Thursday, January 29, 2015

Diosdado Cabello has been Hovering around the Falling Nicolas Maduro, but his Fate is also on the line


Diosdado Cabello, the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly has been in the headlines lately, but not because he is a nice individual. He is as ruthless and power hungry former military man. As the Maduro regime weakens and the economy is at its all time low, Diosdado Cabello lurks around like a vulture waiting for the right moment to take over. Yet, the new allegations against him as one of the leaders of the drug cartel Soles  may bring a game change to Diosdado Cabello’s fate.

The case against Diosdado Cabello’s as the leader of the Soles drug cartel is now growing in Washington, with the recent allegations from  Leamsy 
Salazar who was his main Security Officer.  Leamsy Salazar was originally Hugo Chavez's Security Officer for 10 years, and is now in the United States where he is working with authorities building the case against Diosdado.
This is not the first time that Diosdado Cabello is accused of  drug trafficking. In 2012, Venezuelan Supreme Court judge Eladio Aponte connected Diosdado Cabello with  corruption and drug traffickers. The judge turned over proof of Diosdado Cabello's ties  
to narco-trafficking to the DEA.  According to  Judge Aponte, the late Hugo Chavez was also involved in the drug operations carried out by Venezuelan military.

Diosdado Cabello is also known to be responsible for orchestrating abuses in the National Assembly, where Counsel woman Maria Corina Machado and other assembly members were beaten under his watch. Later, he arbitrarily removed  Machado from her post, in violation of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Constitution. Since the Venezuelan people elected Machado, she can't be fired  from her post by the President of the National Assembly.

Similarly, Diosdado Cabello was personally involved in the unjustified arrest and conviction of Leopold Lopez.  It was on February, 2014, when cabello, and  he remaines prisoner of the Maduro regime.

Monday, January 26, 2015

The Rise of Hugo Chavez and the fall of Venezuela

It is hard to believe that Venezuela, until 1999, was considered a very stable democracy with a growing economy in Latin America. Venezuela never faced the levels of depression and human right violations, and the lack of food and goods that it is experiencing today.

The rise of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, with his demagogue talks about Socialism of the XXI century directed to the masses, and the elimination of multiple political parties in favor of the official party has been catastrophic.

Just like Hitler, Stalin or Mussolini did in their days, Hugo Chavez’s empty promises and handouts worked temporarily, but didn't solve the deep-seated problems of poverty and inequality in Venezuela.   Hugo Chavez demagogy, which emphasized in income redistribution, increasing wages by decree, and controlling prices artificially brought Venezuela's economy to its knees.
High oil income estimated to be about 250 billion dollars, during the last 14 years was pilfered or stolen by the government bureaucracy, military officers and bankers that do business with the government. In addition, the lack of accountability and transparency, which existed in the Chavez regime produced a level of corruption never seen before in Venezuela.

These problems compounded by Nicolas Maduro's incompetence, this past year in office, to solve the shortage of food, electricity and other problems inherited from the Chavez’s regime.

The Maduro administration has demonstrated to be incapable of solving the severe corruption, economic problems, and food shortage in the country. This past year the regimen resulted in oppressing dissidents while his government continues excluding significant portions of society from decision-making. The result is that Venezuela has become poorer and a more backward society.
February 2014 kicked off the most severe repression and human right violations that Venezuela has seen in 50 years which led to hundred of people being incarcerated, abused and tortured by the Maduro regime.

February 2015 may mark the end of the Socialism of the XXI and the return to democracy in Venezuela.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Maduro’s Band-Aid to Venezuela’s Economic Crisis

President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, instead of creating a free market economy and encourage the private industry and entrepreneurs in Venezuela, decided to put a band-aid to the Venezuelan economic crisis that the Chavez regime created. The selling of $2.5 billion in CITGO bonds and getting a $1 billion loan from CITGO  will further push Venezuela into an economic meltdown. CITGO is owned by Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which is controlled by the government.  This quick CITGO bonanza will temporarily alleviate the enormous cost of the Venezuelan Socialism of the XXI century created by Hugo Chavez. 
During his 13 years in control of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez arbitrarily expropriated many domestic and foreign companies including the Exxon Corporation. Venezuela owes $2.5 billion jto the Exxon Corporation alone, and that debt will have to be paid before te regime get any money out.  The default of Venezuela under the Maduro regime is inevitable. 


