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December 27, 2014 By Fausta

Venezuela: Leopoldo’s letter

Los Teques prison

Leopoldo López has a Letter From a Venezuelan Jail
I am one of scores of political prisoners locked away because of our words and ideas.

When the current ruling party, the United Socialist Party, first took power in 1999, its supporters viewed human rights as a luxury, not a necessity. Large segments of the population were living in poverty, and in need of food, housing and security. Protecting free speech and the separation of powers seemed frivolous. In the name of expediency, these values were compromised and then dismantled entirely.

The legislature was neutered, allowing the executive to rule by decree without the checks and balances that prevent government from veering off track. The judiciary was made accountable to the ruling party, rendering the constitution and the law meaningless. In an infamous 2009 case, Judge Mary Lourdes Afiuni was imprisoned for ordering the release of a businessman and government critic who had been held for three years in pretrial detention, one year more than allowed under Venezuelan law.

Meanwhile, political leaders—myself included—were persecuted and imprisoned, stifling the competition of ideas that could have led to better decisions and policies. Independent news organizations were dismantled, seized or driven out of business. The “sunshine that disinfects,” and the scrutiny that motivates good decision-making, no longer benefit our leadership.

Venezuela’s current president, Nicolás Maduro, has taken this to a terrible new low.

The odds are that López will remain jailed for as long as the dictatorship remains in power.

Over at the NYTimes, Diosdado Cabello is bellyaching about sanctions, Hectoring Venezuela on Human Rights, and actually says,

Our government responded with restraint,

In other Venezuelan news, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Names New Foreign Minister
Rafael Ramírez to Become Ambassador to United Nations, Being Replaced by Delcy Rodríguez

Many analysts viewed the shift as a demotion, after he was first removed last year as head of Venezuela’s oil sector following more than a decade. He then became the president’s top economic adviser, before becoming foreign minister this year.

Daniel Duquenal asks,

Why did Ramirez finally fall? Because he was the only one that made a tiny bit of sense inside chavismo. Oh, he was not a bright light, but at least he understood that if you want to make the revolution world wide you need cash; and to get the type of cash revolutionaries will accept you need more than just a printing press. As such, once Giordani was ejected Ramirez set up on the task to convince chavismo that there should be some order put into state finances. After all, he knew better than anyone else the dismal situation looming on the horizon as having been himself the main culprit for the downfall of PDVSA, Venezuela oil company once upon a time golden goose.

Ramirez could risk it as his own power base inside chavismo was rather small even though arguably the one with the biggest potential influence. He could aspire at bringing around some consensus. After all Ramirez had the power of blackmail knowing very well who stole what and when and how much. But he miscalculated the extent of chavismo internecine fights where no one was willing to give an inch or power. So in the end, rather than making some crucial economic decisions they all found it easier to agree in sidelining him. Oh!  They could not fire him outright of course. Chavez almost never did so. Failed operators were sent into the sweet oblivion of an overseas embassy.

But Ramirez is also paying for having “failed” to keep oil barrel at 100 USD. The autistic regime cannot understand the reasons why oil is now below 60, neither Ramirez can, and even less Maduro. But Cuba does and sent Venezuela packing. Which I am sure made  Maduro pass that additional anger on Ramirez… (1)

At least there is a piece of good news for Ramirez there: he has the excuse to bring his family out of Venezuela and never come back if he wishes.

At Caracas Chronicles Francisco Toro looks at other personnel changes and finds Your Christmas Turd, courtesy of Diosdado Cabello and TSJ [TSJ = Tribunal Supremo de Justicia, Venezuela’s Supreme Court].

UPDATE;
Linked to by American Thinker. Thank you!



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Filed Under: Communism, Venezuela Tagged With: Diosdado Cabello, Fausta' blog, Leopoldo López

December 26, 2014 By Fausta

The Interview. Yes, The Interview

I plunked down $6 and watched it on YouTube.

You should, too.

Parts of it reminded me of Fidel Castro taking Barbara Walters for a ride back in the day, by land,

and by sea,

in preparation for Barbara Walters’s interviews of Fidel Castro.

Read my post at Da Tech Guy blog.

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Filed Under: Communism, entertainment, movies, North Korea, YouTube Tagged With: #dm7, Da Tech Guy Blog, Fausta' blog

December 26, 2014 By Fausta

Argentina: Top Gear hot water

The Top Gear Christmas special airs this weekend on on December 27 and 28. The lads covered a lot of ground,

And they were run out of town:

Top Gear Christmas Special: What really happened in Patagonia?
Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond arrived in Argentina in September to film the Top Gear Christmas Special. The subsequent fortnight was even more dramatic than they could have imagined

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Filed Under: Argentina, BBC, cars, entertainment, TV Tagged With: Fausta's blog, Top Gear

December 25, 2014 By Fausta

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a wonderful, happy Christmas day!

Sir John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists in a performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio BWV 248

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Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: Fausta's blog, Johann Sebastian Bach

December 24, 2014 By Fausta

Last-minute shopping: The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels

It’s Christmas eve, you hate, hate, going to the mall, and you have readers on your list who don’t like fiction. I strongly recommend you buy them The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels on Kindle edition, which they can also read on line and in their tablets and cell phone apps.

