October 30, 2017

Venezuelan Mothers Die; Chavismo Blames History

By Juan Carlos Gabaldón - October 30, 2017

It’s 3:00 a.m. and you walk out the door of the obstetrics emergency ward of a public hospital. It’s cold and you stand right next to the small white door, trying to stay out of the rain while you call Daisy’s relative – not her real name – the fifteen year-old girl waiting on one of the pink gurneys inside.

Daisy arrived an hour ago, after a four-hour ride, because she started having contractions. She’s entering the last month of her pregnancy and hasn’t gone to her first OB/GYN control yet. Doctors just found out she needs an emergency cesarean because the baby is too big and her pelvis too small. When Daisy’s seventeen year-old partner and her thirty-something mom answer your call, you tell them the hospital lacks absolutely all the material required for the surgery and unless they find it in the next couple hours, the young girl and her baby may die.

This isn’t a one-in-a-lifetime kind of story. It happens all the time. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve been standing in that door myself. Sometimes it’s 3:00 a.m., sometimes it’s the middle of the day, it can rain, the sun can shine. It’s always the same. Our never-ending crisis is mercilessly killing young mothers by the hundreds, one day at a time.

-snip-

https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2017/10/30/venezuelan-mothers-die-chavismo-blames-history/

But the UI's will continue to insist that these are isolated incidents... that this is only right wing propaganda... that what is important is that the Bolivarian Revolution gloriously continues on...

October 30, 2017

Venezuela governor nullified by illegal ANC... voters must re-vote for an "approved" candidate.

"The electoral re-run was prompted after Zulia’s governor-elect, the opposition’s Juan Pablo Guanipa, refused to swear in. Guanipa had won the governorship vote earlier in October, but refused to join a swearing-in ceremony before the ANC."

-snip-

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13471

(Venezuela Analysis is an official English language mouthpiece of Chavismo. TeleSur being another)

Backstory: Recently, there were three winners in the regional elections Venezuela. Despite the fact that 80% of the country hates Chavismo, the PSUV and Nick Maduro, they won BIG. The PSUV nearly ran the table in regional elections (they control the CNE, the electoral body) winning 18 of 23 states. The other states (5) were won by the opposition... four of these states to Henry Ramos Allup and his Chavismo boot-lickers in Democratic Action, and ONE state (Zulia) by a party who refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the puppet ANC (imposed by Maduro in August) and will not take an oath of loyalty to them. Since they refuse to swear fealty to Chavismo, Maduro unilaterally decided to schedule a "do-over"... and will continue to have re-votes until a "loyal Venezuelan" is elected.

October 29, 2017

A child's life cut short amid Venezuela crisis

By Patrick Gillespie, Marilia Brocchetto and Paula Newton, CNN
Updated 6:40 AM ET, Wed October 25, 2017

(CNN)Deivis Perez didn't say how much pain he was in. His tears and splitting skin spelled it out.

The teenager needed dialysis treatments for his failing kidneys. But instead of aid, Deivis contracted a deadly bacterial infection called sepsis at a children's hospital in Venezuela, a nation grappling with severe shortages of medicine and proper equipment amid a wider array of crises.

The water that the hospital used for Deivis' dialysis machine wasn't properly kept and filtered, doctors say, allowing bacteria to enter his bloodstream.

Deivis lost 22 pounds in his first two months in the hospital after starting his dialysis treatment. An ulcer in his throat made it too painful to eat solid food. A severe outbreak of dark spots covered his upper body, which created a burning sensation. His 14-year-old body shrank to that of a 7- or 8-year old.

-snip-

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/25/health/venezuela-child-hospital-dying/index.html

Well, if you couldn't watch the video to the end, the kid finally died. A slow, horrific painful death. But the Bolivarian Revolución LIVES!

