchy. I wish I can take my nose and eyes off and leave them by the sink for a rest. In any case, my discomfort haven't prevented me to be following up all the Super Tuesday news on the TV and the blogs like the obsessive maniac I am. I loved to watch the bios of the candidates. Republicans or Democrats, all very accomplished people.

Photos via Yahoo, San Diego Union Tribune and El Universal.

In spite of my cold, I had to do some errands early this morning. The street felt so normal for this Venezuelan monkey, no "Plan República", no intimidating military with guns up to their eyeballs "taking care" of the voting polls. Business as usual, in my little California neighborhood. People going to their works with little stickers that said "I voted". The streets blocked will elderly driving their also elderly cars doing their errands at 5 miles per hour. I imagine also that part of the errands were to go to vote in person to the voting poll. One of the nicest thing of the electoral system in the US is that you can cast your vote in advance and sent it by mail so you can go to work and not to worry about it if you don't have the luxury of taking time off for voting. Funny thing is that, in the years I have been living here, and because I wasn't a citizen and I was in school, working etc... I never noticed an electoral day but the presidential one.


It seems, for what I have read, that this Super Tuesday is having a big turnout of people. Isn't it great? I couldn't vote yet though. I am still in the process to become an American citizen, so I guess I will cast my vote in November hopefully, otherwise America will have to wait for my opinion for the next electoral process.

The casting ballots needed to be read in advance, not only you are voting for people, but usually every state stacks a whole bunch of propositions for your state and city that if you haven't made up your mind for the day of the election, probably you wouldn't be able to do it so. You can ask for a Democratic or a Republican ballot, if you want. I am not sure what's the difference.

So, primaries are not only a "thing" coming from internal political parties. No, they belong to the electoral system of the country, and as it belong to all, the state also takes advantage of it by asking their citizens for their opinion on other matters.

Wouldn't be great for a country like Venezuela to have a day like this in its lifetime? Unfortunately, people who belong to the political parties in Venezuela, doesn't think so. They don't feel like pushing the issue. I feel terrible that Venezuela's political parties are not ready to embrace a real needed change. They prefer to keep choosing their candidates by close doors, like the old "Acción Democrática" used to do. Katy (also here) and Quico talked about this important issue a couple of weeks ago.

I have the feeling the political parties haven't got the message yet. Acción Democrática lost their stand not because of its social democratic ideology, but because of its cogollo (*). People got tired of the clientilism, and decided to launch themselves desperately to the abyss voting for a loser Lt. Col. who had intended a coup and failed, but promised to eliminate corruption and the "cogollocracia". Well, we know by now that all of that was a lie. That the corruption an the cogollocracia has only evolved to an alarming level of amorality never seen before. That now it's not corruption between Adecos and Copeyanos, but between Chavistas (who belonged once to AD and Copei)...
Wouldn't be nice for the neighborhods and barriadas to choose their leaders and see those leaders grow and take more important positions in the political life of the country if their keep being elected? Isn't it what democracy and participatory democracy is all about?

Maybe this is the time for a new party to come to the surface and implement primaries, so they will elevate the standards for the other to do it so too. Maybe this party will come from the student movement. Dreams don't cost a thing.




(*) cogollo: It's the small appendage found in the upper part of the piña. In Venezuelan politics, the cogollo means the top. The top people.

Note: Please take note of the pictures of the primaries in the USA, people voting on private homes, laundry mats, diners and even abroad. In Venezuela, the drill of an electoral process is super different. Very intimidating. Military with guns everywhere. Wouldn't be nice to make elections as normal and festive as they do it in the USA?

Hugo Chavez as his own personal Doppelgänger

This is awesome. You know, my mother always say that you have to be careful about the things you write because they will haunt you. And now, with this Internet age, if you are a big loud mouth public persona like crazy Hugo, you have to be careful of the things you say on TV, since they will come to haunt you as well.

In this video you can see how the man swears on a speech directed to the Colombian people in Cartagena in 2004, that he doesn´t support the FARC. He also say that he is an honorable man and that if he support them he won´t hide it, and that he won´t ever, ever support the guerrilla against a friend and a neighbor government (referring to Colombia´s government). The next part is Chavez in 2008 making apology for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the sense that they have the right to be a terrorist entity, doesn't matter that they had caused so much pain to the Colombian people. Sigh...



Now we know that once again, the man contradicts himself as he is his own personal Doppelgänger, no evil twin for Hugo but himself.

