Hugo's Facebook

Well, I have been a little lazy to write, but for the ones who haven't seen this I am posting Hugo Chavez's secret Facebook account.

Note the gift section. =D

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.

A Feline problem: Paralelism in the speech of Obama and Chavez

Please wach this video first.

And, bear with me on this one. I have been very vocal for the reasons I don't like Obama. Since the beginning when Obama came to public light I saw a type of Manchurian candidate sponsored by the left that reminded me pretty much, despite the differences, to madman numero uno of Venezuela, the one and only Hugo Chavez. I might be wrong comparing Obama to Chavez, and I hope I am. OK, enough with the conspiracy theory.

And, this is the reality.

Even though I don't like Obama, I personally saw it was a good thing that he won since it was gonna be a transition from 8 years of not the best Republican government (and not a conservative government at all), and this Obama new government representes in the eyes of many, a new, fresh and reformed way to do politics so that's good. Also, it was gonna be good news for Venezuela since Venezuelans like Obama and since it's much harder for a leftist to go against another leftist, Chavez would have to let go the stupid anti Yankee speech that maintains him in office and he wouldn't have other choice than to get to work and assume the responsibility of the mess that he is doing in Venezuela.

Obviously, such great news that Obama won also had to be reflected somehow in the financial markets. As you know, the financial markets need good news. That amount of Obama voters who were happy that his leader won, would be putting money in the market, investing, buying, lending and borrowing money, etc... and helping out a little bit to get out of this recession. BUT the good news haven't been reflected in the markets or the economy yet. It's pretty obvious to me ONE of the MANY VARIOUS reasons why. The Obama administration speech haven't been the best in terms of adding that much needed CONFIDENCE to the market.

I have listened some things from this Obama administration that really are not that great,

1) The president telling his fellows Americans that they shouldn't listen to some radio talk show host (Rush Limbaught). Nothing new in Venezuela since Chavez took over that he loves to repress the media. Question is, since when it's the duty of a president elected democratically to tell their countrymen who they should or shouldn't listen to?

2) Again the administration attacking the media, this time Jim Cramer, the tv host show whose video I posted in the beginning, who is a democrat btw. The attack was generated because he has been very critical about this administration policies not helping the financial markets. He also has been very vocal about his dislike for the new treasury secretary Tim Geithner for his invisibility since he was appointed and for letting Lehman go when he was the Fed NY president. If they would have helped Lehman, last September maybe wouldn't have been as tragic as it was . Since I like conspiracy theories I think maybe the man wanted the crisis to be the worst so it could help Obama with the electoral ballots. And, it worked. Hey, he even became the Treasury Secretary .

Here's what Robert Gibbs said that made me really mad:

"(...) no offense to my good friends or friend at CNBC," Gibbs said, "but the President has to look out for the broader economy and for the broader population."

Why it made me really mad? Because I have heard that so many times coming from the mouth of the Chavistas... like what does he mean with "broader" population? Doesn't he know that the majority of American and the country itself rely heavily on the stock market? How are they gonna create jobs if banks and business dissapear?

That's why the market show no confidence at this moment, because that speech coming from the White House DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

Tim Geithner also said something similar that got my attention -since it had the "Chavista" touch in it- when he was interviewed by the Congress with Ben Bernanke this Monday. He said something like that it's not in their interest (the Gov) to help the banks but the people. Hello? You make the bank that lends me money and offers me financial services go away and you are not helping me too much.

To me, it seem that they really are taking cues of Hugo Chavez. That's not the way you add confidence and attract Capital, comrade Obama.

3) How long until this might happen? The perfect recipe to scare investment and destroy any confidence left, to expropiate. (thanks to Daniel and Juan Cristobal for their posts).

Even though those two might be very different, and Mr. Chavez wants President Obama to be his new arch enemy -Bush is resting comfortably in his home in Dallas- one cannot but compare them in the way their governments are talking to the people. The difference is, that Americans are not Venezuelans, and a much bigger majority of Americans rely on the financial markets as a source of income, investment and nesting egg, including the majority of seniors of this country.

I don't know where they want to go with this populistic anti-business speech, but it's not good news. Do they want to follow the road of Venezuela's impoverishment?

Venezuela's Chavez welcomes Russian warships, the first of its kind in the Caribbean since the Cold War

On May 8, 2007, this blog made a memorial post about the events that happened on May 19, 1967 in Machurucuto beach in Venezuela, when Fidel Castro and his communist ilk tried to invade the coast in an attempt to introduce communist guerrilla in the country.

