Monthly Archives: June 2011

Chávez: Being Diagnosed with Cancer Reminds me of That One Time I Got Toppled

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

There was plenty in Chávez’s speech tonight that was just plain weird, but none could have been weirder than this bit: This also brings to my memory right now those dark hours of April 11th, 2002. Then, also, I sent … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged | 24 Comments

The option on the table

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

A few days ago, Barinas Governor and Presidential brother Adán Chávez, rumored to be next in line to the throne, warned the nation that “armed struggle” was another mechanism to obtain and hold power. You might think this is mere … Continue reading →

Posted in Chavez cancer | Tagged | 4 Comments

The “C” Word UPDATED

Posted on June 30, 2011 by

Yes sir. The “C” word crossed his lips. In weirdly circumlocuitous, adjetival form – as though “Células Cancerígenas” meant anything other than…well…that. Poor guy. Update: The video is now up and it’s weird. Chávez reading. Leaning on his “S”s. Sounding … Continue reading →

Posted in Chavez cancer | Tagged | 53 Comments

The opposition’s restless base

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

After my post a few days ago criticizing Henrique Capriles for being vague, I got an earful from those on the other side. People close to the Governor gently called me out for being in too much of a hurry. … Continue reading →

Posted in Henrique Capriles, Opposition | 31 Comments

My governor joins the fray

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

Tal Cual is reporting that Zulia Governor Pablo Pérez will anounce his candidacy on July 5th, when he will address the Zulia parliament. I landed in Maracaibo and was promptly greeted by his face, smiling at me from a number … Continue reading →

Posted in Corruption, Pablo Perez | 22 Comments

The math of NPI

Posted on June 29, 2011 by

A slimmed-down Chávez goes on TV, chats with Fidel in Cuba + Chávez suspends the all-important 5th of July Latin American Summit for health reasons = Nobody knows anything. Seriously folks, I’ve talked to a number of informed people in … Continue reading →

Posted in Chavez cancer | Tagged | 24 Comments

Chávez’s health issues are good for the economy (Updated)

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

Chávez may be gravely ill, and the investors are lovin’ it … (HT: LC) Update – A friend writes telling me that the rally in Venezuelan bonds may be the result of the Venezuelan government buying up the bonds. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Bonds | 38 Comments

Who is this guy?

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

An interesting interview with opposition front-runner Henrique Capriles. The interview is chock-full of good quotes. The guy is undoubtedly good, stays on message, is appealing without being abrasive, and is comfortable enough with himself to pass the “guy-I-wanna-have-a-beer-with” test. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Henrique Capriles | 16 Comments

Attention Deficit Disorder: El Rodeo Edition

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

One time, covering an opposition march, I found myself right in the thick of a National Guard tear gas cloud. The next 20 seconds were easily the most uncomfortable of my life: it feels like your entire body is on … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights | 23 Comments

Chávez in the Past Tense UPDATED

Posted on June 26, 2011 by

Chavista National Assembly Member Israel Sotillo (a.k.a. el Diputado Mozilla) is now tweeting about Hugo Chávez in the past tense: “Chávez was a great man and will live forever in the heart of our great nation.” Weird. My tune-it-out-it’s-just-noise instinct is … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged | 64 Comments

1000 Word Chronicles

Posted on June 25, 2011 by

El Rodeo I after the riot: Amazingly, the uprising at El Rodeo II is ongoing, with 1300 inmates still living there (eating what? surviving how?) And in case you’re wondering, no, there’s no room in Venezuela’s other jails for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights | 4 Comments

You know you’re home …

Posted on June 24, 2011 by

… when the topic of conversation over lunch is “thirty-year old women we know who have died on the operating table from botched plastic surgery procedures.”

Posted in In Other News, Society | 43 Comments

Opposition proposals for dealing with jails are not one in the same

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

In the past few days, both Leopoldo López and Julio Borges (who I assume was speaking on behalf of Henrique Capriles) unveiled plans for dealing with Venezuela’s horrific prisons. López basically wants nicer jails; more jails; to separate prisoners according … Continue reading →

Posted in Henrique Capriles, Leopoldo López, Violence | 31 Comments

It’s a renter’s market

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Venezuela has a severe housing shortage, a crisis of titanic proportions, if you will. Yet any casual foreign observer would wonder why, in this context, there aren’t rental properties sprouting up everywhere. The answer lies in Venezuela’s Soviet-style rental property … Continue reading →

Posted in The Economy | Tagged | 12 Comments

Let’s Play “Chigüire or Not”

Posted on June 23, 2011 by

Simple game, really: I give you a headline, you try to guess if it’s a Bipolar satire or a real story before clicking on it. Ready? “Our Commander in Chief Is in the Best of Shapes” (“Nuestro Comandante en Jefe … Continue reading →

Posted in In Other News | 20 Comments