Hugo's enemies or the stuff that America is made of

Three of the reasons on why I am such a junky for the goofy sci-fi show "Stargate Sg-1", now exported to "Stargate Atlantis" are: One, there is nothing impossible in this sci-fi serie, I love that. Second, I loooove the character of Col. Jack O'Neill. And, last but not least, I also really, really like the character of Major Samantha Carter.

Major Carter is one of the best feminine role model to young women out there. Major Carter was this smart blonde, with a theoretical Astrophysics PhD, who was appointed to the highest classified mission in the U.S, the Stargate program. For those who doesn't know what the Stargate was, it was this device that an ancient civilization created to travel to other worlds. So, guess what, she could even get to travel to other words and fight aliens all along with handsome Col. O'Neill. Mayor Carter now is Col. Carter and she is the head of the city of Atlantis operations in the Pegasus galaxy.

Needless to say that Col. Carter, brilliant and beautiful, also kick serious ass, and she is not the typical airhead beauty with no brains sex symbol that is so common in the TV world. She doesn't have to show cleavage to be in her role.

Funny thing is that women like her really exist. A great example are these two women:



Major Nichole Malachowski, and Major Samantha Weeks. They are members of an elite flight squadron of the U.S. Air Force called the "Thunderbirds". I have the pleasure to see them performing last weekend and I couldn't believe it. I cannot imagine how many people they had to compete against to get this position, men and women. These two pilots are la créme de la créme among many fine pilots in the US Air force. They made it look sooo easy! And then I remember I am always terrified to get in the ferris wheel at Disneyland! I am so proud to see women like her. I only wish they were given more space on the news than Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.



You can read their bios in the Thunderbirds official page.

Yes, these two brilliant, beautiful and skilled women are part of the U.S. Military. Those who go to Iraq to eat babies for breakfast and that Hugo Chavez and Sean Penn despise so much. Do you think have they been in Chavista Venezuela that Pharaoh Hugo would have offer them the room and the resources needed for these two girls to become the two great woman that they are now?



And how about Lt. Mark Jennings Daily? The history of this guy really touched my heart. What a beautiful person, inside and out.

Something about the U.S. Military has a lot to do with the American spirit and the people of this great country. I have been watching this series, called The War, a must for anybody who like history, and they remind us how much they (the U.S military) have accomplished to their country and to the world. Just to remind you, as per Dec 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor attack, the U.S. military was the size of Rumania's military, by the end of WWII, America was producing half of the total world's production. And, obviously, the majority was military equipment made by Rosie the riveter. On tactics, they were totally unprepared to fight with the Germans, their first encounter in 1943 (down in Africa with Rommel) they didn't know how to fight. According to Gen.Montgomery from the British troops, he mentioned that if Americans didn't put their shit together they will become more a liability than a help in Europe. But then came the invasion of Italy, and the Battle of Normandy where Americans had it very bad, and yet they managed to keep Omaha and Utah beach and force the Germans to back off. The rest is history.

Yes readers, this is the stuff that Americans are made off that Hugo Chavez and others resents so much. This is the Imperial military, an institution that helps to develop young men and women into very fine people. Of course, like any other institution, they have their bad apples as well, but they are not the common.

They are more a great example than the make believe monsters that the media portraits.

Social and collective property belongs to the people, and I am the people...

Therefore, all property is mine...

The title seems to reflect what's on Hugo's mind lately.

"The Bolivarian revolution, I repeat, doesn't exclude, prohibit or have any kind of plan to eliminate private property," Chávez said over the weekend, referring to his program to transform Venezuela in honor of the 19th-century South American revolutionary, Simon Bolivar.

While preserving private property, a revised Constitution would also protect "social" and "collective" property, like the country's large oil reserves, Chávez said, without giving further details.

Constitutional changes, to be drafted by a presidential committee and submitted for public approval in a national referendum this year, are the first of "five engines" of change Chávez has outlined for Venezuela since beginning his second, six-year term in office on Jan. 10."

(...)

"Private property isn't the only kind of property," Chávez said Saturday. "When the conquistadors arrived here by sea, there was social property, collective property, and everyone was the owner of everything."

"This is a debate that should deepen," he said.

