April 30th., 2008

Chavez´ Visitors

We had elaborated a system of contacts with the Farc that was pulverized, stated Chávez in Aló Presidente, upon commenting with regards to a long interview with the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, who, the day before, whilst leaving Miraflores, seemed very pleased with the meeting wherein they had discussed the humanitarian agreement with Colombia.  “I don’t know if I will be able to keep helping in this issue but I told him that we are at his disposition to try and help”, added Chávez, convinced as he is that he has the key in his hands that may re open the possibility of the agreement.  Ivan Márquez, spokesman for the Farc and frequent interlocutor of the President, declared that even though the liberation of the hostages is “closed”, Chávez is the only hope for Ingrid Betancourt, omitting to mention the North Americans kidnapped by the guerilla in 2003.  The analysts have reminded that Richardson was the Energy Secretary, and in that capacity he met with Chávez several times.  Recently he gave a conference in the OAS, wherein journalists interested in knowing his opinion regarding the Venezuelan regime attended, since he is being rumored as a possible Secretary of State by Obama.  He responded that the priority in Latin American politics is the dialogue, specially with governments that have different ideas to the ones that prevail in the United States, quoting Chávez´ as an example, and that this has been his advise to Obama.  In the OAS he anticipated that he would meet with Chávez, who in turn informed in Aló Presidente, “he gave me a baseball ball signed by Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.  He also brought me a little card with Luis Aparicio, when he was declared rookie of the year.  It was an unprecedented gift, since Bill, with whom I have a good friendship, knows my passion for baseball”. 

The Colombian media highlighted that Chávez, after the content of the Raúl Reyes´ computers was disclosed, has been prudently silent.  The encounter with Richardson brought him back into scene.  The magazine Semana published a report according to which, days before the attack to Reyes´ camp out, a Bolivarian Continental Coordination (CCB) Congress had taken place in Quito.  The report adds that the CCB is a Venezuelan initiative that comprises hundreds of political organizations that believe in the armed way as the legitimate manner to get to power.  On the other part, the magazine, Caretas, from Lima, reveals that according to reports from intelligence entities with whom they had access, the Peruvians that traveled to the mentioned Congress in Quito were financed by the Venezuelan Embassy in Bolivia.  The money had been wired to an organization called “Casas de Alba” (Alba houses), currently investigated by Lima´s  government and a Commission from Parliament for indicia that the financing was coming from Caracas.   Richardson was preceded in Miraflores by the Presidents of Nicaragua and Bolivia and Cuban Carlos Lage, called by Chávez to oppose to the autonomous referendum summoned in Santa Cruz and to ratify his unconditional solidarity with Evo.  As usual, he gave flared speeches against the North American Imperialism.  As applauded as the ones given days before, receiving delegations from Byelorussia, Iran and China to develop “strategic alliances” by way of new cooperation agreements.  The Chinese showed their surprised faces when he declared himself as a Maoist. 

A NEW LEADER SUMMONS

On the week of March 3 through March 9, Colombia attacked the Farc camp out in Ecuador, generating war threats on the part of Chávez.  The news occupied 1% of the news coverage in the US.  A study undergone by the Excellence Project in Journalism, that examined more than 70,000 media, including television, radio, newspapers and Internet sites, reveals that the US media practically ignore the existence of Latin America.  During the week of December 2 through December 7, 2007, the Recall wherein Chávez, for the first time suffered his first electoral defeat, it occupied 2% of the news in the US.  This is reported in the Miami Herald by Andrés Oppenheimer, who asked Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project, the reason of the above, and he was responded:  “If Latin America has no importance to the government’s  agenda, neither will it be important for the media”.

Jon Goicochea, Leader of the Student Movement, played a key role in the defeat of the Chávez proposal for a Constitutional reform last year.  He is an emblematic character of the new political generation that arises in Venezuela, in as much as in a recent survey, he appears in first place, amongst the most admired figures, placed above Chávez.  His name is well known now that he won the Milton Friedman award for Liberty in 2008, granted by the Cato Institute, a Center for non party public politics with its headquarters in Washington, that does not accept government funds in order to maintain an independent standing.  Goicochea, was questioned in a TV program regarding the elections in the US, wherein he visited recently, and declared that Latin America is not an issue for the candidates, which is good news, since that way, Venezuelans, specially the middle class, will end up understanding that the XXI Century Socialism, the Cuban way, that is tried to be imposed by Chávez, is a Venezuelan problem, and not a US one.  “A year ago, he said, we made our appearance in the national scenario to protest against the closing of RCTV.  We did it for our commitment as citizens for liberty of expression and civil rights.  We assumed the peaceful action to denounce before the national and international community the truth of what is happening”.  According to the young leader, today he feels more committed  because the students gave a determining contribution for Chávez´ defeat in his fraud intent to reform the Constitution.  He affirms that they are organized at a national level to denounce the regime that does not acknowledge popular will and applies the contents of the rejected reform, which constitutes an unacceptable blow to the rule of law.  He called to the social and political actors to defend the right of Venezuelans to choose the best candidates as Municipal Mayors and State Governors, without taking into account party filiations or government impositions.

