Monthly Archives: October 2010

This Sunday, Maracaibo voters will select the unity opposition candidate to compete against chavista candidate Giancarlo DiMartino in the special election for mayor. The election – for what is arguably the most important mayor in the country – is scheduled … Continue reading →

Don’t miss the fascinating saga of Rafael Ramos de la Rosa. Ramos de la Rosa is the head of the CNV task force in charge of the Unovalores case. The CNV is the Venezuelan equivalent of the Securities and Exchange … Continue reading →

Remember in The Godfather when, in the middle of the movie, Don Vito is shot after buying oranges? If my memory is correct, the ensuing thirty minutes or so consisted of a fascinating series of sequences highlighting open warfare between … Continue reading →

Here’s a short memo to the drunks haggling over the empty bottle that is the opposition unity candidacy for Governor of Guárico. A few weeks ago, chavismo got 58% of the vote in Guárico, while the opposition (including the PPT) … Continue reading →

(A nugget of a story that landed in my Inbox, courtesy of a long-time reader) Hey chamos! Wanna laugh a bit? Check out this story of how our glorious leader wants to “develop” our country. With a few partners, I … Continue reading →

Sorry to go all MIA on everyone all of a sudden. It’s been a horrible few weeks for me: first came the sudden loss of my dad, a personal tragedy that – following my strict policy of keeping my private … Continue reading →

This is a tale of a twitter feed gone mad. Yesterday, I noticed an evolving twitter tiff between somebody named Vendetta_V and the president of chavista broadcaster Telesur, Andres Izarra. Apparently, Izarra and his wife were expecting twins, and they … Continue reading →

There has been a bit of confusion among analysts about the real meaning of the September 26th election. While most in the opposition say that 52% of the voters rejected the government – which is a fact – and attribute … Continue reading →

Two random quotes from the same day: Vice-President Elías Jaua: “We have no plan of action against Polar.” Food Minister Carlos Osorio: “The people need to control Polar.” Don’t know about you, but if I’m Polar, I’m not feeling too … Continue reading →

A few years ago, I had a close friend named Samuel. Samuel barely graduated from college, and from an early age he dabbled with the wrong crowd. He began smoking pot heavily, and experimented with cocaine. One day, Samuel decided … Continue reading →

Today’s El Universal has an excellent article on the current state of Hato El Frío, a large farm and biodiversity research center “expropriated” by the Chávez administration in 2008. The article’s author, Francisco Olivares, chronicles the farm’s long history. El … Continue reading →

This blog caters to English speakers looking for information on Venezuelan politics. In that spirit, I feel I owe it to give my take on the widely reported news that Venezuela and Russia have signed an agreement for cooperation on … Continue reading →

Eleven years into his Presidency, it’s an established fact that Hugo Chávez handles our country’s finances like his own personal pulpería. In spite of this, it never ceases to amaze me how the government’s fiscal decisions barely cause a ripple … Continue reading →

Transfixed as we all were by the picture-perfect rescue of the 33 Chilean miners, something Michael Moore said last night on the otherwise ludicrous Larry King show stuck in my head. Moore – sometimes disagreeable, always entertaining – said: “Next … Continue reading →

My latest piece for the What’s Next Venezuela? Blog comments on this deep anomaly. Chavismo understands that, to be viable, it needs both to hold periodic elections and to nullify them. These days, for chavismo, staying in power is an … Continue reading →