July 31, 2018

Chavismo says, "Free clinic facilities are AWESOME!" in fake tweets.

https://twitter.com/ivsscpcatia/status/1023924639309946880

Translation: #TogetherEverythingIsPossible With love, lung and heart we work in #IVSS We guarantee your Social Security and your Health @ivssoficial @magallyvina @NicolasMaduro

But not so fast...

Personnel of the Popular Clinic Catia denies tweets of the account @ivsscpcatia that pretends to deceive the public opinion
By: Aporrea.org | Tuesday, 07/31/2018 03:18 PM



translated from Spanish

Caracas, July 31, 2018.- Medical staff and nurses from the Clinica Popular de Catia, located on Av. Sucre, showed their resounding and contudent rejection of the information published on the twitter social network by @ivsscpctia in which you can see photos of a cesarean section. "the cynicism of those acting against those of us who are fighting for the improvement of our working conditions and salaries is inadmissible, try to deceive the citizens with this tweet that is old," said the nurses of this health center .

"Many of those who are photographed there today do not provide their services in this health center because they were forced to resign because what they earned was not enough to cover the tickets", and at the top of the lung "is what patients have to suffer to be operated must carry everything from gauze and cotton, suture material, pitocin, medicines, which means a de facto privatization of health in Venezuela," affirmed vehemently the staff of the Clinica Popular de Catia who have remained standing of fighting for more than a month.

On the other hand, this Tuesday, July 31, the staff was supported by citizens who have sympathized with the nurses knowing that their salaries do not reach even the 600 thousand bolivares biweekly, while trying to deceive the public with tweets such as shown (above).

https://www.aporrea.org/actualidad/n329034.html

Aporrea is a website devoted to all things Hugo Chavez.

July 31, 2018

Power failure during closing of Chavista party meeting a fitting ending to Venezuela's disaster

https://twitter.com/GabyGabyGG/status/1024083841684783106

Translation: Moment in which the light goes away in the Congress of the PSUV. Diosdado asked "to ratify once and for all" Maduro as party president and give him "mad power"

Naturally, those in attendance gave a thunderous approval to giving Maduro absolute power to lord over the party and appoint those who he deemed fit within the party apparatus.

July 31, 2018

Venezuelan woman with breast cancer gets treatment in Colombia. Chavismo sez, "Fake news"

Elizabeth Salazar ya inició su tratamiento contra el cáncer de mama en Colombia
(Elizabeth Salazar has already started her treatment against breast cancer in Colombia)
July 30 2018, 8:20 a.m.

Elizabeth Salazar, the 63-year-old Venezuelan woman with breast cancer, managed to have the Colombian Departmental Health Institute assign her an oncology clinic for her cancer treatments and to perform the necessary surgeries.

This was reported by lawyer Oliver Lopez Cano through his account on the social network Twitter, who thanked the 4th Court of Cúcuta and the former president of the neighboring nation Andrés Pastrana for the attention given to Salazar and the cause.

Salazar made himself known during the beginning of the health guild's protests due to the lack of medicines and medical supplies in the country, when he decided to show his left breast visibly affected by "type III B ductal cancer".

https://twitter.com/MarthaFuentes/status/1000035976704614403

https://www.lapatilla.com/2018/07/30/elizabeth-salazar-ya-inicio-su-tratamiento-contra-el-cancer-de-mama-en-colombia/

Earlier this year, Ms Salazar complained very forcefully regarding her lack of health care in the country that Maduro describes as having "the Best Healthcare on Earth" (after Cuba, of course!). When she exposed her left breast for the record, the response from Chavismo was quick. "Fake!" and "CIA plant!" and "Paid by the Colombians to get cancer!" were some of the responses. She was threatened with her family's jailing in SEBIN's Helicoid prison if she didn't shut up. (Most of her family fled to Colombia). Later, Chavismo blamed her for not getting timely attention. Recently, they are ignoring her and treating it as a non-starter.