Epstein created the Center for Industrial Progress (emphasis added),

Center for Industrial Progress (CIP) is a for-profit think-tank seeking to bring about a new industrial revolution. We believe that human beings have the untapped potential to radically improve our lives by using technology to improve the planet across a multitude of industries: mining, manufacturing, agriculture, chemistry, and energy. Every individual has the potential for a longer, happier, healthier, safer, more comfortable, more meaningful, more opportunity-filled life.

The keys to a new industrial revolution are a new industrial philosophy, a new industrial policy, and a new approach to communication.

The emphasis on using technology for an anti-pollution but pro-development approach to improve our lives is key to The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels.

Read my review at Da Tech Guy Blog.

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Filed Under: books, energy Tagged With: Alex Epstein, Da Tech Guy Blog, The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels

December 24, 2014 By Fausta

Last night’s podcast

I was Rick Moran’s co-host in last night’s podcast. discussing The Opening to Cuba: What do Cuban Americans Think? with Silvio Canto, Jr.

Related to the topic,
The Real Cost of Castro Inc.

If relations are fully normalized, American tourist dollars would pour into companies owned by the Castro regime, since tourism is controlled by both the military and General Raul Castro, warns the Cuba Transition Project (CTP).That means rum, tobacco, hotels and resorts are all owned and operated by the regime and its security forces. Cuba’s dominant company is the Grupo Gaesa, founded by Raul Castro in the nineties and controlled and operated by the Cuban military, which oversees all investments. Cuba’s Gaviota, run by the Cuban military, operates Cuba’s tourism trade, its hotels, resorts, car rentals, nightclubs, retail stores and restaurants. Gaesa is run by Raul’s son-in-law, Colonel Luis Alberto Rodriguez Lopez-Callejas.

The number of foreign companies doing business in Cuba have been cut by more than half since the 1990s, to 190 from some 400. Reasons include: Being forced to partner with army-controlled groups; hire workers through state agencies; and the freezing of bank deposits. Complaints have poured in from former senior executives at Dow Chemical, General Mills, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Colgate-Palmolive, Bacardi, American Express Bank, PepsiCo, Warner Communications, Martin Marietta Aluminum and Amex Nickel Corporation. Iberia, Spain’s national airline which at one time accounted for 10% of foreign commerce with Cuba, killed its Havana routes because they were unprofitable.

Carlos Eire was not in the podcast, but you should read how he’s Dealing with anti-Cuban-American vitriol on Christmas Eve

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Filed Under: Blog Talk Radio, Communism, Cuba, Rick Moran Tagged With: Fausta' blog, Silvio Canto

December 23, 2014 By Fausta

Confirmed: US Sperm For Spies program

Disgraceful.

Babalu named it, Obama’s Sperm for Spies program:
Cuban spy serving life for murder was allowed to send sperm to wife in Cuba

Yes. They threw in a baby with the bath water.

Gerardo Hernández, who was serving two consecutive life sentences since he was the

head of the spy ring known as the Wasp Network, was convicted in 2001 of conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the Brothers to the Rescue incident that left four Cuban-Americans dead.

was able to impregnate his wife through artificial insemination by having his sperm collected at prison in the U.S. and then flown to Cuba at U.S. taxpayers’ expense (emphasis added):

The plan was hatched with the help of US Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), his office confirmed to help ensure the release of ailing US aid worker Alan Gross

The US Justice Department, which ought to change its name to the No-Justice Department, confirmed,

“We can confirm the United States facilitated Mrs. Hernandez’s request to have a baby with her husband,” spokesman Brian Fallon told CNN.

In exchange, Alan Gross was not allowed to attend his mother’s funeral when she died last June.

Yesterday I said, “There will be more coming from these – up to now – seemingly unrelated stories.” Little did I know a baby was in the deal.

UPDATE
CUBA SIGNALS THAT EXTRADITION OF US FUGITIVES OFF THE TABLE



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Filed Under: Communism, Cuba Tagged With: Alan Gross, Alan P. Gross, Fausta' blog, Gerardo Hernández

December 23, 2014 By Fausta

Nicaragua: Where’s the Canal money coming from?

That’s not clear:

Many economic analysts believe the canal is unfeasible and will never be built, or worse, could end up half built as funding runs out.

“It’s a gigantic white elephant,” said Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a transportation expert at Hofstra University. Neither the Nicaraguan government nor Mr. Jing’s Hong-Kong based HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co., known as the HKND Group, has said where it expects to get the financing.

Canal spokesman Telémaco Talavera said the financial information will be known in due time. “The information will be made public,” said Mr. Talavera, declining to give any other details. “We have met with potential investors from all over the world.”

Don’t buy the Brooklyn Bridge, don’t be the next Lord Crawley.

Related: list of volcanos in Nicaragua.

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Filed Under: news, Nicaragua Tagged With: Fausta' blog, Nicaragua canal

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