May 31, 2018

Cattle trucks, "dog kennels" now OK'd for public transport in ChavismoLand

Mayor of Maracaibo will grant special permits to trucks used as public transport
Posted on May 30, 2018by Caraota Digital



Informal drivers of trucks that operate as public transport in the city of Maracaibo will be summoned by the mayor of said locality, to be included in a census that will define whether or not they can continue to circulate.

"The governor instructed us to do the same with the trucks that are providing a transport service and it is part of what we want to control (...). They will be convened this week, between Thursday and Friday, in the Urdaneta Park, to make a census and evaluation. We will grant permits to some that comply with the minimum security conditions for users," explained the mayor of Maracaibo, Willy Casanova.

Omar Prieto, governor of Maracaibo, questioned the "proliferation of trucks and vans" that could cause accidents. "We will make the decisions to get all this out of circulation and that the public transport that has to work in Maracaibo can work," Globovisión said.

Regarding the attention to official transporters, Casanova stressed that thanks to the census made a few weeks ago, they will be able to "guarantee the maintenance of the necessary oils, rubbers and consumables".

And he also revealed that, the following month, they will start work tables to define new transport rates in the municipality . "We will meet with them and evaluate a passage, according to the economic reality, " he concluded.

http://www.caraotadigital.net/regionales/alcaldia-de-maracaibo-otorgara-permisos-especiales-a-camiones-usados-como-transporte-publico/

Below, a tweet showing the aftermath of a recent disaster.

https://twitter.com/CaraotaDigital/status/1001952119275032576

May 31, 2018

Miguel Diaz Canel: There is no poverty in Cuba nor Venezuela

Díaz-Canel: In Venezuela, no one is poor
May 30, 2018

Oleg Kostko - Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel assured that in Venezuela and Cuba there are no people living in poverty, unlike the countries of the first world.

"There are countries in the first world that have a lot of wealth, but how are they distributed? Each time 10 or 20% is richer and the rest 80 or 90 is poorer, Venezuela and Cuba with their revolutions have done everything On the contrary, they have made us not very rich but none of us are poor," he said during a visit to a CDI in Fuerte Tuina broadcast on VTV .



Previously, Díaz-Canel chose the program Barrio Adentro Mission carried out by the Venezuelan Government for what he said that in Venezuela is established "true socialism."

"This is the true socialism, a facility like this to whom I would give attention in any country in the world? to the rich, those services would be charged very high and here, however, they are available to the people, only the great revolutions (...) as those founded by Fidel and Chávez do."

-snip-

http://www.noticierodigital.com/2018/05/miguel-diaz-canel-venezuela-cuba-ninguna-persona-pobre/

Well, there you have it. Since poor is a subjective term, and since everyone (except the Marxist-Leninist heirarchy in Cuba/Venezuela) is equally destitute, nobody is poor.

Have yourself a "garbage empanada", Miguel... better get there quick before all the non-rancid ones are taken!

May 30, 2018

Hand surgeon abducted by Madurists, beaten, held hostage, in military prison

Doctor José Alberto Marulanda is a hand surgeon graduated from the UCV

The doctor of the University Hospital, retained by the Dgcim the day of the presidential elections, would pay jail for maintaining a sentimental relationship with an officer of the Navy accused of attending meetings to execute a military uprising

Daisy Galaviz, May 25, 2018 1:47 pm

The doctor José Alberto Marulanda Bedoya is a graduate of the Central University of Venezuela and for some years has worked for the University Hospital of Caracas in the specialty of traumatology, with greater zeal in hand surgery.

Marulanda was imprisoned by uniformed officers of the Directorate of General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) on Sunday, May 20, the day on which the presidential elections were held, in a restaurant in El Hatillo while he was having breakfast, and was taken to the Sebin headquarters, in Boleíta, municipality Sucre.