July 31, 2018

100 Flowers Movement redux: Venezuela's Chavistas takes a page from Mao handbook

PSUV Holds Congress as Pressure Mounts for Maduro to Receive Campesino March

-snip-

“...The IV Congress of the PSUV has as its work method the dialectical balance of reflection, study, thoughtfulness, and action, which will define the future of the nation,” tweeted Maduro at the opening of the congress, which, he said “looks to find solutions for the country.”

A fierce debate on how to solve Venezuela's economic problems occurred between the various tendencies within the PSUV, with Maduro calling for “self-criticism.” In theory, the congress is an opportunity for grassroots movements to manifest the day to day conditions to high ranking PSUV leaders, whom many accuse of being out of touch with such realities.

Some, but not all, of the PSUV leaders have adopted Maduro’s call for self-criticism, opening the way for constructive debate on ways to improve the government’s effectiveness. For example, leading PSUV member Freddy Bernal** controversially challenged the official discourse which blames a Washington-led economic war for the majority of the current problems. “We are nineteen years into a revolution, only we are responsible for the good and the bad,” he said."


Now, if they just spoke German!

-snip-

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/13969
(VenezuelaAnalysis is the official online English language propaganda outlet for Chavismo)

Some background on the 100 Flowers Movement in China (1956)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Flowers_Campaign

Backstory: In 1956, Mao called upon every Chinese thinking person to express his/her opinions in a new era of openness and thoughtfulness in Communist China. Once these thoughtful opinions were out in the open, Mao knew who the enemy was and promptly did what any good Communist would do. In 1957, there was a great new purge, called The Anti-Rightist Movment, and all of these suckers who were hoodwinked into expressing their opinions (anything contrary to Maoist thought) were either sent off for political indoctrination or they "disappeared".

**Freddy Bernal quickly backpedaled from his previous "constructive criticism" of Chavismo. He said that his quote was "taken out of context".

July 30, 2018

Gas rationing in CubaZuela, to be sold cheap, only to "Bolivarian Socialists"

Bernal: It is possible a subsidy to transport but only for those who have the card of the fatherland

The leader of the PSUV urged those who own a vehicle and have a national identity card, "not to join the party, but to control and diagnose the problems of the citizen"

Caracas.- The member of the national directorate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Freddy Bernal, said on Sunday that a national transport census will be held between August 3 and 5 to identify how many motorcycles, cars, units of public and private transport, and there are gandolas.

He added that it is possible to subsidize transport, but not generalized, but to people who have the card of the country. He urged those who own a vehicle to have a national identity card, "not to join the party but to control and diagnose the problems of the citizen".

In relation to the IV Congress of the PSUV where a possible elimination of controls to the economy is discussed, Bernal said that what is discussed there, beyond influencing the internal guidelines for the party will affect the economy of Venezuelans.

In that sense, he said that the issues are "how to ensure the country productive, how to reactivate the economy ?, and how to break the dependence progressively ports, that is, what we import."

Venezuela is the country with the lowest price of gasoline in the world, therefore, the fuel rates must be adjusted progressively, because "it is not possible that we continue to give away the fuel ," Bernal said, adding that "ridiculous amount" "It causes contraband at the border.

http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/16225/freddy-bernal-es-posible-un-subsidio-al-transporte-pero-no-generalizado-sino-a-las-personas-que-del

So, instead of pricing gas at the cost (which would still be far less than what Colombians pay for gasoline), cheap gasoline if you can prove you are a good Chavista. Very similar to what Chavismo has done with food distribution (CLAP food boxes)... only given to those people who can prove they have been faithful voters. Holders of the Carnet de la Patria, aka Chavismo Loyalty Card.

Why not market rates? Because Chavismo has "given" PdVSA (state oil company)to the Venezuelan military, who it needs to keep happy with all sorts of bribes. Cheap gas can be sold for top dollar across the border for a handsome profit for the Generalissimos. $65 for an entire tanker truck at Chavismo prices. Gasoline that costs market rate has no value across the border... how are the officers in the FANB supposed to make a buck off of THAT?

