The Book
In praise of Blogging the Revolution
“Caracas Chronicles has been an indispensable source of lucidity and perspective in these turbulent times in Venezuela. Toro and Nagel have been right on target, without pretending to be ludicrously impartial; they have been able to rise above polarization, trying hard to make sense of an often implausible reality. Blogging the Revolution shows them at their best. If you are not already a fan, you will become one.”
- Francisco J. Monaldi, RFK Visiting Professor at Harvard Kennedy School and Director, Center on Energy at IESA in Caracas.Recent Comments
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Monthly Archives: February 2013
Smudging the line between public and private
Private pictures of Hugo Chávez’s daughters and other assorted members of their inner posse were leaked this week on a Twitter account that was subsequently closed. In them, the girls and their friends are shown in various countries and parties, enjoying the … Continue reading
Posted in Chavismo
48 Comments
Is Venezuela dipping into recession?
Before devaluing the Bolívar, the government was predicting Venezuela would grow by 6% in 2013. We already addressed how this was way higher than what most other people were predicting, as consensus was forming around a 2.5% figure. Now that … Continue reading
Posted in The Economy
36 Comments
27F, from East to West
Two articles, both published by Prodavinci (in Spanish), are the best thing I’ve read lately on the Caracazo. The first, by Mayé Primera, tells the story of Hilda Páez, whose son Richard was killed by a soldier’s stray bullet. Páez … Continue reading
Going “bachaquero” for groceries
Grocery shopping is becoming more and more of an ordeal for ordinary Venezuelans. But in Maracaibo, where getting sugar and corn flour means waiting hours under the sun, there’s a new problem: organized groups of people who crash the city’s … Continue reading
Posted in In Other News, Society, The Economy
10 Comments
Rory Carroll. Jon Lee Anderson. Richard Lapper. The big guns.
Courtesy of The Frontline Club. These are serious people, and it’s a good discussion, but one thing that struck me as badly misguided is the treatment of Barrio Adentro.
Posted in International
80 Comments
Dead men don’t pay
“Right now, I have six of them ready to go that I can’t ship because there’s no glass.” I’m sharing a few beers with an old friend. A cool February breeze makes its way through the skyscrapers of La Castellana, … Continue reading
Posted in Politics
18 Comments
Excess baggage
Just when you think you have heard everything about the Venezuelan prison system, Ultimas Noticias nos trae esta perlita… A young woman was leaving Yare II Prison last Sunday afternoon after finishing her visit and she was carrying a heavy … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Prisons, Society
10 Comments
Horseracing comes to a halt
The national horseracing workers’ union has declared an indefinite strike in response to what they consider is the sad state of their working conditions. All activities in the three major Venezuelan racetracks (La Rinconada in Caracas, Santa Rita in Zulia … Continue reading
Posted in In Other News, Venezuelan Culture
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Margarita’s “Torre de David”
The “Torre de David” highrise in Caracas got a lot of attention recently thanks in part to John Lee Anderson’s great article in the New Yorker, to the point that its residents have suspended all outside visits. But it’s not the … Continue reading
Posted in In Other News, infrastructure, Society
4 Comments
Three from the FP
Three articles you might find interesting in Foreign Policy. The first is a searing summary of Hugo Chávez’s impact on Venezuelan politics, by our friend Phil Gunson. It’s a well written wrapup of the Chávez years that almost reads like … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Politics, The Economy
4 Comments
You say inefficiency, I say “media conspiracy”
Valencia’s open-air museum (one of two still functioning in Venezuela) has been left unattended by local authorities. Even if the current management did some work there three years ago, the entire infrastructure now lacks maintenance, and it shows. Some of … Continue reading
Posted in Society, Politics, Chavismo, In Other News, Venezuelan Culture
7 Comments
Amuay = devaluation?
Today marks the six-month “anniversary” of the explosion in the Amuay Refining Complex. Aside from being a massive tragedy, Amuay could have also been responsible for the devaluation of the bolivar. These two events might seem to be unrelated at … Continue reading
Posted in infrastructure, Oil, Politics, The Economy
24 Comments
Your favorite Two Minutes Hate clip
So I’m trying to cobble together a nice list of amazing/appalling chavista agit-prop videos for a piece I’m doing and I realized my readers probably have some amazing leads and forgotten gems to contribute. As the intended audience is not … Continue reading
Posted in The Media
37 Comments
QUE!?
You need to be forewarned. Clicking on this will expose you to the single most infuriating thing you’ve seen this week, if not this year. As a philosopher put it on Facebook, Cada día pienso más que Venezuela se ha … Continue reading
Posted in Venezuelan Culture
24 Comments
Venezuela gives me a migraine
(Overheard at Jeffrey’s Cafe, in Maracaibo) Me: My migraines have been acting up ever since I got here. I think I’m not getting enough caffeine. That tends to activate them. My buddy: That’s probably because you’re not really drinking coffee. … Continue reading
Posted in The Economy
20 Comments