It is worthy to mention the proud Venezuelan patriots who died defending their country on that bloody day of May, 1967:

Mayor (Av.) Pedro J González,

ST1 (A.C.) Jesús Eduardo Bermúdez,

Teniente (a.C.) Jesús E. Rodríguez,

Subteniente (a.C.) José Monsalve Planchara,

MT2 (a.C.) Irradio Jesús Herrera,

ST3 (A.C.) Pablo Carero Muñoz,

Teniente Coronel (A.C.) Juan Ignacio Leyceaga,

Capitán (a.C.) Diego Lavado Castillo,

Capitán de Corbeta Fabio Galipolli,

Teniente (Ej.) Leonel Ramón Tapia,

Tte. (Ej.) Abelardo Estrada Vale,

Tte. (Ej.) Lino Irribarren Forzan,

Tte. (GN) Juan Bautista León,

Tte. (GN) Andrés Moreno Uribe,

Tte. (Ej.) Jesús Ávila Paolini and,

Subteniente (Ej.) Alberto Verde Graterol, (brother of a revolutionary chavista General).

Today, we can say that the blood of those Venezuelans heroic patriots was spilled in vain and it is totally disregarded in mockery by Venezuela's communist president, Hugo Chavez, when he allowed Russian warships to arrive this Tuesday, in a (...) show of strength aimed at the United States as Moscow seeks to expand its influence in Latin America.

Venezuelan sailors fired off cannons in a 21-gun salute as the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko docked in La Guaira, near Caracas. Russians sailors dressed in black-and-white uniforms lined up along the bow.

The deployment is the first of its kind in the Caribbean since the Cold War and was timed to coincide with President Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Caracas — the first ever by a Russian president. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has eagerly welcomed the ships, basking in the support of a powerful ally and traditional U.S. rival. Via GMANews.tv.

Hugo, looking like Tony Soprano, with Raul Castro and Vladimir Putin.

Shame on Hugo Chavez and his traitors.

The only way is up

by Ben Whitford

A similarly cautious approach is likely when it comes to Venezuela. When Hugo Chávez this week welcomed Obama's "grand triumph" and declared himself open to meeting the president-elect to forge a "constructive bilateral agenda", the Obama camp issued a terse statement noting that relations between Washington and Caracas "will not improve unless Venezuela respects democracy and the rule of law." That caution is probably well-founded: while the end of the Maletagate trial and of the Bush era brings real hope for an easing of tensions between Venezuela and the US, Chávez may well continue to retreat into anti-Americanism when confronted with political crises. With regional elections looming and domestic tensions running high, it's far from clear whether Chávez's affection for Obama will last beyond inauguration day.

Why the bailout plan is not only about Wall Street

Very interesting commentary about the economic credit crisis and the bailout plan from investor extraordinaire Warren Buffett, who was interviewed today by CNBC’s Becky Quick.

Here is an excerpt of it.

"Quick: WHEN WE TALKED LAST WEEK ABOUT GOLDMAN SACHS, YOU SAID THE REASON YOU WERE DOING THAT DEAL IS BECAUSE YOU ASSUMED SOMETHING WOULD GET THROUGH CONGRESS. THAT PLAN RAN INTO A WALL THIS WEEK. ARE YOU STILL EXPECTING SOME SORT OF DEAL WILL BE MADE?

Buffett: THE CONGRESS WILL DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND. THEY MAY GET SIDETRACKED AS THEY DID EARLIER THIS WEEK. THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THE PATRIOTISM AND WILLINGNESS TO ACT IN THE INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY. IT WON'T BE 435 TO NOTHING, BUT I'M BETTING THEY'LL ACT RESPONSIBLY ON THIS. I HAVE EVERY EXPECTATION THEY WILL, BUT I'LL STILL FEEL BETTER AFTER THE VOTES HAVE BEEN COUNTED.

Quick: THE DEAL WITH GE TODAY AND GOLDMAN LAST WEEK, ARE THESE STILL GOOD DEALS IF NOTHING GETS THROUGH CONGRESS?

Buffett: NO. I THINK WE HAVE TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PROBLEMS. I SAID TWO WEEKS AGO THAT IT WAS AN ECONOMIC PEARL HARBOR. TWO WEEKS LATER, WE'RE IN WORSE SHAPE BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO DELAY WHEN THERE IS A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY OBVIOUS TO A MAJORITY OF CONGRESS. I THINK WE'LL GET ACTION. IF WE DON'T, I WILL HAVE DONE SOME DUMB THINGS.

Quick: THE HOLDUPS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, HOW DAMAGING IS THAT TO THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY?

Buffett: IT HURTS. YOU'VE HAD AN ECONOMY THAT'S LIKE A GREAT ATHLETE THAT'S HAD A HEART ATTACK, CARDIAC ARREST, AND THE PARAMEDICS THAT HAVE COME, INSTEAD OF ARGUING WHO WAS AT FAULT, THE ATHLETES SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKING HIS BLOOD PRESSURE MORE CAREFULLY. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO APPLY THE RESUSCITATOR. IT DOESN'T HELP SPENDING TIME WORRYING ABOUT WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE PATIENT HAVING THE HEART ATTACK.

