My Weekly Comment
To Henry Ramos: First, let me clarify that today’s cover is not about any phase of your privacy, but rather about the political closet; in other words, it exposes those supposedly honorable politicians, the ones who claim ethics as their guiding principle. I’m not surprised, though, because you revel in the hypocritical behavior typical of the bourgeois leaders in your old and stagnant party. While I can say I never expected your excessive reaction to what was published in issue 316, your ability to unleash insults simply for disagreeing with honest information from this weekly doesn’t astonish me.
I heard you, along with that embodiment of bitterness and frustration, Marta Colomina (known, whether rightly or wrongly, as the corrupt one from channel 8), still dazed by the poet Rivera’s pleas. You enjoyed insulting me with her. You called me a paid hack, you ancient scoundrel, who until yesterday received money from an oligarchic sector eager to silence its emerging opponents, accusing me without any proof (other than what’s found on the internet, where they assign figures to each of their components that would make even Bill Gates envious) of being a paid hack. You say that understanding the rejection of my newspaper requires looking at Facebook, Twitter, and anonymous comments on Noticias 24; what can I say about such a poor deduction? Be careful, or you might end up like Bruno Lenoir in 1850 (look it up). I’ve received information about your questionable preferences filled with items from a Kamasutra store, but that doesn’t make it true, nor would it be my place to shout it from the rooftops, as that would be irresponsible on my part. However, they do say that where there’s smoke, there are usually fire. It’s your business and your taste for “revitalizers,” but I want to make it clear that it was never my intention to incite conflict between you and your colleagues in the MUD; after all, they know you well and haven’t forgotten that you kicked the table over when, knowing AD would only get 4 deputies, you convinced them not to run in the 2006 elections, all under the ruse of a plan B that only you were privy to. You’re skilled at hiding your personality quirks just as Juan II of Castilla was accepted in a strictly monastic society like 14th-century Spain for his relationship with Álvaro de Luna. You love subterfuges, and for you, half is a majority; you despise that other half that refuses to return to the sordid political circus that was the farce of a bipartisan democracy. Your opportunism is glaring, and that’s how you ended up in the Latin American Parliament, because there was no way you would ever measure up nominally by circuit. Now, you have to have some nerve to claim you don’t associate with thugs… don’t come at me with that lie, as that’s precisely your specialty when it comes to crafting your deals. In any case, I’ll forget your insults because I know that in this political unveiling of Bolivarian Venezuela, you’ve chosen to come out of the closet to negotiate, and that deserves some respect.
URGENT: Since February, the IDB has been requesting the audited balance of Corpoelec to continue financing electrical projects, but the state enterprise has turned a deaf ear. Consequently, Venezuela is declared in default. Minister Ali Rodríguez is aware. It is highly likely that once the default is declared, the IDB will freeze all credits, which will negatively impact the value of Pdvsa bonds and all other international agreements. Projects like Tocoma, Guri, and all thermoelectric plants, as well as transmission lines and substations, will find themselves without funding.
LATEST NEWS: 1) José Vicente Rangel to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nicolás Maduro to the Vice Presidency. Is Pedro Carreño returning? 2) Despite the denials and conflicting trends, the expropriation of Cargill and Polar is underway, with the first potentially being announced this Sunday.
TRIBULATIONS. Retirees this year: Jesús Cabrera, Pedro Rondón, Luis Sucre, Luis Martínez, Rafael Rengifo, Hadel Mostafá, Luis Ortiz, and Blanca Mármol. Likely retirees soon: Héctor Coronado. Current members staying: Omar Mora, Juan Rafael Perdomo, Alfonso Valbuena, Yolanda Jaimes, Levis Zerpa, Antonio Ramírez, Carlos Oberto, and Luis Ortiz (all retired by 2012), Luisa Estela Morales, Francisco Carrasquero, Marco Dugarte, Juan José Núñez, Fernando Vegas, Luis Franceschi, Carmen de Roa, Evelyn Marrero, Emiro García, Yris Peña, Isbelia Pérez, Deyanira Nieves, and Eladio Aponte. Alternates who may leave or stay: Carmen de Merchán, Arcadio Delgado, and Miriam Morandy. Fixed nominees: Isaías Rodríguez and Gladys Gutiérrez. Top candidates for the presidency of the TSJ: Luisa Estela Morales, Isaías Rodríguez, Gladys Gutiérrez, Francisco Carrasquero, and Omar Mora. BANKING: Juan Carlos Escotet denied loans to clients for bond purchases, yet extended a line of credit to closely connected businessmen willing to share in banking profits.