It was not until four days later (May 24) when he was presented before military courts -although he is a civilian- in Fuerte Tiuna, Libertador municipality, to receive charges. According to the director of the Venezuelan Criminal Forum, Alfredo Romero, the man was not allowed to defend himself, as he was admitted to the premises through the back door. The military judge charged him with the crimes of instigating hatred and treason; the latter is the most serious accusation in both civil and military criminal legislation.

José Alberto Marulanda, who also holds the Colombian nationality, was transferred to the National Military Processing Center of Ramo Verde and it is unknown when his next hearing will be. Lawyers reported that the doctor received cruel treatment by uniformed, to the point that he was deaf in the right ear after a blow that was given. He also had traces of abuse on his hands.

-snip-

http://elpitazo.ml/politica/perfil-medico-jose-alberto-marulanda-cirujano-manos-egresado-la-ucv/

Ah, the irony, to break the bones in the hands of a hand surgeon. Especially since most of the highly skilled physicians have fled Venezuela. All to get back at his Navy lover who has fled the country**. Another glorious win for the Bolivarian Revolution.

**Chavismo has found a way to get a bit of reprisal against its enemies abroad. They go after the relatives and loved ones left behind.

May 29, 2018

Maduro starts confiscating homes in Venezuela, giving them to supporters

They denounce start of the "plan locate your house" in the west of Barquisimeto
Brian Vidal
May 27, 2018

Although there is no official information on the matter the leak of a text in social networks has served so that national councils at the national level devise a plan to occupy houses or apartments that have emigrated to other countries because of the crisis that lives the country.

No agency or ministry has reported on a new plan that allegedly promoted by the government: Plan "Locate your home." Supposedly this new pearl of the government of Nicolás Maduro is giving green light to communal councils to "hunt" empty houses or apartments to take them and deliver them to other people.



Well, in Barquisimeto this practice is about to start. The communal council of the urbanization Las Americas is paying attention to the message that was transmitted through the WhatsApp message and threatens to take the houses that are of people who emigrated or not.

-snip-

http://www.elimpulso.com/noticias/regionales/denuncian-arranquen-del-plan-ubica-tu-casa-en-el-oeste-de-barquisimeto

May 28, 2018

Nicaragua following Venezuela into the abyss?

Nicaragua protesters dig in as more killed
Julia Rios, May 26, 2018

Managua (AFP) - Hundreds of protesters dug in around Nicaragua on Saturday, blocking roads as at least eight more people were killed in a 24-hour period.

Unrest has resumed since week-long church-mediated talks between the government and opposition to quell a month of violence broke down late on Wednesday.

Hundreds of demonstrators in the north, center and south of the Central American nation were blocking highways on Saturday, demanding Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, stand down.

Since protests began on April 18 at least 83 people have been killed and more than 860 wounded, police and rights activists say.

Four people were killed on Friday, and another four by mid-day Saturday, police and family members said.

Ortega, a former Sandinista guerrilla who first ruled between 1979 and 1990 before returning as president 11 years ago, had kept power by maintaining leftist rhetoric while ensuring an accommodation with powerful private industry and keeping up trade with the United States.

But demonstrators have voiced frustration over corruption, the autocratic style of Ortega and Murillo, limited options to change the country's politics in elections, and the president's control over Congress, the courts, the military and the electoral board.

-snip-

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nicaragua-protesters-dig-more-killed-232915422.html

Nicaragua is following Venezuela toward the rocks

In Nicaragua, for over a month, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets in nationwide protests demanding the ouster of autocratic President Daniel Ortega after nearly 12 years of corrupt rule. More than 70 Nicaraguans have been killed and some 800 injured as Ortega’s security forces and armed militants have unleashed their violent fury on unarmed civilians.

While outsiders may have been surprised by the sudden turn of events, those who have been following Ortega’s systematic undermining of democratic institutions and concentration of power and wealth knew it would only take a spark to upset his carefully laid plans to establish a family dynasty in Nicaragua along the lines of the Somozas, ironically the family dictatorship that Ortega’s guerrillas once overthrew but which it now closely resembles.

