Some people are calling it a political victory. Others are praising a politician whose main achievement so far seems to be outsmarting inexperienced and clueless politicians who are completely unaccountable to their electorate. Meanwhile, there are those who are simply gushing over him. In Venezuela’s incredibly impoverished and desperate society, even individuals who should know better are eagerly promoting the HenryPonlesunParao hashtag…
My issue with Henry Derwick Ramos Allup is quite straightforward. About two weeks after some chavista thugs broke into my apartment in London, stealing my laptops and leaving photos of my daughters to intimidate me, Mr. Ramos Allup decided it was fitting to use his position as Secretary General of Acción Democrática to attack me, claiming (highlighted in the picture):
…blogueros delincuentes prófugos de la justicia nacional e internacional
por delitos de narcotráfico, atraco, violación y lesiones…
Translation:
…delinquent bloggers, wanted by local and international justice for drug trafficking, assault, sexual abuse and injuries…
Although Ramos Allup didn’t explicitly mention it, everyone knew he was referring to me. Why would he allege that I was wanted for drug trafficking, etc.? What was the basis for this, where’s the proof?
I challenged Ramos Allup to provide evidence for his claims, and I am -still- waiting for a response. He loves to boast about his “impeccable” mastery of the Spanish language, yet he wrote a defamatory piece without a single piece of verifiable evidence, admitting it was based on an anonymous tip he received in an unmarked envelope. So here we have the future Chair of Venezuela’s Congress attacking innocent individuals based on anonymous reports from unidentified sources.
In his audacity, Ramos Allup even claimed to know what’s been happening with media acquisitions in Venezuela (previously exposed here, and here), going so far as to say those selling may have trouble explaining their source of funds when trying to withdraw them from Venezuela. He even referenced a Portuguese bank where Derwick has hidden some of his ill-gotten gains. Surely, he must have given similar warnings to his relatives, right?
Is this the tipo of politician who will lead the new Congress to put an end to rampant corruption in Venezuela? I will wear as a badge of honor that both the outgoing Chair of Congress #narcodiosdado and incoming Chair #DerwickRamosAllup have blocked me on Twitter, for to me, corruption has no political affiliation; it’s like human rights and offers only one position: for or against.