[UPDATED]
Just to remind you of the "maletagate" trial in Miami that Miguel is covering in loving detail.
While you read all the juicy details on how corruption works and how the new boliburguesia has been happily sacking the country you can wonder how come the only government of the three that pretends not to be officially concerned is the guiltiest one, the Chavez administration. As far as they are concerned it is just yet another media manipulation. Now, that argument could have at shred of verisimilitude if the Venezuelan government on occasion would nail someone from its ranks for corruption. But we know from 10, TEN, years of experience, that the worst that happens to corrupt chavista officials is that they disappear from the public eye, or even get an embassy somewhere to enjoy their loot away from scrutiny. Heck, EVEN in Argentina on occasion someone goes to jail for corruption!
But then maybe I have it all wrong and what we should think about is how effective it is to use a checkbook freely to control and vilify a country. Because make no mistake, the Miami trial on chavismo abjection is not causing much of a stir in Venezuela´s masses: people here seem more interested in finding ways to get their share of the loot than pursuing criminals. Maybe Chavez has won the final immoral battle but we just do not know it yet: Chavez is a thief but he is OUR thief.
We do get what we deserve after all.
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Update: Just lovely! In today's session Maionica, one of the "guilty" party stated that Vielma Mora (Ex-"IRS/SENIAT" head) offered a fake fiscal form to justify the 800 000 USD of the carry on bag and that the newly minted (two days ago) Interior Minister Tarek El-Assaimi was joined over the phone during the conversations that were held last year to convince Antonini to hide the whole scam.
Darn! as Miguel informed us, Tarek is not going to reply to the "garbage" coming from the US court. I suppose that he is right: he would have to spend so much time justifying his actions then and we need him so desperately here at home to focus on our crime problem. Way to go Tarek!
But seriously now. Chavez, and Tarek, and Vielma Mora, and X,Y,Z can chose to refuse to acknowledge anything from the Miami trial, until their heads turn blue, the damage will be terrible anyway. For example, as announced here last Saturday days ago, Ledezma finally got the "unity" nod for Caracas Mayor at Large, and Ledezma is the kind of politician who knows how to use such revelations as they happen in Miami to bludgeon the chavista candidates for Caracas. And if there is an area of Venezuela where the Miami trial can have an outcome, it is Caracas.
-The end-