That spark came with the sudden announcement of a social-security reform requiring workers to pay more while receiving fewer benefits. When peaceful protesters demonstrated against the changes, security forces and regime militants (known as turbas divinas, or “divine mobs”) descended on the unarmed civilians, mostly students and younger Nicaraguans, with a fury that shocked the country and only enflamed the situation. Ortega made things worse when he said the violent crackdown was necessary because “gang members” had infiltrated the protests. Instead, the worst violence has come from Ortega’s own Sandinista Youth thugs and police.

-snip-

https://nypost.com/2018/05/28/nicaragua-is-following-venezuela-toward-the-rocks/

The Castro Boys may be a lot of things, but they aren't lazy. When it comes to "spreading the Marxist/Leninist revolution", they have no equals.

1. The "Sandinista Youth". Ortega's version of Adolf's youth organization. These young people are indoctrinated at a young age NOT to serve Nicaragua, but to serve The Revolution. These are the next generation of zealots who will lead the way, should the current glorious leadership need their help. Not that any of them will accede to power, so long as Ortega can keep it all in the family. I have had the misfortune of meeting one of the Sandinista Youth advisers... you can't hide your Cuban accent, Iván.

2. The turbas divinas (TD). In Venezuela, these are known by another name... the colectivos. Red shirted, heavily armed thugs (Adolf's version of the brown shirts) who patrol on motorcycles and inflict violence upon anyone they deem in need of such violence. The internet is awash with photos and videos of these thugs harassing pedestrians and shopkeepers, who they rob and shakedown with impunity (in front of PNB). The TD, like the colectivos in Venezuela, are fully funded and armed by the Ortegas. This group does the bidding of the Ortegas, but are not "officially" part of the organization... leading to plausible deniability.

My hats off to the protesters in Nicaragua. They see what has happened in Venezuela and they are determined to not let that happen in their own nation.

May 27, 2018

350% markup to get cash in Venezuela

"Zamuros" of cash rate advances to 350%
Andrea Salas

Translated from Spanish

They started asking for 5%. They reached 100%. But the cash vendors do not settle. They want more. Now they debit up to 350% for each cash advance they make in the city.

The urgency of some to obtain cash reaches unsuspected limits. Mélida Labarca, from San Francisco, had to travel and had her purse empty. After touching all the doors, without obtaining results, he turned to a narcotics salesman. "I felt very scared because I knew what I was getting into, but that was it or not to travel. Although the person does not sell money, he changed me above 200%, "he said.

In a school in the Raúl Leoni parish, the teachers "paraded" through the second grade classroom. The reason: one of the students had, daily, Bs. 300 thousand in cash for breakfast. "Everyone was asking for him. The teachers bought the food with a point and they kept the money. He was unbearable and that's why the parents were asked not to give him more money," said one representative.

As if he had walked over embers, Denis Rosales arrives at his house at 4:00 in the afternoon. He did not have breakfast or lunch, conditioned by the haste to get to the bank in time to collect his pension. Once again, the sacrifice he undertook since 3:00 in the morning was insufficient: he did not receive cash.

-snip-

http://www.panorama.com.ve/ciudad/Zamuros-del-efectivo-tasan-los-avances-al-350--20180525-0102.html

May 26, 2018

Jailed US citizen in Venezuela freed after two years. End is near for Chavismo?

American jailed in Venezuela for 2 years to return home to US, officials say
Good Morning America MERIDITH MCGRAW and MORGAN WINSOR

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/american-jailed-venezuela-2-years-return-home-us-143603581--abc-news-topstories.html

American Joshua Holt, who has been jailed in Venezuela without a trial for two years, has been released, officials said today.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has advocated for Holt's release, said he's "honored" to be able to finally reunite the Utah native with his family.

"Over the past two years I've worked with two presidential administrations, countless diplomatic contacts, ambassadors from all over the world, a network of contacts in Venezuela, and President Maduro himself, and I could not be more honored to be able to reunited Josh with his sweet, long suffering family in Riverton," Hatch said in a statement Saturday morning.

-snip-

Naturally, the Orangutan-in-Chief takes credit for this. Why not? To listen to him, the sun comes up in the east due to his awesomeness.