(...)

Quick: MR. BUFFETT, WE HAVE HEARD FROM PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE WRITTEN US AND CALLED IT AND SAID THEY'RE AGAINST THIS RESCUE PLAN BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S A BAILOUT FOR WALL STREET. YOU'VE COME OUT IN FAVOR, BUT HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WHO DOESN'T HAVE A LOT INVESTED IN THE STOCK MARKET. WHAT DO THEY HAVE AT STAKE?

Buffett: THERE IS NO QUESTION THIS IS A RESCUE PLAN, BUT IT'S A RESCUE PLAN FOR THE AMERICAN ECONOMY NOT WALL STREET. IF YOU LOOK AT HE PEOPLE AT LEHMAN OR BEAR STEARNS OR AIG, THE SHAREHOLDERS HAVE GOTTEN KILLED AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE ARE LOSING JOBS OR LOSING BONUSES AND ALL KIND OF THINGS. THIS IS DESIGNED TO HELP THE AMERICAN ECONOMY FROM GOING INTO THE ULTIMATE TAIL SPIN, BUT WHEN CREDIT IS FROZEN AND WHEN BANKS ARE UNWILLING TO LEND TO EACH OTHER AND 8% OF DEPOSITS IN AMERICAN BANKS HAVE BEEN MOVED -- THESE ARE -- THIS IS AN ECONOMIC PEARL HARBOR AND ONLY THE WHOLE WORLD WANTS TO DELEVERAGE. THE ONLY ENTITY IN THE WORLD THAT CAN LEVERAGE UP TO MATCH THAT FORCE IS THE U.S. TREASURY. THEY ARE NOT DOING THIS FOR WALLSTREET. THIS IS BEING DONE FOR THE AMERICAN ECONOMY."

Read and watch a video of the interview here.

On a different level, and very much different than Buffett's opinion, read the free market brilliant epiphany from the man who have almost destroyed the entire oil business in Venezuela, here.

How the US Gov. made 20 millions today from Hugo's Citgo

Hugo's Citgo needs to thanks the W' US Gov. for their generosity so they could continue to do business as usual in despite of Gustav.

The US Govt. just released 250,000 barrels of crude from the Strategic Petro Reserve to Citgo / Venezuela. The avg. price per barrel in the SPR is 28 and change. The current price of crude is 110. About 80/barrel profit x 250K = 20 million bucks.

DOE grants Citgo 250,000 barrels of oil from SPR

NEW YORK -- (AP) Citgo will be allowed to pull 250,000 barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve because of its inability to secure crude in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Venezuela's government-controlled Citgo Petroleum Corporation said Tuesday that supplies to its refinery in Lake Charles were cut off when the Calcasieu Ship Channel closed.

The U.S. Energy Department granted the request late Tuesday, so far the only request for fuel from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The reserve is an emergency depot maintained by the Energy Department and can hold as much as 727 million barrels of oil in salt caverns along the Coast of Mexico.

Source.

For some quick facts about the SPR (strategic petroleum reserve), click here.

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.

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.

Chavez finally endorses Obama

Could it be that Chavez is shit scared of this man? That's the best propaganda McCain can get. And, it's free! Chavez knows that among all the candidates, McCain is the one who is not gonna take any shit from him. Maybe even less than Bush.

I personally read this news as a very clever endorsement for Obama, not Clinton. I tell you why, Castro and Ortega already have supported Obama. Both Obama and Chavez have the same racial and social manipulation towards minorities. They both presented themselves as the minority candidate who will save the poor of the Universe. Not that Clinton is not in the same boat, but seems to me that Obama is the commies fav. candidate. So, Chavez has more in common with Obama -the emptyness of their message?- than Clinton's. In addition, The Kennedy clan, Jessy Jackson and others who are open sympathizer -and leeches- of Chavez, the majority of these radical left airheads are already for Obama.

Having said that, Chavez is very discredited among the moderate faction of the demos which is the majority, so probably he was advised to say it on an indirect way, that he is against McCain, so he won't scare demo voters off from Obama.

Now Obama only needs the official Bin Laden's and Ahmadinejad's endorsement to be the fav. candidate of the terrorist.

The verbal diarreah starts again...

Photo thanks to Correfoc :)

He he, don't tell me this isn't the greatest pict of Hugo ever! After the Rio group meeting, and Alvaro Uribe's threat to take him to court due to the information take it from Raul Reyes' computer, Hugo Chavez had kept his mouth quite contained... that is after Holy Week passed and Satan slapped his butt once again.