October 20, 2017

Let the wholesale VZ election fraud begin! (with proof)

What Fraud Looks Like
By Emiliana Duarte - October 20, 2017

There is a reason why the CNE has been trying to keep these leaked (and these WERE leaked, at great personal peril) paper trails out of site. Its one thing to claim fraud. Its another to have proof that Maduro et al. have no intention of ceding power.

https://www.caracaschronicles.com/2017/10/20/fraud-looks-like/

October 19, 2017

Maduro threatens social networks with "a surprise" in the coming days

"The president, Nicolás Maduro, offered a press conference Tuesday from the Ayacucho Hall of the Miraflores Palace to international media. In his opening speech, he sent a greeting to the world's journalists and congratulated the new governors-elect on Sunday, October 15.

During this he said that he will cite the responsible of the social networks Facebook and Instagram in Venezuela, because in their judgment they vetoed their messages throughout the electoral campaign in the face of the regional elections of this 15 - O.

He also threatened social networks with "we have a surprise for the next few weeks ... and then do not complain."

He also noted that Miranda's ex-governor, Henrique Capriles Radonski, was defeated once again after the candidate for the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Héctor Rodríguez, won the regional elections in the entity defeating Carlos Ocariz, candidate opposition."

http://www.talcualdigital.com/Nota/148781/maduro-amenaza-a-las-redes-sociales-con-una-sorpresita-en-los-proximos-dias

October 19, 2017

Economist: by the end of 2017 82% of the VZ population will live in EXTREME poverty

Not just ordinary, everyday, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum poverty.

Extreme poverty.

The economist and professor at the Institute of Advanced Studies of Administration (IESA), José Manuel Puente, assured that by the end of this 2017 the country will close with 82% of the Venezuelan population that will live in extreme poverty condition.

The information was provided Wednesday in the forum National Understanding, held at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), where he warned that the country is experiencing the most acute crisis of all time.

He said that in the last 4 years the country has seen the abysmal fall of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which has generated the collapse of Venezuela's macroeconomics.

Puente said the country ranks 8th in the list of countries with the world's sharpest recession, behind Syria, Libya, Yemen and other nations living in war.

He said that for 11 years Venezuela has been presenting the highest inflation in Latin America and this year is forecast to close close to 1000%.

He blamed the expropriations and exchange control of generating this economic crisis that led the country to the lowest foreign investment in Latin America.

He warned that the only way out of the recession is to eliminate exchange control, eliminate price controls and request international aid.

"Approving the nation's budget for 2018 without passing through the National Assembly (AN), will only cause a devastating impact that will close the gap for possible international aid," he said.

http://www.talcualdigital.com/Nota/148820/economista-finalizando-el-2017-un-82-de-la-poblacion-vivira-en-pobreza-extrema

October 19, 2017

Venezuela's sludgy oil is worse than ever. Refiners complain

Venezuela's Deteriorating Oil Quality Riles Major Refiners
Oct. 18, 2017, at 12:08 p.m

By Alexandra Ulmer and Marianna Parraga

CARACAS/HOUSTON (Reuters) - Venezuela's state-run oil firm, PDVSA, is increasingly delivering poor quality crude oil to major refiners in the United States, India and China, causing repeated complaints, canceled orders and demands for discounts, according to internal PDVSA documents and interviews with a dozen oil executives, workers, traders and inspectors.

The disputes involve cargoes soiled with high levels of water, salt or metals that can cause problems for refineries, according to the sources and internal PDVSA trade documents seen by Reuters.

The quality issues stem from shortages of chemicals and equipment to properly treat and store the oil, resulting in shutdowns and slowdowns at PDVSA production facilities, along with hurried transporting to avoid late deliveries, the sources said.

U.S. refiner Phillips 66 canceled at least eight crude cargoes because of poor oil quality in the first half of the year and demanded discounts on other deliveries, according to the PDVSA documents and employees from both firms. The canceled shipments - amounting to 4.4 million barrels of oil - had a market value of nearly $200 million.

