February 28th., 2007

Hello President is News

Generally, Chavez announces what he proposes to do. When he decided to daily broadcast Hello President, he offered to always give breaking news. And he did it. When he started the new stage, he quakes the economic scenario. He will strike off three zeros to the Bolívar to fight the inflation and to reduce it to one digit. The name of the new currency will be Bolivar Strong, and its relation with the US Dollar will lower from 2,150 to just a little more than two bolivares for one dollar or one euro. He announced a law of popular defense against hoarding, speculation, boycott, and any other conduct that affects the food consumption. He enacted the law two days after he announced it, acting in the exercise of the legislative powers granted by the National Assembly. The Decree-Law states that the goods used to produce, manufacture, import, stock, distribute, and commercialize foods and products submitted to a price control are goods of public interest and social benefit. The government is empowered to expropriate industries and supermarkets. The intended penalties for merchants and industries owners that violate the rules comprise fines that could reach the amount of 827 millions bolivares (more than $384,000), six years in prison, and 10 years of disqualification.

It was also breaking news the Hello President in which Chavez urged the people to “declare war against speculation.” A colonel phoned to the program to inform to “my commander in chief,” that workers of a cattle slaughterhouse in Zulia have occupied it asserting that the company incurs in hoarding. “Now we will proceed to expropriate” Chavez noted. In another phone contact, he was informed that one of the Army’s commissions took control of Frigorífico Industrial Barinas. “We are achieving the purposes of the law, because this is a Social Interest Enterprise”, Chavez assorted.

Hello President improved its record on Tuesday 27th. Chavez handled a phone conversation with Fidel Castro, who affirmed to be quite recovered. “I’m winning territory, I’m feeling more energized”, said Castro with clear end strong voice. He talked for about 30 minutes with great lucidity about energetic, economic and social topics. “In Cuba everybody appreciate having news about me, cause I speak and then remain in silence. I can’t be speaking everyday, I can’t create that habit. I’m listening to Hello President and the argumentation that you have handled in explaining your political news seems very good to me”. During the extended conversation, completely published by Granma, Chavez said: “You know we are getting ready to welcome Bush in South America”…”Don’t you forget about the Tsunami”. He informed him about his activities in the Minor Antilles, about the visits from Daniel Ortega y Kirchner, as well as his next travel to Bolivia. “The Strategic Alliance, the axis Caracas-Buenos Aires, including Brasilia, the axis with La Paz, and now Ecuador”. According to Chavez, facing the crisis of the world economy, everybody is looking for its model: “we are seeking for socialism, there in Cuba and here in Venezuela with its peculiarities, and from an international level the Alba, as you well know, we are speeding it up”. The annalists study Hello President, the latest reference on Castro’s health and the Cuban future.

"OIL CHECKBOOK" AND SOCIALISM OF THE XXI CENTURY

Chavez puts down celerity to the oil diplomacy. We are not pretending to gene money with cooperation agreements, he proclaimed, it is socialism what we are preaching, a XXI century socialism, what the Alba represents. Just as he told Fidel, Daniel Ortega went to Caracas. When the encounter with Chavez concluded, this one declared: “I taught the Minister of Finances to make real the credit line offered to Nicaragua”. The Minister informed that it will be $ 500 million dollars, the same amount that it was given to Ecuador. Chavez agreed in a mixed commission in tracking the finance agreements and oil supplies in preferential prices. The executive Director of Petróleos de Nicaragua informed that on Saturday 24th arrived to the Port of Corinto the first supply, and that the amount of which will get to 320 millions dollars during the year, and $128 million dollars of those will be invested in social projects, so from that it can be infer that its selling is authorized.

Kirchner’s visit, the fifth to Venezuela, was noisy. The media highlight a picture of the two leaders all dress up with gloves and helmets, in the opening of drilling operations in the Orinoco river region, awarded to the newly create oil argentine company Enarsa. They signed a number of investment and cooperation agreements. Venezuela will continue to buy bonds from argentine’s debt (amount round 3.000 million dollars) and it will finance with $135 million dollars the failed dairy cooperative Sancor. Kirchner announced that PDVSA will invest strongly in his country, and that Argentina will promote el Banco del Sur, a famous proposal from Chavez to opposite the World Bank and Monetary Found. According to Kirchner, the alliance of Argentina and Brazil with Venezuela is firm, and he as well as President Lula rejected the hypothesis that they must “hold back” Chavez.