Anyway, the man has come stronger with his verbal diarreah, this time blaming one more time everything under the sun to the Americans, the US of A.

And, of course, how could he not include in the mix just a little something about Bush puppet too?

Long are the days of the Grupo de Rio kumbayah hug. We all know this fake peace wasn't gonna hold for too long anyway.

And Venezuela? Doing worst than Hugo Chavez. A 34% still loves the guy. I imagine 34% is a number that somehow could have been inflated, but still... 34%?? Give me a freakkin' break.

Doesn't matter th guy is starving them to death. That is also America's fault. Unbelievable.

The ancient Romans used to say, give them Bread and Circus. So after a quite break, we have circus again courtesy of Mr. Hugo to entertain us. This time no bread.

Sometimes I get so bored of writing the same thing over and over again...

Hugo's own Emperor's Club

The little suitcases are related to Hugo's $$$$ funding and other little monetary gifts here and there ($800,000 suitcase to Cristina Kirchner, 300 Millions to the FARC, checks to Evo, etc).

Hhmmm... I wonder if Obama should be in this list too.

Photo-Cartoon taken from En la pared.

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.

Computer vs. computer...

UPDATED.

The Chavismo has been peeing their pants about Raul Reyes' computers since they were seized.

They insist they are a plant from the "puppet" government of Uribe, that it is impossible that a computer survived a bomb attack, and that in the case these are really Raul Reyes' computers, he only used them to play solitary and bejeweled (I made up this part).

And, on the most funniest and ridiculous speech I ever seen in my entire life, Interior Affairs Minister Raul Rodríguez Chacín from Venezuela, on a high level of socialist dissociation trip, said that Raul Reyes' computers were a false, or the data in them, he wasn't too clear to specify what was false. Then, after mentioning many times that computer evidence were easy to forge and not valid, he said that they also have an incriminating computer from drug trafficker Wilmer Varela aka Jabón (Soap) caught not long ago in Venezuela. He shows this office envelop and from nowhere, voilá, he pulls a laptop like a piñata magician. You know, the whole thing was as funny as watching Monty Python. He proceeded with his show, saying that in that laptop they have incriminating evidence that links Gen. Naranjo (Chief of Colombian police) with drug dealing and bribes. Didn't he said minutes ago that computer evidence was easy to forge and not valid? Somebody asked why they didn't come up with that oh so incriminating information about Gen. Naranjo but until now, then... brace yourself, he said that they didn't because of ... ETHICS, and also, because, what for (!?), that who they were gonna give this info to, to the DEA? That this was ridiculous since the DEA is also implicated in all "this" (I don´t know what he tried to say)...

ETHICS?? To whom? To the drug dealers? LOL

Well, having said all that, and continuing with Raul Reyes' computer, Interpol just caught today the world´s biggest arm dealer, russian Viktor Bout, non other than the Lord of War himself. The original news mentioned that the computers seized from Raul Reyes were somehow part of this caught although it is not clear if this is true or not. In any case, while the imbecile we have in Miraflores is making a case that has no base, the police of the word is using the info from those computer without wasting time. Shall we ALL citizens of the world thank Uribe for this?



The difference between these computers (Reyes' vs. Jabón's) is that the Colombian put the info they caught from Reyes's computer for the world to use, they made it available to the OAS yesterday to verify its data as true, and maybe also with the hope to stop Hugo Chavez's big mouth accusing that the data from that computer is falsa de toda falsedad.

Now, when the Chavistas are gonna make available the information from Jabón's computer to the International organism to be analyzed and etc?

Big behavior difference, uh?

Colombian military found compromised papers from criminal Raul Reyes with Ecuatorian Government

The plot thickens my friends...

Correa y las FARC
Uploaded by frankib2

The Colombian military have found compromising documents from the FARC leader Raul Reyes' personal computers. Those documents have been linked to one of Rafael Correa's defense minister Gustavo Larrea, in which had a meeting with Reyes and COMPROMISED TO GET RID OF FARC HOSTILE ECUATORIAN MILITARY OUT OF THE ECUATORIAN BORDER, in exchange for some Ecuatorian kidnapped.

Just like Chavez... but Chavez doesn't even BOTHER to ask for an exchange for Venezuelan kidnapped.

This whole business if showing how much Venezuela and Ecuador terrorist states are supporting the criminal drug guerrilla of Colombia, who have killed and caused so much pain to the Colombian people.

If you read Spanish, you MUST read the Editorial of March 3 of El Tiempo de Colombia. English translation available here courtesy of Miguel.

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?

The curse of the Pharaoh, part II

The same way Sean Penn lost his Malibu home on the Oct 2007 fires, Naomi Campbell has to be rushed to the Hospital in Brazil due to an ovarian cyst that had to be removed on an emergency procedure.

The model is recuperating from her surgery pretty well.