Another key buyer of Venezuelan crude - India's Reliance Industries Ltd, operator of the world's largest refinery - has repeatedly complained about oil quality, a PDVSA employee told Reuters. State-run firm China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) also complained earlier this year about excessive water levels in oil cargoes, a former PDVSA employee said.

The deterioration of PDVSA crude is the latest symptom of the firm's ill-maintained production infrastructure, and it threatens to accelerate an already severe cash crisis at a time when Venezuela is hoarding dollars to pay some $3.4 billion to bondholders in the next few weeks. PDVSA's financial woes radiate through the country's recession-racked economy, which depends on oil for more than 90 percent of its export revenue.

-snip-

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2017-10-18/venezuelas-deteriorating-oil-quality-riles-major-refiners

Maduro missed a $1,000,000,000 payment to the Russians in June. They are fully into a "grace period" with other bond holders, with not a peep from their usual Twitter feeds about "the check is in the mail". (He has another week to pay up) They owe another $2 billion by November 3, and another $1.4 billion two weeks later. THESE DEBTS HAVE NO GRACE PERIOD. Either Maduro pays up on time, or he defaults. No one is lending Chavismo any fresh money (he can't borrow without the approval of the AN), and what he does have stashed away won't feed the country for a month. The Bolivar is worthless, and the highest denomination bill is only worth a few cents.

Maduro has NOTHING of value to sell, and what he does have is SHITTY quality.

October 17, 2017

Venezuela is blaming US for missed debt payments

"Venezuela didn't pay its bills last week. It also owes a lot more money very soon as it spirals further into chaos.
by Patrick Gillespie @CNNMoney
October 16, 2017: 12:24 PM ET

The country's government and its state-run oil company missed five small debt payments last week totaling $349 million, according to three experts who closely follow the debt.

Delayed payments are becoming increasingly common for the country's bondholders. But a new excuse is surfacing: President Donald Trump and the financial sanctions his administration imposed on Venezuela in August."

-snip-

http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/16/news/economy/venezuela-debt-trump-sanctions/index.html

What a fraud! The financial mess VZ is in is due to 17 years of Chavismo financial mismanagement. It has nothing to do with the recent sanctions against the dictatorship.

FWIW, they are not required to pay anything back in US dollars. Any acceptable monetary note is fine, as long as it can be converted... Euros. Rubles. Yuan. Yen. The problem is, the Bolivar is worthless, and nobody but Venezuela gives it any value. Maduro thinks that money appears the instant it is printed, which is why the VZ economy is in shambles right now.

October 13, 2017

Since Chavismo, the Bolivar has devalued over 5 million percent

February 2nd, 1999. A dollar cost 576 bolivares… of the old kind. Today, eighteen years later, as Venezuela reels from hunger and collapse and oppression, that price is over 5,000,000% higher.

Old Bolivar 578 = .578 New "Fuerte" Bolivar

Current value on the black market = 31,109 (Dolar Today)

31109 /.576 = 54008.

Add two zeros and a percentage sign?

5,400,800% devaluation

Chavismo for the WIN!

October 12, 2017

Che the racist. Che the authoritarian. Che the psychopathic murderer.

"We're going to do for blacks exactly what blacks did for the revolution. By which I mean: nothing." -- Che Guevara, 1959.

"The n***o is indolent and lazy, and spends his money on frivolities, whereas the European is forward-looking, organized and intelligent" -- Che Guevara

"Youth must refrain from ungrateful questioning of governmental mandates" -- Che Guevara, 1961

"Hatred is the central element of our struggle! Hatred that is intransigent...hatred so violent that it propels a human being beyond his natural limitations, making him violent and cold- blooded killing machine...We reject any peaceful approach. Violence is inevitable. To establish Socialism rivers of blood must flow! The imperialist enemy must feel like a hunted animal wherever he moves. Thus we'll destroy him! These hyenas are fit only for extermination. We must keep our hatred alive and fan it to paroxysm! The victory of Socialism is well worth millions of atomic victims!" -- Che Guevara, 1966

But those iconic t-shirts are still all the rage...