July 30, 2018

Rationing gas in Venezuela, so that they can export it to... Cuba?

https://twitter.com/fmonaldi/status/1023562489668067328

Translation: As I have been saying, the rationing of gasoline in Venezuela is an inevitable consequence of the collapse of production and refining, combined with the policy of giving gasoline in the domestic market. They desperately need to maintain an exportable surplus.

The plan is to keep giving away gas to those with the Carnet de la Patria. (aka Chavismo Loyalty Card) and charge a much higher market rate to those who are not so "patriotic".

Chavismo is also in the middle of a motorized vehicle census that will take account of all vehicles still capable of running, so that their "fair use" can be documented. (Vehicles owned by non-loyal persons will be "nationalized" for the betterment of Venezuela!) The translation from PSUV, “Everyone who owns a motorcycle, a car, a bus, taxi, or truck” must register to allow for a “rational and fair use”

July 30, 2018

Chavista minister: End democracy in Venezulea. Revolutionary hegemony now.

Aristóbulo Istúriz: Without hegemony we run the risk of losing the revolution in an election
July 29, 2018

ND / 28 Jul 2018.- Aristóbulo Istúriz asked the PSUV this Saturday to build a political hegemony that prevents losing the "revolution" in an election.

This is what he said when he presented the topic of the party's role in the current conjuncture to the plenary of the party meeting in its fourth congress.



"The strategic organization to consolidate participatory, protagonist and revolutionary democracy has to be an electoral organization. It has to be an electoral organization because we go from election to election. We have had 24 in 20 years. Chávez said: from battle to battle and from victory to victory. And every time we go to an election, the revolution comes into risk, it is in danger. And it is in danger until we build the hegemony. Then we have to have a structure that guarantees us that we will not be in danger every time there are elections ".

Istúriz, at another time, asked the party to ratify that the road to socialism is to build a communal state.

-snip-

http://www.noticierodigital.com/2018/07/aristobulo-isturiz-sin-una-hegemonia-corremos-riesgo-perder-la-revolucion-una-eleccion/

So much for keeping a poker face about their intentions?

July 28, 2018

A time capsule look at the worlds worst economist: Mark Weisbrot and Venezuela success

Misreporting Venezuela's economy
Mark Weisbrot
11 September, 2010

If you want a perfect illustration of media toeing the official line, look no further than the forecasts of Venezuela's economic doom

"The bulk of the media often gets pulled along for the ride when the United States government has a serious political and public relations campaign around foreign policy. But almost nowhere is it so monolithic as with Venezuela. Even in the run up to the Iraq war, there were a significant number of reporters and editorial writers who didn't buy the official story. But on Venezuela, the media is more like a jury that has 12 people but only one brain.

Since the Venezuelan opposition decided to campaign for the September elections on the issue of Venezuela's high homicide rate, the international press has been flooded with stories on this theme – some of them highly exaggerated. This is actually quite an amazing public relations achievement for the Venezuelan opposition. Although most of the Venezuelan media, as measured by audience, is still owned by the political opposition there, the international press is not. Normally, it takes some kind of news hook, even if only a milestone such as the 10,000th murder, or a political statement from the White House, for a media campaign of this magnitude to take off. But in this case, all it took was a decision by the Venezuelan political opposition that homicide would be its main campaign issue, and the international press was all over it.

The "all bad news, all the time" theme was overwhelmingly dominant even during Venezuela's record economic expansion, from 2003 to 2008. The economy grew as never before, poverty was cut by more than half, and there were large gains in employment. Real social spending per person more than tripled, and free healthcare was expanded to millions of people. You will have to search very hard to find these basic facts presented in a mainstream media article, although the numbers are hardly in dispute among economists in international organisations that deal with statistics..."

-snip-

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/sep/10/venezuela-economics

A quality read. Mr. Weisbrot clearly knows his stuff. If you want to know what will happen to an economy, listen to him, and then do a 180 degree turn.

July 27, 2018

"free gasoline" in Venezuela. That ought to help.

