Grab it by the CITGO
Instead of solving at least one of the calamities the country is facing in all spheres, the government decides to help billionaire US president Donald Trump finance his inauguration.
Well, what do you know? Venezuela’s socialist, anti-imperialist, anti-interventionist, revolutionary government —through a wholly owned intermediary— gave Donald Trump’s inauguration a yuuuuuge donation.
As this BBC story puts it:
“Venezuela has donated $500,000 to U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration, newly released records show.
Citgo Petroleum, a US-based subsidiary of the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, is named in papers filed with the Federal Election Commission.
[…]
Other major corporations named in the documents include Pepsi and Walmart, which gave $250,000 and $150,000 respectively, while owners of NFL teams or their companies gave more than $5m.
Casino owner and billionaire Sheldon Adelson also gave $5m.”
Yes, you read that right. Even El Chigüire Bipolar is serious about it.
Just check page 21 of the “Report of Donations Accepted for the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee” to see it with your own eyes.
Five-freaking-hundred-thousand-freaking-dollars. To a billionaire’s inaugural celebrations.
Do you know what could be done in Venezuela with $500k? You could supply 120,000 sutures to a hospital, for instance. Or they can be used to supply the medicines for a year cancer treatment to 25 people. You can even import about 312,500 kg of white rice. That’s enough for one meal for more than 2 million people. But I guess it’s more important for the government to get grabbed by Trump.
It’s funny to think that just 100 days ago, people in the Venezuelan government were still entertaining the thought that they might catch a break from the new administration. That may be a sign of good will here and there —a little inaugural emolument baksheesh— could ease our way into the non-interventionist new administrations’ graces.
So much for that theory.
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