The good news is that Maduro is getting desperate. The wheels must truly be coming of the Chavismo wagon when a pawn such as Holt is released... it appears to me that this isn't a so subtle gesture on the part of Chavistas within Venezuela government as an olive branch after The Donald started slapping new economic sanctions on Maduro and his ilk after the fraud election.

May 25, 2018

Chavista website calls out Maduro on its blatant hypocrisy and criminality

Before offer of payment for voting to bearers of the Carnet de la Patria
Social Comptroller calls meeting to Maduro, the CNE and International Observers, on electoral illicit
By: Aporrea.org Thursday, 05/24/2018 07:36 PM

Translated from Spanish

Based on articles 2, 5, 19, 25, 62, 70, 132, 152, 253 and 333, the Committee of the Social Comptroller's Office of the Judicial Justice System (CCSSJJ) and several social and political organizations urgently call on the President-elect, Nicolás Maduro Moros, to the CNE and the International Observers, to meet to discuss the irregularities detected in the elections of May 20, 2018.

Members of the Council of Social Comptrollership of the Judicial Justice System (CCSSJJ), among these Martha Riategui, in the company of Carlos Paredes (MOPIVENE) and Gonzalo Gómez (MAREA SOCIALISTA), seconded by other movements and people adhering to the complaint, think that "having a public and communicational demonstration, with statements issued by the president himself, given as the winner of the elections, on the offer of payment by votes, with State resources, and knowing that the CNE prohibited it, which he communicated in a subsequent statement, but it did not sanction the candidate who offered it, there is so much a serious electoral crime of Nicolás Maduro and other psuvist leaders, as of the CNE, for lack of application of the law, once the electoral illicit has been recognized. "

It seems strange to them that the International Observers have not made known references to what it means to offer "prizes" or payments for voting, to those who are carriers of a certain card . "Do you know that this is absolutely illegal according to Venezuelan law and in other parts of the world?" They ask, and wait for the answers.

They state that "the deputies of the Amazonas state, of the National Assembly (AN), were suspended for buying votes and that led to the situation of 'contempt' for which the National Assembly was left inoperative. , they point out that "this now is not less than that and it is even more serious".

-snip-

https://www.aporrea.org/contraloria/n325607.html

Backstory: In 2015, Venezuela experienced its last fair election. An election that saw Chavismo swept from office in a nationwide election when every member of the National Assembly stood for election/reelection. A full (but slim) Super-Majority of members of the MUD coalition were now able to over-ride any dictate by Maduro and show some new leadership in Venezuela. But, not so fast, bucko...

Maduro promptly went against the constitution of Venezuela, and seated a new TSJ (Supreme Court) prior to the seating of the new AN. This Chavista TSJ decided to take to heart the spurious accusation from the PSUV (Chavez' party) that 3 AN electeds had "bribed voters" in Amazonas state, and these 3 members should not be seated. "Poof" went the supermajority. And the TSJ has had three years to check the validity of these claims... but why bother? The TSJ decided to nullify any laws coming out of the AN because the AN swore in the members anyway (again... no crime ever proven, let alone investigated)

Fast forward to last weeks elections: Maduro, in violation of MULTIPLE sections of the constitution, openly offered bribes to voters in exchange for votes. Text messages sent to phones... emails... the proof is everywhere.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-election/venezuelas-maduro-defies-foreign-censure-offers-prize-to-voters-idUSKBN1I41KK

But... not a peep from the Chavista TSJ.

And the Chavista faithful want their loot. And Maduro's CNE says, "it is illegal..." yet Maduro is allowed to be sworn in by the TSJ who wouldn't allow 3 members of the AN to be seated because of accusations alone...