Chavez is lying in regards to private property, or he is simply crazy. This the article he says is "preserving" private property, translated by Pedro Bernardez:

Article 115 as per today (1999 Constitution):

“The right to own property is guaranteed. Every person has a right to the use, enjoyment, and disposition of his/her goods. Property will be subject to the contributions, restrictions and obligations that the law establishes in the spirit of public use or general interest. It is only in the spirit of public use or general interest, through final judgment and quick payment of fair compensation, that any kinds of goods may be expropriated”

Article 115’s proposed reform:

“The different forms of property are recognized and guaranteed. Public property [“la propiedad pública”] is that which belongs to State entities; social property [“la propiedad social”] is that which belongs to the people in its entirety and to the future generations, and may be of two types: indirect social property, when it is exercised by the State in name of the community, and direct social property, when the State assigns it, under different forms and in outlined territories, to one or several communities, to one or several communes [“comunas”], constituting thusly communal property, or to one or several cities, constituting thusly cityward property; collective property [“la propiedad colectiva”] is that which belongs to social groups or persons, for their benefit, use or common enjoyment, of either social or private origin; mixed property [“la propiedad mixta”] is that constituted by the public sector, the social sector, the collective sector and the private sector, in differing combinations, for the utilization of resources or carrying out activities, always subject to the absolute respect of the Nation’s economic and social sovereignty; and private property [“la propiedad privada”] is that which belongs to natural or juristic persons and is recognized over user and consumer goods, and legitimately acquired means of production.

All property, will be subject to the contributions, burdens, restrictions and obligations that the law establishes in the spirit of public use or general interest. In the name of public use or general interest, through final judgment and quick payment of fair compensation, the expropriation of any kind of good may be declared, without restricting the right of State officials, of previously occupying, during the judicial process, the goods being expropriated, within the parameters established by law.”

As you can read, the new proposed article mentions private property but it doesn't "preserve "it" by any means, because it can be expropriate it in the name of public use, which can be a pretty broad territory, any bureaucrat can rule anything in the name of public use, for his or her own benefit.

Bernardez also has an excellent explanation about the definition and uses of private property on the "new" constitution:

"Private property: although, in a technical sense, the articles barely contradict each other in regards to private property, what does happen is that the definition of private property is specifically narrowed down to “user and consumer goods and legitimately acquired means of production” and subject to greater restrictions than in the current article.

Under the new article, persons do not explicitly have a right to the disposition of their goods, which means that for example rental of said goods could not be exploited for economic gain.

This means that all economic sectors that rely on rent such as hotels, rented apartments, rental stores, and businesses that rent out industrial equipment would cease to exist as private, either becoming collective or disappearing.

Also, since private property is restricted to “user and consumer goods and legitimately acquired means of production” it includes neither land (unless it were a “legally acquired means of production”) nor intellectual property, unproductive land and real estate (even the land one lives on) and personally produced works of art could never constitute one’s own private property.

In addition to these restrictions is the fact that State entities have the guaranteed right to occupy goods when and while a judicial process to expropriate them is pending.

“Legitimately acquired means of production” presents another problem: since it is the people (on whom sovereignty rests according to the Constitution), and therefore the State (in the people’s name), what define what “legitimately acquired is”, it leaves the State with the option of acquiring said means of production, possibly without compensation, by simply declaring such acquisition as “in the people’s interest. The use of legitimate as opposed to legal implies the possible use such supra or extralegal justifications for the acquisition of said means of production even if they were legally acquired.

This is in addition to any restrictions on legal acquisitions. It is also the State who defines the laws, and therefore may rule ownership of certain property illegal by simply altering existing laws to exclude such property. The State already did so when it redefined what legally acquired lands were in 2005, and took lands that were outside this definition (in this case, private lands that were not registered in 1821)

In other words, as opposed to the current article (which guarantees private ownership except in the “spirit of public use or general interest”), the new article gives the government the implicit power to instantly requisition all means of production if it wanted to by a simple change of the law or “on behalf of the people”.

Lastly, note that the new article does not explicitly establish the right for the personal and exclusive enjoyment of one’s private property; in fact, nowhere in the article are citizens given any rights over property: only the State explicitly reserves them for itself.

In conclusion, private property as understood by the new article is a much more restricted and narrow version than it is in the current one, and essentially nullifies most of it."

The debate has taken place, but the government hasn't take note of it. And they won't. In the end, due to the stupidity and ignorance of many citizens, they will take the bait, accept to vote for this illegitimate proposal. Moreover, the people will be accepting to go to vote with the present electoral council conditions (run by Chavista partisans)... and as you can imagine, the Chavistas will win, and they will do whatever they want, and the people won't have any other choice but to submit to the new Pharaoh.

