While my Internet connection suffered some problems, scandals to report kept accumulating. The big one of course is the arrest of some of the original accomplices of Guido Antonini, the man of the 800 000 USD suitcase. Remember? Early August? Wee hours? Buenos Aires Airport? A private flight with Argentinean and Venezuelan officials? And a carry on case full of cash?
Well, the FBI and associates kept investigating and early this week they arrested some of the associates of Antonini. I will not go back on that since it is old news for the readers. The news has shifted now and we got the first reaction form one of the bosses of the involved parties: Cristina Kirchner, freshly inaugurated president of her country and who got enough this week to kill her honeymoon period. As seen on TV, she was pissed, making the worst outbursts of Hillary seem like those of a sweet lady. But see, Cristina has the fine art of Argentinean arrogance so for bitchy retorts, no one holds a candle to her. Even when all the fingers point at that money as having been destined to finance her electoral campaign.
So, what was the very original reply of Crisitna? That it was a garbage plot to sabotage her administration by US agencies. Then again there is that, and she did not address it at all. Maybe she did not read it? Not for her the minutiae of justice following an administration whose redolence of corruption is still far from the stench of the Caracas continental size corruption. Because let's us not kid ourselves, if Argentina justice is definitively a notch above the Venezuelan one (they did catch the carry on, did they?) it is still far from the basic standards of the US system when money and IRS are involved. Crisitna might want to wiggle that one out with high heels and hair flying in the breeze, she would be well advised to sacrifice whomever she needs to sacrifice. But her reappointing Nestor's cabinet tells us that it will be business as usual in Casa Rosada and thus the quality of politics in Argentina are not going to improve a bit in the coming years.
But of course what is much more interesting here is that the picture of how Chavez finances political friends is now becoming quite clear for all of those who tried to ignore it. I mean, we ALL knew, even if too many pretended not to know, that it was goign on but many of us did not know how blunt was the meddling of Venezuela in some parts of the world, nor how much money was so directly spent. The carry on case full of money form Venezuela has already been seen in Panama, in Miami and in Bolivia. We can assume that for every case caught, there must be at the very least 10 that went through. Did you know that with the 800 000 of Antonini alone, at least 16 modest but solid and complete homes for the poor could have been built, roads and all services? As much as 8 tons of milk could have been bought, attending the monthly needs of at least 100 000 poor Venezuelans?
But in Venezuela, from were Crisitna got her cue of course, it is all a big media manipulation, a show from US agencies. “U.S. propagandistic trash" were the words used by Lara. But then again the recent campaign has demonstrated that the communications minister has run put of ideas and is left to scatological expression to justify Chavez misrule.
All evidence points out that Chavez will keep giving money around to promote his glory, not the welfare of the Venezuelan people. The latest was the gift of 4.5 million dollars to build a stadium in Bolivia. Yes, that is right, as the works for the Venezuelan stadiums is not completed yet (and probably will never be unless some tournament comes this way) Chavez is building elsewhere. I suppose that a stadium in Oruro will ensure that the opposition to Morales in Bolivia will quiet down, dazzled, and go watch soccer........ no word of fresh milk coming back on the shelves....
Meanwhile if any one had any hope that corruption would abate some during the last 5 years of the Chavez administration, think again. Yesterday the National Assembly, out of the law and the constitution as usual, returned in office for another 7 years Clodosvaldo Russian, the man that was in charge on watching over the moneys of the state. In his "distinguished" tenure he managed to skewer some opposition characters on some very minor administrative charges. Leopoldo Lopez is the best example. The mayor of Chacao will not be able to run for office for about a decade because he shifted some budgets funds in order to pay Chacao workers. (Note: not to his pocket, to pay town hall workers). Meanwhile, Kaufman now in jail awaiting bail in Florida, will be able to run for any elected office if he chooses to do so. Clodosvaldo I am sure will not do anything against him as he has not done anything about all the major corruption cases of Venezuela. In fact, one of the few presentable chavistas, but insignificant ones, such as Mari Pili Hernandez have been found guilty by the office of Clodo. I suppose he needed a token chavista to justify his persecution of any opposition figure Clodo is told to attack.
And so we have the clear picture of how the mafia runs the Venezuelan government. NOT A SINGLE VENEZUELAN ISNTITUION is seriously investigating the Miami 4, as they are too busy protecting themselves from future pursuits or scandals, and making sure Chavez keeps spreading corruption, moral and financial, all over Latin America. Of coruse, the capo in the show is Chaevz who at this time can only plead insanity, a plea for which dossier these past few weeks Chavez has greatly contributed.
-The end-