DISQUALIFICATION: An investigation by the Municipal Comptroller of Miranda could end the 14-year absolute reign of José Luis Rodríguez in the Carrizales Mayor’s Office (the oldest in municipal power in Venezuela). The argument centers on supposed irregularities committed, including the hiring of a garbage collection service without a budget allocation. Rodríguez could end up being disqualified. Meanwhile, questions arise regarding a new candidacy of JLR for the December elections.
EXPROPRIATIONS: The conspiracy is internal. Are the expropriations a revolutionary act of one, or merely a show and business for a few? While Chávez takes credit, those orchestrating it tread a fine line. Remember the case of La Marqueseña? The owner received a hefty payout and now lives in New York, grateful to the revolution. In the Cemex case, Natacha Castillo was appointed president of the expropriated company. They claim the sack of cement is regulated at 8 BF, yet if you manage to find it, you have to pay 27 BF. Don’t even start on companies that were handed millions undeservedly. Now they are preparing to expropriate Sivensa, and its owner, Enrique Machado Zuloaga, is “jumping for joy” because there’s big money involved. If it rains this way, who knows how it’ll pour in the world of “revolutionary” expropriations. One final question: How is it that the license for Agroisleña, allowing the importation of pesticides and other products, was signed while Richard Canán was Deputy Minister of Agricultural Economy? Among those who engineered Agroisleña’s expropriation is the same individual who previously requested a credit portfolio from BIV for agricultural producers; this person showed keen interest in the Agroisleña owners so that this company would manage the entire portfolio.
LEVIATHAN: The trials and tribulations of Franklin Durán. He is the Venezuelan who, unlike his compatriot and partner Carlos Kauffman, refused to be a tool for a U.S. court to testify against Chávez in the briefcase case. Durán had become the sole owner of Venoco after buying out Kauffman’s shares. Now, Kauffman is free in Miami, while Franklin Durán remains in a maximum-security cell in Texas and the Venoco company is expropriated. TUBES: The escapades of a socialist contractor in the 21st century. This involves the controversial owner of Pentamat, a company providing services, among others, to the Armed Forces. In the IV era of Blanca Ibáñez’s confidence, also linked to Copei, and now in the V, has ties with Alejandro Hitcher; a relationship established since he sold pipes to Hidrocapital at prices questioned by industry experts. He’s not well-regarded in ARV due to contract breaches despite receiving advances. He has been implicated in the Pdval case. He sued Pdvsa and vice versa. Now in Miami, he contacts Eligio Cedeño and Julio Herrera; the bait: he offers to resolve their legal woes. He has made a fortune through transactions with Cadivi and as a supplier of questionable quality equipment. He’s a subject of interest for the FBI. He funds media in Miami. His name surfaced in the case of the paramilitaries arrested at Robert Alonso’s ranch.
DECEPTION: A report from the Minfra published on September 12, 2006, stated: “The Bolivarian Government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, will begin this month the construction of the Bocono-La Marqueseña road, which will be 74.5 kilometers long, passing through the states of Trujillo, Portuguesa, and Barinas… the project is technically divided into three sections: the first, in the Trujillo state, has 10.5 kilometers, beginning at the La Cavita bridge in Boconó and reaching the Boquerón sector; the investment for its construction amounts to 13 billion bolívars.” The resources (now equivalent to 1 billion 300 million BF) evaporated, and as for the other two sections, don’t even ask. Between the La Cavita bridge in Boconó and the Boquerón sector, there are just scratches on the ground as a faint reminder that a tractor passed by once upon a time. Nothing more.
EVENT: Last Wednesday, I attended a forum hosted by the student center of the Metropolitan University as a guest. Next week, we will cover the event.