May 25, 2018

Temper tantrum: Maduro blames "working class, unions" for failures of Chavismo.

https://elcooperante.com/me-ayudaras-maduro-perdio-los-estribos-en-plena-juramentacion-y-le-grito-a-wills-rangel/

"You will help me!": Maduro lost his temper in full swearing and shouted at Wills Rangel
The Cooperator

translated from Spanish

Caracas, May 24- On Thursday, during his swearing in before the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), President Nicolás Maduro was upset and "scolded" Wills Rangel, president of the United Federation of Oil Workers of Venezuela (Futpv), due to the low oil production.

"Will Rangel help me increase oil production? Where is the working class? Do I have Wills Rangel with you or not? I already did my job, there I put a man like General Manuel Quevedo. It is the highest authority," he said between cries in the Federal Legislative Palace.

Then, he ratified Quevedo at the head of PDVSA and gives him all the power, by ordering him to "do what is necessary (...) to make the changes that he has to do" to "convert PDVSA into production". " I want a PDVSA ethical, productive and sovereign. I took two of their presidents (...) The task is to replace them with people who produce (...) I know what I say and they will not get a more committed man than me (...) do not come with slogans," he added.



Backstory: Ever since 2003, when PdVSA unions struck for better wages and benefits (Chavez fired them and replaced the unions with PSUV lackeys) oil production in Venezuela has been falling. Primarily because Chavez treated PdVSA like his own personal bank. There was no investment in maintenance nor upgrades.

Fast forward: Today, Venezuela is producing as much oil as it did per day as it did in 1949. In a nation that once was the richest in Latin America, with the worlds largest proven reserves of oil, it can no longer pump it out of the ground, nor refine it. It has to import gas (and food and medicine). Nearly every skilled technical worker or engineer has abandoned PdVSA and Venezuela, where the average MONTHLY salary is $2. Maduro has replaced knowledgeable managers with his Chavista generals, who have dictated that NO ONE can quit or retire from PdVSA henceforth.

Chavez, then Maduro have laid the blame for every lousy screw up in Venezuela upon everyone except themselves. "I already did my job" Because in ChavismoLand, it is Utopia. Anything that isn't perfect is the result of the vile oppressor classes in Colombia, the United States, Guyana, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, the EU, Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Spain, Poland, the Illuminati, Portugal's pig farmers. Never the fault of the morons at the top of the Chavismo hierarchy.

May 24, 2018

In on the skim. Chavismo tries to corner the market on las remesas

Remittances: A crucial lifeline for many Venezuelans that the government seeks to control
May 23, 2018 11:32 am

translated from Spanish

The gigantic metal pots in the kitchen of a monotonous café in Bogotá are full of simple dishes like vegetable rice. But Edgar Granadillo's delicate disposition of the dishes he places before the office employees rush to lunch hints at the finer dishes he once served.



The former executive chef of a spa in Venezuela once commanded a team of 65 chefs and made regular appearances on television cooking shows.

Now he works for $ 10 a day, with only one goal: to send money home.

"Salaries there are not enough," said Granadillo, 30, with dark, somber eyes that carefully watched a bubbling pot of fish-head soup. "People need to trust a Venezuelan out of the country, who can send something to survive."

As the number of Venezuelans fleeing the growing economic and humanitarian crisis in their country increases, a burgeoning lifeline is emerging for those in the country: remittances. Surrounding strict foreign exchange controls, dozens of transfer operations, mostly small businesses run by a handful of exiles entirely online, have opened overseas to help migrants convert their dollars and pesos into Venezuelan bolivars arriving in question of minutes to the bank account of a Venezuelan relative.

Remittances are a big business. Independent experts estimate that Venezuelans now send at least $ 1 billion a year to friends and family they have left behind.

That money is critical at a time when Venezuela's minimum wage is now worth less than $ 2 a month, and the government of President Nicolás Maduro, who won a new six-year term on Sunday in a scheduled vote, fears that it will encourage more people to leave. Blaming the operations for feeding the devaluation, and hoping to earn a piece of the pie, Venezuelan officials recently closed several exchange houses and announced that they would open theirs.

-snip-

https://www.lapatilla.com/site/2018/05/23/las-remesas-linea-de-vida-crucial-para-muchos-venezolanos-que-el-gobierno-busca-controlar/