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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Category Archives: Corruption
Bandes’s not-so-great overseas adventures
Back in 2006, the Venezuelan state’s development bank BANDES decided to expand its operations overseas by starting a commercial branch in Uruguay. Five years later, Bandes Uruguay announced an internal reorganization, but reaffirmed its committment to continue working, to the … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, International, The Economy
13 Comments
Capriles announces high drama (Updated)
A cryptic Henrique Capriles took to social media last night to tell us of a dramatic announcement, which should be coming today at 11:30 AM Venezuela time. I have no idea what it could be, but according to well-placed sources … Continue reading
Posted in Chavismo, Corruption, Opposition
103 Comments
Prosecutor, judge and jury
Supreme Tribunal chief Luisa Estella Morales says: “There won’t be a manual recount.” All of the sudden, she starts feeling guilty about people dying on the streets, and threatens Capriles. For a different take, I suggest José Ignacio Hernández’s article … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, Justice System
61 Comments
Where are the dishwashers?
One thing I think nobody has noted in this election cycle: where are the dishwashers? The clothes washers? The dryers? The apartments? Heck, I haven’t even heard of Maduro handing out iPods. As you know, last year’s election was marked … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption
14 Comments
Don’t know who Juan S. Montes is? Maybe you should…
The senior PDVSA manager (a.k.a. “Black”) is fingered for pocketing some US$35.7 million in bribes from Francisco Illarramendi to make his PDVSA Ponzi Scheme possible. Much more detail in this International Consortium of Investigative Journalists report. Unfortunately, the names of … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, Oil
7 Comments
A bizarre Goebbelsian spectacle
I don’t have a lot to say about yesterday’s bizarre Goebbelsian spectacle with Diosdado Cabello (of all friggin’ people) accusing Primero Justicia of widespread corruption except that it confirms my earlier hunch that post-Chávez era is poised to substitute repression for … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, Repression, The Media
78 Comments
Veniran-ian wasteland
JC’s recent post on VP Nicolas Maduro mentioned a news article from February regarding the situation of the joint Iranian-Venezuelan venture known as Venirauto. We’re now in December and looks like the situation is worse: a lot located near the … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption, In Other News, The Economy
1 Comment
Do it for Socorro
Socorro Hernández is one of those chavista creatures that really tick me off. I can sort of understand people like Aristóbulo Istúriz, or Freddy Bernal, or Elías Jaua, or Diosdado Cabello, or even Iris Varela being chavistas. Their backgrounds, their … Continue reading
Posted in CNE, Corruption, Justice System, Politics
51 Comments
The half-baked ministry of oversight
During his last public interview of the campaign, the comandante presidente hinted at the idea of creating a new Ministry dedicated to somehow controlling the Chavernment, as he admitted that he has made mistakes during his tenure, and that oversight … Continue reading
Posted in Chavismo, Corruption, Politics
28 Comments
I love love love the anecdote on 6:00…
Now that speaks to me:
Waste born of corruption, amplified by mismanagement and entrenched by lack of accountability and ideological rigidity.
Over on FP.com, pivoting off of that Reuters’ report on Fonden, I try to explain the way your morning paper will lie to you about Venezuela this week. More and more, I get the sense that the big unreported story … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption
21 Comments
#DondeEstánLosReales
An expanded version of that Reuters story just came out in Spanish, with extra juicy detail. Here’s a fun one: La fábrica de fertilizantes en Puerto Nutrias, un pequeño pueblo de los llanos venezolanos, ha pasado tanto tiempo paralizada que … Continue reading
Hanging by a thread
The Venezuelan government is pretty bad at everything it does. But you know what it is tragically, prodigiously bad at? Running cable cars. Last Sunday, the Waraira Repano cable car that goes up and down Ávila Mountain in Caracas broke down, … Continue reading
Posted in Corruption
41 Comments
The Wrong Type of Lightning
That’s right, folks. It’s not gringo mercenaries, wayward possums or Langley-trained iguanas that got El Palito refinery. It’s the wrong type of lightning: Petróleos de Venezuela reconoció que los sistemas de pararrayos que están instalados en la refinería de El Palito … Continue reading