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Once again the Venezuelan opposition units for change in Venezuela, against the Maduro regime.
February 2014, marked the beginning of massive protests around the country which led to hundreds of deaths, abuses and tortures. 2015 may marked the end of the Socialism of the XXI Century in Venezuela.

The lack of transparency in Venezuela

The Maduro regime sent trucks from the Venezuelan Food Production & Distribution Company, PDVAL, to welcome Nicolas Maduro from his trip abroad. These past two weeks Nicolas Maduro, in a desperate move to find funds for Venezuela, he visited  China, Russia, and Iran hoping for a quick solution to the Venezuelan economic crisis.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Never seen before in Venezuela


Venezuela, once a rich oil producing country, has been transformed into a miserable nation, after 15 years of the Chavez/Maduro regime. Two women fighting over a diaper because of the shortage of goods in Venezuela.
The government continues unable or unwilling to solve this problem.  

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The oil plunges and Maduro’s future plunges with it

The falling of the oil prices combined with US green light to oil companies to export crude oil are going to create a further economic crisis for countries like Venezuela that primarily depends on oil production.

In 2013, Venezuela ranked as one of the countries with the highest misery, not only on the economic part but also on personal security matters.

The appropriation of businesses by the Chavez regime forced many companies to close down or stop production completely which has devastated the country’s economy, forcing his follower Nicolas Maduro to further devaluate the currency due to growing shortages of food and other basic goods in the country.

According with a BBC report the Venezuelan annual inflation roused  to 63%  in  2014 and 2015  brings even a bleaker picture, transforming Venezuela into the perfect backdrop for a booming black market.

The drop of the oil prices is in my view the last step needed for the collapsing of the authoritarian and inefficient Maduro regime, leaving a once rich and prosperous country like Venezuela into an economic devastation.

Monday, January 12, 2015

The Tragedy of DIctators and Revolutions in Latin America


Reynaldo Bignone is  convicted in Argentina again, but this time for 26 years in prison for “stealing children” and murdering their young parents that opposed the regime. Reynaldo Bignone was part of the military junta under the dictator Jorge Videla, sentenced to prison for 50 years in an early trial. Videla is accused as the master minded of the “dirty war” that killed 30,000 people from 1970 to 1982 and, devastated families, separated children, and terrorized an entire generation.

Around the same time, Chile suffered a similar tragedy under the dictatorship of General August Pinochet which lasted 18 years. Some 3,000 people killed, and about 30,000 in prison or tortured under the dictator.

Populists and revolutions have also claimed the life of thousands in countries like Cuba and Venezuela.  During the Cuban revolution, Fidel Castro fought the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and took control of Cuba. Fidel then killed and tortured thousands who opposed him, and forced 1.5 million people to flee the country, establishing his dictatorship for over  half a century.

Venezuela is another tragic example. In 2014, 26,000 people were killed in violent crimes under the indifferent eyes of the Maduro regime.  According to an NBC report; a person is murdered in Venezuela every 21 minutes.  
Like Hugo Chavez did, Nicolas Maduro blames others for the devastated economy and the insecurity problem that the country faces today. Yet, Maduro offers no solution to these problems. My only guess is that Maduro feels it is easy to control people who are distracted by fearing for their lives.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Leopoldo Lopez calls for unity to a Venezuela that is on a brink of collapsing

Venezuelan political leader Leopoldo Lopez, a husband and a father of two who has been imprisoned by the Maduro regime since February 18, 2013 is calling on the Venezuelan people to stand united and exercise their rights to peaceful protests as it is permitted by the Venezuelan Bolivarian Constitution.  Leopoldo Lopez was the victim of political persecution by the late president Chavez, and the persecution has systematically been continued by Nicolas Maduro.

The falling of oil prices brings a different panorama for Venezuela and perhaps for Leopoldo Lopez, and the dozens students, political prisoners, and the Maduro regime.  In a country where not only human rights are missing but also there is a lack food, a lack of products and above all a lack of security, the Maduro regime knows that their  time in power is threatened by Maduro’s inability to solve Venezuelan’s unsustainable economy.

Perhaps the Leopoldo call for unity and to stand for Venezuelan freedom will resonate today more than ever with the Venezuelan people, tired of hoping for peace and prosperity. 