Does it force the conversion to a rise in the price of gasoline?
26 July 2018

The monetary reconversion that the government tries to apply suffered a new change that throws into the discussion the issue of the increase in the price of fuels. According to the last decision of the Executive, the bolivar will have five less zeros as of August 20 , which indicates that the gasoline of 91 octane (today in Bs 1) will cost BsS 0.00001 and that of 95 octane (today in Bs 6) will have a value of BsS 0.00006.

These new prices would make it impossible to pay in cash since there are no fractions to deliver the change if it is canceled with the lowest denomination currency that will be BsS 0.5.

It remains to be seen the new rules of application of monetary reconversion that the Central Bank of Venezuela must publish to replace the previous ones that established the rounding criteria based on the elimination of three zeros.

In the monetary reconversion of 2008 a similar situation arose, but the government did not adjust the price of gasoline. Neither did that possibility appear before the imminence of the application of the measure in June or the first date of August.

The operative inconveniences for the payment in the gas stations before the present crisis of cash have been increased, to the point of which the drivers leave in the hands of the firemen much more of the cost of the fuel and already almost nobody has denominated bills of low denomination.

In the event that the government decides to match the price of gasoline to that of the currency with the lowest value of the monetary cone (BsS 0.50), the increase would be 5,000,000% for the 91 octane or 833,217% for the of 95 octanes.

This means that if a car has a 50-liter tank, it currently costs Bs 300 to fill it with 95 octane gasoline. With the entry into force of the conversion would be BsS 0.003. Now, if the government adjusts the price and the liter of 95-octane gasoline costs BsS 0.50 (equivalent to Bs 50,000 today), filling that tank will require BsS 25 (Bs 2,500,000).

To evade the measure to increase the price of fuel, Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa), the only company in charge of the administration of gasoline pumps, would have to install points of sale or another payment mechanism in each of the 1,658 service stations.

http://www.bancaynegocios.com/obliga-la-reconversion-a-un-aumento-del-precio-de-la-gasolina/

Either that, or the price of gasoline goes up by a factor of 100,000.

Nearly free PdVSA gasoline is being smuggled wholesale (by those connected with Chavismo, the enchufados) into Colombia and Brazil, where it is sold at a HUGE markup, but less than the local cost of petrol. But the good news is that fewer vehicles are on the road in Venezuela, because there is no new cars, no spare parts to fix cars, no tires and no motor oil to run the engines. So, less gasoline is actually being used. Which again, is helpful, because Venezuela cannot refine its own oil due to nearly 20 years of neglect.

iViva la Revolucion!

July 27, 2018

Venezuela propaganda minister doubles down on stupid. New monetary system brings new prosperity

"Deep measures": Rodriguez says that "the bachaqueo and the theft of the coin is over"
The Cooperator | July 26, 2018

Caracas.- The Minister of Communication and Information, Jorge Rodríguez, said Thursday that the announcements made by President Nicolás Maduro " seek to correct the weaknesses that the economic war used to attack the people of Venezuela ."

He also said in statements to the media that "there are a series of profound measures " to improve the country's economy and added that "it is a general program that puts its accent on protection in the great majority of the country."

He argued that with this "the smuggling of extraction is over, the bachaquerismo is over, the manipulation and the theft of our currency is over . This is what the people of Venezuela will see from the beginning of this revolutionary program on August 20. "

President Nicolás Maduro said Wednesday that the new monetary system of the Sovereign Bolivar will have a reduction of five zeros with anchor to Petro.

"The monetary economic reconversion based on the program of economic prosperity, will start on August 20 in a definitive way with the circulation of the new monetary cone that will have a new modality of anchoring to the Petro, and with the reduction of 5 zeros* with a base of exchange and exchange anchored to Petro," he explained.

https://elcooperante.com/medidas-profundas-rodriguez-dice-que-se-acabo-el-bachaqueo-y-el-robo-de-la-moneda/

Why not wait until Thanksgiving, and take off 10 zeros? With 1,000,000% inflation (IMF), the highest denomination Bolivar will be worth less than a dollar (again) by then.

*In May, the plan was to only lop of a mere 3 zeros from the currency.