More about the US$800,000
Chavez's severe foreign exchange controls
Correction from Journalist Per Kurowski
It is an honor that Journalist Per Kurowski, former Executive Director of the World Bank, corrected my previous posting as follows:Dear Maru
You say "In addition that Chavez continues to devalue the abused Venezuelan currency. Just recently he removed several zeros, but it is very weak." Now this is wrong. The fact is that the official the bolivar is very strong because of oil but since they have a foreign exchange system with the official dollar given out at Bs.2.150/US$ while there is a parallel black market wher it goes for about 5.000 the obviously a sprending spree is stimulated by having anything that could be purchased at 2150 seem cheap against the alternative of purchasing it at 6.000.
PerCordially,
Maru AngaritaMy blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/Resources:http://perkurowski.blogspot.com/
Venezuela's Political Disaster - December 14, 2007
Dear Journalists,
Please know that the Reuters article "Vuitton-clad Venezuela minister spouts socialism" says "Riding a boom in oil prices, middle-class and wealthy Venezuelans are on a spending spree, guzzling fine whiskies and snapping up luxury cars. Poorer Venezuelans also have benefited, with subsidies driving a spike in demand for basic products."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/13/AR2007121301691.html
However, this is inaccurate! Please know that "only those who support Chavez" have access to foreign currencies. The general working public does not, and has to struggle with the government agency Comision de Administracion de Divisas - CAVIDI. Cavidi's Internet site usually works on a sixty-percent capacity blocking a large percentage of those interested in business trading to spend days trying to access the infamous site. Then, there are major limitations to how much foreign currency regular citizens and business people can obtain on a yearly basis. As I understand, citizens have a maximum of $4,000 (or $5,000 now) a year which has to be pre-approved by the government. In addition that Chavez continues to devalue the abused Venezuelan currency. Just recently he removed several zeros, but it is very weak.
What in the world is wrong with Reuters? First they announced that Chavez was winning at around 5:20 PM on December 2, and then now Reuters says that middle-class and wealthy Venezuelans are on a spending spree. Hummm!
Just for the record some of Chavez's supporters have been seen on major shopping sprees in New York City and Paris, France during official business trips. I have also seen those outspokenly supporters of Chavez buying so many goods in Washington, DC that they had to struggle how to bring all those newly acquired items on the aircraft. However, the regular people can not access that kind of money. So, it is just not fair that Chavez only leads for those who support him. Also, I thought the infamous and very rich Chavez says to the poor that it is bad to be rich.
Cordially,
Maru AngaritaMy blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/Resources:
http://www.cadivi.gob.ve/http://www.economist.com/world/la/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9621513http://www.slideshare.net/Kareta/ser-rico-es-malohttp://www.babalublog.com/archives/002564.htmlhttp://www.freeserbia.net/Articles/2007/Chavez.htmlwww.venezuelareal.orgwww.gentiuno.comwww.megaresistencia.comwww.resistenciauniversitaria.comwww.noticias24.com
U.S. Says Venezuela Tried to Give $800,000 to Argentine
Democrat Chavez subverting Bolivia by Alexander Boyd
Socialism by Gucci by Alexandra Beech
Socialism by Gucciby Alex Beechhttp://www.tu.tv/videos/carreno-tartamudea-con-la-preguntaThis video (in Spanish) exposes the astounding hypocrisy of the Chavez regime. Fast forward to minute 4:25, where Venezuela's Interior Minister Pedro Carreno says:"The only path is to peace, is justice. It says so in the Bible, and Commander President Chavez says it. The only path to justice issocialism. It's not capitalism, it's not the cannibalism that wants tobe implemented - "A reporter interrupts: "Isn't it contradictory for you to talk about capitalism when you're wearing a Louis Vuitton tie and Gucci shoes? "Minister Carreno then stammers. When he recovers his composure, he answers: "I don't know...of course... it's not contradictory...I wish Venezuela produced all that and so I could buy everything that is produced here and not have to import the 95% of the things we import..."Venezuela may not produce most widgets, but it does produce ties and shoes. In fact, many of its Italian descendants make shoes that would rival any Gucci mass-produced item. But as the video demonstrates, the Chavez regime is comprised of individuals who yearn for the finest,while asking Venezuelans to accept the mediocre.For kicks, I googled Louis Vuitton and Gucci in search of prices. A Louis Vuitton tie, on its website, retails for $180. Men's shoes retails for around $550. According to Venezuela's National Statistics Institute, Venezuela's poverty index stood at 53 percent at the end of 2005, and its extreme poverty -- classified as households unable to cover the cost of the basic food basket -- at 25 percent. Crushed by inflation and food shortages, a poor household could really use the$550 which Carreno spent on his shoes. I wonder, as always, where the money trail trails off...if they'rebuying designer ties, Chavistas are also buying designer homes, designer cars, designer boats - who buys for them and where? And if we were to calculate their sources of income - could they legally afford it all? How? Pedro Carreno, when he was a lawmaker, warned Venezuelans that DirectTV was spying on them through "the little boxes on their TV sets."Suppressing a giggle, the Direct TV representative in Venezuela said that the lawmaker's accusation sounded like a Dick Tracy episode. Only Dick Tracy could solve the mystery of how Chavistas get away with sporting Gucci while preaching Guevara. Alex BeechHat tip: William Klemmewww.alexbeech.blogspot.com
Revised: Venezuela's Political Disaster - December 12, 2007
Dear Journalists,
Since Chavez is so involved with his fellow President Evo Morales Venezuelans are publishing information from Bolivia that affect us all. Last November there were reports from Bolivia that supporters of Evo Morales killed two dogs to intimidate opposition. The Bolivian group Animales SOS members of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) proposed a new law for animal protection for Bolivia which was presented to Evo Morales. However, at this time Animales SOS was told that Bolivia is getting ideas from other animal organizations to stop cruelty against animals. It is of utmost importance that Bolivia passes at the earliest a new law to stop animal abuse in this nation. I wrote an open letter to Evo Morales which was published in Gentiuno. I also sent a copy of this letter to the Bolivian Ambassador in Washington, DC:
http://www.gentiuno.com/articulo.asp?articulo=6170
There are excellent international animal protection organizations such as "International Fund for Animal Welfare", "The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals", "United States Humane Society", "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals", and Bolivia should implement animal anti-cruelty laws matching what the developed world has established.
In the meantime Chavez and thugs are inspecting peoples' houses in the middle of the night as it happened last night at the home of Helen Fernandez and reported by Globovision:
http://www.globovision.com/news.php?nid=73597
Archive Picture: http://community.webshots.com/album/558327895SCVdbqFrom left to right: Oscar Perez, Helen Fernandez, Antonio Ledezma and Milos Alcalay.
Cordially,
Maru AngaritaMy blog is: http://maruangarita.blogspot.com/Resources: www.animalessos.org
www.globovision.comhttp://www.eluniversal.com/2007/05/30/pol_ava_oscar-perez-fue-dete_30A877627.shtmlhttp://www.gentiuno.comhttp://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_homewww.ifaw.orgwww.hsus.orgwww.peta.org
Alleged Chavez's Plans for December 3, 2007
Venezuela's Political Disaster - December 9, 2007
