Monthly Archives: June 2012

Luisa Estela Morales, Space Cadet

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

The chairwoman of our Supreme Tribunal has found herself a new priority: Protecting Venezuelan outer space. “The ultraterrestrial space is one of the aspects established in our Constitution as an important element of the general concept of sovereignty…It’s a commitment … Continue reading →

Posted in In Other News, Justice System | 36 Comments

Mercosur Musical Chairs: Paraguay Out, Venezuela In (and it makes zero difference…)

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

Well, that didn’t take long: in the wake of Fernando Lugo’s quickie impeachment, Mercosur has suspended Paraguay’s membership in the trade block…which, magically, removed the one big obstacle remaining to Venezuela’s accession, allowing Venezuela to become a full member. Politically, … Continue reading →

Posted in International chavistas, Oil | Tagged , , | 22 Comments

Necronepotism Chronicles

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

I mean no disrespect at all to a brave and illustrious lady whose only misfortune was to beget an oligophrenic child but…is there any imaginable justification for a 103-year old’s death to be given the full Mandela treatment for an … Continue reading →

Posted in In Other News, The Media | Tagged | 52 Comments

MAD-uro

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

This one is flying sort of under the radar screen: turns out that in the wake of Fernando Lugo’s impeachment in Paraguay, Venezuelan foreign minister (and aspiring dauphin) Nicolás Maduro was in Asunción, where he took the opportunity to more-or-less … Continue reading →

Posted in International chavistas | Tagged | 24 Comments

The Polling in Perspective

Posted on June 28, 2012 by

Over on his excellent Venezuelan Poll Nerd blog, YV Polis,  political scientist Iñaki Sagarzazu puts the latest C21 numbers in perspective. The real take-away from me, is in his last slide: Yes, Chávez leads Capriles in almost all recent polls, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Polls, Presidential Election | 34 Comments

You loved hearing it here first

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Consultores 21′s June poll has Chávez on 47.9% and Henrique Capriles on 44.5%, well within the margin of error. Standard disclaimers apply: like all polls, this is  a snapshot of public opinion at the time the question was asked, not a … Continue reading →

Posted in Polls, Presidential Election | 42 Comments

Like getting a lecture on chastity from Diosa Canales…

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

Last week in Rio, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (a follow-up to the historical Earth Summit of 20 years ago) went through without attracting the same attention of its predecessor. Few top world leaders attended and the final document … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, International, Oil | 33 Comments

Libertadorland: Chavismo’s answer to Disney World

Posted on June 26, 2012 by

Since its beginning, the Chavernment has exploited Venezuelan historical figures for its own benefit. From action figures to cheap TV movies and even Chinese satellites named after them, Chavismo has always tried to push the narrative of a permanent struggle … Continue reading →

Posted in History, In Other News | 42 Comments

Winning with Twitter

Posted on June 25, 2012 by

There aren’t a lot of democracy lessons I’d be willing to take from a bunch of Egyptian theocrats, but this is definitely one.  [Hat tip: Kolya.]

Posted in International, Leopoldo López | 30 Comments

The Bolivarian Socialist Grand Prix of Venezuela

Posted on June 24, 2012 by

A new plan for the future use of the Air Force Base known as La Carlota, in the heart of Caracas, was presented by the government: it consists of a park housing a Formula 1-oriented race track. Looks like the cement … Continue reading →

Posted in In Other News, infrastructure | 35 Comments

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.

Posted on June 23, 2012 by

Honestly, what do any of us really know about Paraguay? I mean, really. What are the chances that we can insta-comment on the bewildering events there over the last few days without mangling the specific dynamics of a society we … Continue reading →

Posted in International | Tagged , | 118 Comments

E possumus unum…

Posted on June 22, 2012 by

I thought rabipelaogate was an excellent entry point into a post on the crazy economics of the Venezuelan electric sector, so I wrote it up for IHT.

Posted in Electric Crisis | 26 Comments

It ain’t over until it’s over: In defense of poll skepticism

Posted on June 22, 2012 by

This is the first time since I joined Caracas Chronicles that I write a post as a direct rebuttal to something written by either Quico or JC. I knew that this day was coming sooner or later. In fact, I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Chavismo, Henrique Capriles, Politics, Polls, Presidential Election | 100 Comments

There’s a new sheriff in CICPC town

Posted on June 21, 2012 by

Big structural changes for the CICPC, Venezuela’s investigative police force, after Chávez used his enabling law powers to reform it by decree. The president’s first major change? A new police commander. And who better for the task than the Comandante … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice System, Society, Violence | 18 Comments

Why I take those Datanalisis polls seriously, and you should too…

Posted on June 21, 2012 by

Turns out a lot of my readers are downright offended by the notion that Chávez might comfortably ahead in the presidential race. That, at any rate, is the sense I get from ill-tempered exchanges that follow in comments everytime I post about Datanalisis’s polls, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Polls, Presidential Election, Venezuelan Culture | 130 Comments