What's behind Chavez putting on the table the Gulf OF VENEZUELA with Uribe???

"The question is what could Hugo Chávez win and what would have the country to give up as a result of the president's offer" (Photo: AP). Via El Universal.

Why Hugo Chavez is putting on the table the Gulf OF VENEZUELA negotiation with our neighbor Colombia while meeting with Uribe regarding the FARC negotiation? The Colombians were not even whispering about it at all.

This, clearly, benefits much more our Colombian neighbors that Venezuela. So why Hugo spoke first clearly against the benefit of his own country? Could it be that he really cannot care less about his own country? Madness has a limit, you know. He's putting on risk Venezuela's source of income and even food production.

Another intent of Hugo Chavez to put Uribe's and his cabinet on his side? The losses would be bigger than the winnings in the long run, no?

They say everything and everybody have a price, but this, in reality, I don't understand. Chavez while maybe putting Uribe on his side is destroying the source of his power, because by destroying Venezuela, he is destroying himself.

Talking about good'ol Britain

Lee from Postpolitical sent me this.



Following up Quico's and Katy's discussion in regards of the British journalist.

This ad is from the ADL, or Anti Defamation League. So interesting focus eh? Oh Lord, it says so much about the Fourth Estate, the international media, and its love relationship with the left.

I mean they boycott Israel, but where the apes live is fine enough not to boycott mate. How long will it takes for an action like this happens against the abuses of the Venezuelan governmennt? Well, at least an angry letter? A boycott, nobody dare to mention that word for the love of the Queen, please! Sounds too much like an embargo. Let them kill themselves anyway. No, even better, let's support Chavez. He must be a cool dictator .

According to the link on the Jerusalem Post, this lovely characters, journalist from Britain decided to:

"Other motions before the four-day meeting in Birmingham, which ends Sunday, included condemnations of the US detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and support for Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez."

Support for Chavez, eh? It's a good thing they are not Venezuelan reporters and they don't work for RCTV. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to show their support for anything.

Venezuela, today

The situation in Venezuela today is still of protest. The protests are been held mainly by University students from all over the country. But, other sectors of the society are also joined them with the protest.

The civil unrest started by the personal decision of Hugo Chavez of shutting down the biggest and oldest Venezuela TV channel, Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). It went off the air on May 28 at 12 pm.

But, today, the civil unrest still continues and it has gone beyond the closing of RCTV. The political maneuver went wrong. My husband told me yesteday, "Geez, you guys (Venezuelan) can take anything but not to be taken TV, don´t ya?" Maybe. Specially, this TV channel was very well liked and seen by most Venezuelans. Their comedic radio show, Radio Rochela, has been an staple of the Venezuelan family since 1953 I believe. And honestly, the ones who get more affected with this decision are the most poors, those who Chavez says that he want to protect, I would say that they are the ones that he want to indoctrinate, to slave them to his wishes, just like Castro has done shamefully to the people of Cuba. Those most poors are the ones who cannot afford cable and have to resign themselves to watch a propaganda channel, full of indoctrinating cartoons, of hatred propaganda against fellow Venezuelans, I don´t know... I don´t have plans to watch their bullshit anytime soon, I am fortunate I can choose, but other fellow countryman cannot. Apparently, this seems to be the last straw of the abuse of power of Hugo Chavez that Venezuelans have decided to take. Venezuelans love to sit and watch soap operas at night. And Mr. Chavez took their only free entertainment, their little indulgence. Just because. Like their lives are not miserable enough.

He think because oppression has worked in Cuba for a ruthless murderer like Fidel Castro, will it work in Venezuela for another cuckoo? It has for 8 years though, but for how long will this monster live?

I don´t think these protests won´t be over even if his Majesty, Hugo I, King of Venezuela, only ruler, will decide to put the channel again on the air.

And that´s in fact the REAL PROBLEM with Venezuela today. No, it´s not capitalism, it´s not the imperialism, it´s not the business owners, it´s not Marcel Granier, it´s not the CIA conspiring, it´s not GW Bush, it´s not the Unions, the politicians, it´s not even street crime, corruption, poverty, NO. The REAL disease in Venezuela has a first name and a lastname, and it´s Hugo Chavez. The one who decided to push the envelope and take over the rule of law of the country. In other words, to clean his ass with the constitution, the one he helped to redone. Him, and the guys who decided that this was a good idea too, I include in this group Fidel Castro and a whole bunch of international supporters of Chavez, Danny Glover, Medea Benjamin, Eve Gollinger, etc...