The President of PDVSA, Rafael Ramirez, went to Ecuador to attend Correa in the receiving of the first of three cargos of processed crude oil that until the ending of March will receive Ecuador, in execution of the energetic agreement undersigned on January 16th. Ramirez stayed in Ecuador, to be in the presidential inauguration of the new president of the state oil company, whom declared that the exchange of oil crude for derivates will benefit the country in 1.500 million dollars. The president of the Uruguayan oil company Ancap also attended the act and proposed to Ramirez to pay a share of the provided oil with bonds of the public debt. Ramirez offered to consult it with Chavez. Evo Morales, given the situation in Bolivia, couldn’t travel to Caracas. The Venezuelan ambassador visit so as to inform the availability of 110 million dollars to finance governmental projects plus 25 million dollars for the climatic emergency, and Chavez decision to give two extra Super Puma helicopters.

Julio Montes, the ambassador, stated that “We are doing in Bolivia the same things Cuba did in Venezuela. The difference is that the Cuban wealth is human capital, while we have the possibility to help with economic resources”. In USA, the danger of Chavez’s growing influence in the region is emphasized by its President, Ms Rice and great newspapers.

CHAVEZ PAYBACK

 “My administration is a model of authentic democracy, with a broad freedom of the press”, asserted Chavez in a press conference with international reporters. Press conferences are opportunities to make uncomfortable questions, because Hello President admits only those forming part of a previous design. None of the correspondents showed interest in his insisted denounce of “new and fresh information about assassination plans”. O Globo’s journalist, Pablo Lopez Guelli, smiled like everyone with Chavez’s jokes about the next visit of Bush in Brazil, but also ignored his extensive comments on Lula’s foreign policy. In his turn, he asked bout the actions taken against the journal Tal Cual and the cessation of the concession to Radio Caracas Television (RCTV). Clearly irritated, he answered: “You come from O Globo and you have a mission; this is an extreme right-wing agency, and your questions are biased. O Globo’s people are puppies of the North-American Imperialism. Maybe you are a puppy of the Empire”. Obviously upset, Chavez affirmed that in Venezuela there is full independence between branches of power and family rights, that the judicial decision against Tal Cual and the humorist Laureano Marquez was taken by a judge and that he understands that “they were just fined, pursuant to legal framework. I have nothing to do with this subject”. About RCTV, he said that the administration have discretionary powers to grant or not a concession.

Tal Cual, published a funny open letter by the humorist Laureano Marquez addressed to Rosines, Chavez’s youngest daughter, identified as the person who proposed to modify the National Coat of Arms. The next Hello President, Chavez accused Marquez of infringing the laws protecting children. Without delay, prosecutors and judges acted accordingly. The newspaper and his collaborator were fined $50.000. A loud protest was raised nationally and internationally, considering that in addition to a violation of the right to free speech, this sanction was intended to terrorizing media and journalists that Chavez has not subdued yet. The government answered with street demonstrations and statements from journalists working for the State, supporting the punishment. This has been the mechanism used to accuse RCTV of being pro-coup, and make believe that it is the people who ask for the closure of the station. The National Assembly agreed unanimously. The board of directors of RCTV affirmed that this threat of closure intends to terrorize other private stations, and constitutes retaliation against a TV station, the oldest one and having the highest audience levels, known to be objective and pluralist in its news reports and editorial line.

The aggression against O Globo and its journalist may be interpreted as retaliation. The Brazilian newspaper insists on denouncing the arms race, for acquiring $4.000 million in armaments in two years. “Venezuela is becoming a military power by using the oil money. It’s the greater buyer of Latin America. This arm race is not a threat to the United States, but an action unbalancing the forces within the continent”. Articles and editorials emphasize the particular feature of Chavez revolution: it is the only revolution made with great financial resources, which allow buying domestic support from poor inhabitants and international friendship or acquiescence from foreign rulers.