Monday, January 5, 2015

Response: "With Cuba, Nothing Can Be Simple"

I recently read an article called "With Cuba nothing can be simple" http://time.com/3646803/cuba-decision/ written by Jean-Paul Renaud  which I found fascinating, even though his personal journey is very different from that of many of my other Cuban friends'. These men and women fought the Castro regime, and paid with their freedom.  For them, the U.S. negotiations with a brutal dictator is  not an option. 

There is a dilemma on both sides of the embargo lift - each completely justified.  For those who oppose lifting the embargo their argument is: How can you move forward without forgetting the pain and anguish, the humiliation, the torture and death that the Cubans have gone through, and are still going through under the Castro regime? 

For those who support lifting the embargo: Why not to move forward and put and end to this nightmare created by the Castro regime?  As the author said, "with Cuba nothing can be simple”  is very true, but I think that the duty of the Cuban people is to make sure that the Cuban Holocaust is NEVER forgotten.



Saturday, January 3, 2015

Why Cuban Americans are Angry Right Now

I've had multiple conversations recently about Cuban American reaction to all the news about Cuba. There is a lot of anger among folks in Miami and in cities like Union City, New Jersey, where the Cuban-American population is extremely high.

I understand why they are mad.

In my work interviewing Cuban former political prisoners, I've heard nightmarish stories, horrible stories of killing and torture and where people lost their families and everything that was important to them. They are angry because they are afraid that there will be no accountability for the atrocities committed by the Castro regime against the Cuban people.

Now, more than ever, as we try to understand the Cuban American tragedy, it important to hear what people went through in a communist Cuba.

In Celebrating Life in Union, narrated by Andy Garcia, we follow a group of former Cuban political prisoners through their memory of imprisonment and their half century fight with the aging Castro regime. See trailer and information below:



Celebrating Life in Union - narrated  by actor Andy Garcia - is about the resilience and brotherhood of a group of former Cuban political prisoners from the Escambray Movement in the 1960's. They were 17, 18 and 19 year old boys who fought with Fidel Castro against the dictator Fulgencio Batista in Cuba .  Later, they fought against Fidel Castro after the resignation of Huber Matos, the third highest-ranking officer of the Fidel Castro revolution. These men received 20 and in some cases 30 years in jail. They are now in their 70's and 80's having kept their brotherhood alive in Union City , New Jersey The documentary premiered at the New York City International Film Festival, and was nominated as "Most Inspirational" by Doc Miami International Film. 

Purchase the full documentary here: http://tinyurl.com/pt5uqro 

Friday, January 2, 2015

In a Desperate Move, the Maduro Regime Violates the VZ Constitution Once Again...

In a desperate move the Maduro Regime violates the Venezuelan Constitution by illegally appointing members to the Supreme Court and to the NEC (CNE)

2014 ends for Venezuela with more violations to the constitution by the Maduro dictatorship.

In a desperate move, Diosdado Cabello, the President of the National Assembly appoints members from this regime to the Venezuelan Supreme Court and to the National Electoral Center, in violation of the constitution. It is customary that Parliamentarians are selected through a process of three sessions before final selection. Diosdado Cabello, in a swift and an illegal move, appointed the parliamentarians arguing that “We are here for Chavez” to justify his blatant violation to the constitution.

The regime fears the worse with the economy falling rapidly at the speed of the barrel of oil, now at is lowest cost of $49.00 per barrel.  The Venezuelan are bracing for tumultuous and economically challenge 2015.

What I think: Once again, the regime is making SURE that the opposition has no chance to be a part of the Venezuelan democratic political process. Venezuelan politics continue with NO checks and balances.

Resources:

Repost: "Facts and Subterfuge regarding the U.S. and Cuba Proposals"

My friend Jerry Brewer has an excellent site about Mexican and Latin American politics. He was nice enough to mention me and my work in a recent post about Cuba: "Facts and Subterfuge regarding the U.S. and Cuba Proposal."
"Communist ideology by the Castro regime has graphically meant death, destruction and misery to the island. Ask the Cubans who have lived it, and those now residing in the U.S."
Read the entire post here.


Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year; Feliz Año Nuevo

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy 2015. Thoughts for Venezuela: let's hope this is the beginning of peace and democracy for my home country.