Before, we have a hell lotta problems in the country, and then, it came Hugo to put the cherry on the top.

So, this is what is about with this protest, Venezuelans are tired of not having our rule of law. We, Venezuelans are tired of our rights to be stripped away little by little, we are tired of not finding a FREE justice system but only Chavistas judges who doesn´t even have the nessesary academic instructions to be a judge, and who rule only according to Chavez´s wishes. We, Venezuelan are tired of a Chavista-only electoral council, we are tired of a Chavez´s Asamblea Nacional, who only act according to Hugo´s wishes, since we didn´t voted for them. They obey only to the voice of the master who put them in Congress. We are fucking tired of not been able to get a passport, a federal job, if we are not chavistas. We Venezuelans are also tired of the hatred that Chavez has seed into Venezuelan soil.

Chavez came to power to eliminate corruption in the country. That´s why an overwhealming majority of Venezuelans voted for him in 1999. And then, he won. And then he saw, he liked what he saw, and like many cheap Latin America dictators, decided he can get away stealing the whole country to himself.

Now, 2007, Venezuela not only have more corruption that ever, but now the corruption is also gone to a political and nepotism level never seen before in Venezuela.

Will Hugo get away with it until today?

Wishful thinking from me. We will see...

The way the revolution operates...

What´s the difference between the Venezuelan Bolivarian Revolution and the mafia?

None.

Yesterday, there were found 100 kilos (220 pounds) of rotten chicken and beef that were buried on the back of ... a super imperialist grocery store? Nope. They were buried at the Supermercal of La Ermita, in Barquisimeto. What do you think they buried those chickens and beef for? You got it. Yes, the mafia does the same. Supermercales are the government regulated stores. They say they created these stores to stop private business, grocery store owners to charge items too expensive, I say they are created for this reason. To hide products, create a deficit in supply and increment prices. Tony Soprano must be proud.



Oh yes, it´s all in the oligarchic, pro-Yankee imagination. Suure. This is not a blatant proof of corruption of the government. And very bad intentioned too.

Chavez is also toying up with the idea of installing a new era of prohibition in the country. That is, with cigarettes. Easy way to promote mafia practices uh? I think he has something under the sleeve with alcohol too.

Madness and the criminal mind has no limit.

I am sure that the book the Chavismo is reading these days is not Das Kapital but The Godfather.

The nerve.

The car of the Chavista Revolution...

Get this folks, last year, Rolls Royce sold 200 of its exclusive Phantom model in Venezuela. The company expectations were to sell, if they made a good year, only 7.

This 12 cyl, 6.7 Liters, 453 hp, EPA Mileage Estimates: 13 mpg / 19 mpg beauty comes with the very oligarchic price tage of a fricking one million dollars (sold in Venezuela. In the USA this car cost around US $ 300,000 - 400,000, with no bullet proof windows option and other Chavista demanding luxury amenities).

In Argentina they have sold only two. TWO. In Venezuela 200. 200!!!

Yes my dear readers, this is car that the mafia of Chavistas sinverguenzas are buying á la Johny Sacks with his Maseratti. Why they are not buying Ladas or Yugos? Why they have to buy the biggest symbol of aristocracy and luxury with four wells in the planet, when they talk so much shit about capitalism and the riches, the equal distribution of goods and services to all, land and housing expropriation, and etc, etc...? NOooOOOoooOO! "Jesus! why?" they say, "why OH why we cannot have a Rolls Royce carajo?". Like the money they are using to buy this car is theirs. You know, like this is the most natural thing in the world. A communist government official driving a Rolls bought with stolen money from their country's treasury.

You know, in the days of the 4th Republic, that one what Chavismo likes to say was so corrupted (it was), I remeber seeing only one Rolls Royce in Caracas, besides those you can rent for your wedding, and it was an old model,. And, the owner of the old car was a old money lawyer, who I think was never involved in the government. I cannot recall any official with a Rolls, maybe my memory is not that good. In any case, who´s the corrupt now?

The nerve. And the nerve of the people, scholars included, who keep apologizing for this criminals.

I guess when this madness passes away, Venezuela will be the only government with a flamant line of brand new Rolls Royce for its use.

Uh - AHhhhh... Que viva la Revolución!

Así cualquiera brother!!!

Source: Diario Tal Cual posted via Megaresistencia.com