Goicochea´s  summon would be a non transcendental phrase in any civilized country.  More so, in the existence of a Constitution whose text provides for a Central, State and Municipal government that is and always will be, democratic, elective, not centralized, alternative, responsible, plural and of mandates subject to revocation.  The regime added a requirement:  not to be included in the List of those disqualified by the Comptroller.  The ones in the opposition that have more electoral preference in the surveys are in the list.  Chávez´ campaign is monothematic:  convince the population that in every Governor’s  Office or Mayor’s  Office there will only be two candidates:  the good one, which will have his blessing as a Revolutionary, and the bad one, a traitor to the country, that represents Imperialism.  Chávez´ arguments are powerful, so much that he is visited at his Office, by smiling and friendly people such as Richardson with baseball balls and Evo Morales with this traditional coke leaves gift. 

ECONOMY IN CHAOS AND THE CHECK BOOK FULL

Six years ago, PDVSA produced 3.3 Million barrels. It fired 20,000 officers that had made the company one of the most efficient ones in the world.  It was declared as an instrument of the Revolution, “red, very red”, and the payroll was increased to 100,000  “comrades” and it turned to be administered by Chávez,  through one of his unconditionals, without any experience in oil management.  Revolutionary geo politics and social Missions were the priorities.  Transparencia Internacional denounced that Venezuela does not allow access to the information coming from industry resources.  Its administration is a “black box”.  The new PDVSA affirms that it currently produces 3.5 Million barrels.  It exceeds by one Million the figures accounted by OPEC.  From 2.5 probable ones, the transnational companies bring in a considerable percentage, and according to the technicians, once the national consumption is deducted as well as extraction contraband, barely 800,000 of their own production is placed in the international market.  When it produced 3.5 Million, the price oscillated between 10 Dollars.  In the past weeks it reached 100 Dollars and it keeps rising.  The reserves in the Orinoco Strip maintain the country as a desired oil potency.  With major investments, technology and rescue of tasks, the proposed goal of 5.8 Million would be feasible by 2012.  As of now, Chávez has ordered that PDVSA´s  work is to confront the lack of supply of food, the lack of housing and financing a new Mission that guarantees popular support, since he affirms that in the next elections, “they are coming for me and a defeat will be the beginning of the war”.  The beginning of the end, as predicted by analyst Sadio Garavini.  Probable, defeated in 2008, he awaits suffering that includes Parliamentary elections and eventually a revocation recall or an adverse Constitution.

According to the polls, the majority evaluates his performance as negative, insecurity is a collective psychosis, the lack of goods affects everybody, specially the most poor, pro Chávez demonstrators paralyze communication means on a daily basis with flared claims, the subsidized food markets have collapsed, hospitals are in “intensive care”, corruption has stopped being a denounce of the part of the opposition to become a pathetic presidential claim of revolutionary ethics, inflation transforms into a monster that devours the acquisition power for all levels, price controls explode upon the impossibility of maintaining such prices beneath the costs, a national black out took place for lack of maintenance in the main hydro electrical system, and experts warn that electricity rationing will be imminent due to negligence in developing plans that take care of the demand dynamics.  Economy is in chaos, this is the conclusion of a Seminar organized by Pensar en Venezuela (Thinking in Venezuela), a group of the highest most qualified scientists.  The productive economy is being extinguished, as warned by business men, auditors obliged from Aló Presidente to find out of new nationalizations, as the steel and cement ones, or of manufacturers and agricultural and cattle ranches that he disposes to occupy without expropriation procedures.  Beware of being triumphal!  is the warning by the ones prudent to the democratic sector that will support the unified candidates that will obtain the clear support of the civil society.  Chávez´ check book is still abundant with funds and his populist speech is present day and night in 80% of the radio electric space.  The lack of governance crisis may lead to a social implosion, as stated by the anguished ones.  The writer Aníbal Romero asks himself today:  Is Thomas Shannon and Bill Richardson aware of that is happening in Venezuela?