If things continue as they are currently most likely civil war is going to break out in Venezuela. Unfortunately, Chavez again and again has deceived the opposition leaving two possible solutions, either he resigns or allows the referendum to recall him.
I just read a highly emotional article article about civil war and its effects in Spain and an analogy to today's Venezuela. I have to admit that I have always felt curious about the trilogy of Jose María Gironella about the Spanish Civil war, but I have always been deterred by the huge size of the books. Maybe one, but 3? Anyhow, the article in warns about the potentially dangerous trend developing in Venezuela.
Not doing so will make him face the ever increasing violence from angry Venezuelans that see no alternative to a government that keeps closing or stumbling every political alternative to a pacific solution over the continuos violations of human rights and democracy through the Chavez Bolivarian Revolution.
Venezuela as the article points out had it's last civil war over a hundred years ago. It seems that Chavez does not care at all about it's effects.
2004-03-09
2004-03-08
One point for the Mexicans Zero for the Rule of Law
It seems that the Mexicans are going to get away of the increased controls of the USA new Visit program that has raised so many concerns from the advocates of privacy and from Latino leaders in the US that complain about the fact that Latin travelers are asked to be fingerprinted and taken a photo at the port of entrance, while Europeans don't get any sort of treatment like this.
My problem with this new security measures is the fact that why some countries yes and why some not. The US inmigration program even it affects the privacy of the travelers has the right to screen foreigners and see if they are international criminals or terrorists that try to sneak into the country. Aside from the fact that this is a clear violation of your privacy I don't see what else in the short term the US can do to protect itself from that threat.
No where I see troubles is the fact that this new fingerprinting does not apply equally to all people coming into the US, why the Europeans (and soon the Mexicans) are free from that requirement? Have the state department not seen that there are a lot of would be terrorists that are breeding their seed of hatred in Europe? Many of them are European nationals and they are free to come to the US. On the other hand the vast majority of Latins are people coming into the US to seek better opportunities and enjoy the rule of Law that characterizes this country, why they are treated so badly being required to do all this security. Most of them don't even have the same feelings of hatred to the US as many people from the left have in Europe.
I think that the fingerprinting and screaning of foreign visitors is inevitable in this new world. The only thing that we ought to ask then is for an equal treatment, and rules for everybody, not for a special group of people.
In the long run, frontiers have to be open, and the US has to be out of the nation building business. As we have seen recently this is only bringing hatred to the US and millions of taxpayers dollars pour in nation rebuilding abroad.
My problem with this new security measures is the fact that why some countries yes and why some not. The US inmigration program even it affects the privacy of the travelers has the right to screen foreigners and see if they are international criminals or terrorists that try to sneak into the country. Aside from the fact that this is a clear violation of your privacy I don't see what else in the short term the US can do to protect itself from that threat.
No where I see troubles is the fact that this new fingerprinting does not apply equally to all people coming into the US, why the Europeans (and soon the Mexicans) are free from that requirement? Have the state department not seen that there are a lot of would be terrorists that are breeding their seed of hatred in Europe? Many of them are European nationals and they are free to come to the US. On the other hand the vast majority of Latins are people coming into the US to seek better opportunities and enjoy the rule of Law that characterizes this country, why they are treated so badly being required to do all this security. Most of them don't even have the same feelings of hatred to the US as many people from the left have in Europe.
I think that the fingerprinting and screaning of foreign visitors is inevitable in this new world. The only thing that we ought to ask then is for an equal treatment, and rules for everybody, not for a special group of people.
In the long run, frontiers have to be open, and the US has to be out of the nation building business. As we have seen recently this is only bringing hatred to the US and millions of taxpayers dollars pour in nation rebuilding abroad.
2004-03-04
For those who came late
Searching for information on how the explain the Venezuelan conflict to the ones that are just getting in touch with it I came across a video in several languages that is worth seeing to understand the whole conflict. Of course there is a little bit of propaganda on them, but nonetheless very accurate on the reasons why Chavez must go.
All these links can be found in VenezuelaNet.org
NUEVE MINUTOS DE VIDEO SOBRE LA SITUACION ACTUAL DE VENEZUELA
Haga click aquí
NOVE MINUTI DI VIDEO SULLA SITUAZIONE ATTTUALE NEL VENEZUELA
Clicca quì
NINE-MINUTE VIDEO ABOUT THE ACTUAL SITUATION IN VENEZUELA
Click here
VIDÉO DE NINE-MINUTE AU SUJET DE LA SITUATION RÉELLE AU VENEZUELA
Clic ici
All these links can be found in VenezuelaNet.org
NUEVE MINUTOS DE VIDEO SOBRE LA SITUACION ACTUAL DE VENEZUELA
Haga click aquí
NOVE MINUTI DI VIDEO SULLA SITUAZIONE ATTTUALE NEL VENEZUELA
Clicca quì
NINE-MINUTE VIDEO ABOUT THE ACTUAL SITUATION IN VENEZUELA
Click here
VIDÉO DE NINE-MINUTE AU SUJET DE LA SITUATION RÉELLE AU VENEZUELA
Clic ici
2004-03-03
Congratulations Dad!!
Congratulations Dad. He was recently elected a member of the Comité de Control Cívico de la Corrupción (Civic Committe for the corruption control) in Ecuador, as a representative of the universities.
The CCCC is an independant organism that has less than a decade of existance in Ecuador. Their members are appointed by several members of the civil society like Chambers of industries, Universities, unions and ratified by the congress.
Traditionally the comitte has been in the hands of people that although might had good intentions has been biased by being most of their members foes of the market system.
Hopefully his nomination will bring a little more balanced view to that institution and together with the well deserve prestige of their members have a more effective role uncovering corruption in Ecuador. Ecuador in recent years have been considered as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The CCCC has so far being considered one of the few organizations that have been pointing out corruption and have a high reputation. However most of their recommendations point out the moral problem but generally have been very unspecific about the institutional causes of corruption.
Corruption in my point of view is not only a moral problem, but also a transaction cost problem. I am not naive as some free market friends to think that only economic analysis and a simpler rules will solve the problem. Corruption is a problem that should be fought on both areas, the institutional and the moral roots of it. Corruption fight should not be a monopoly of the left, our free market friends should be more outspoken against corruption.
Other links related
El Telegrafo
The CCCC is an independant organism that has less than a decade of existance in Ecuador. Their members are appointed by several members of the civil society like Chambers of industries, Universities, unions and ratified by the congress.
Traditionally the comitte has been in the hands of people that although might had good intentions has been biased by being most of their members foes of the market system.
Hopefully his nomination will bring a little more balanced view to that institution and together with the well deserve prestige of their members have a more effective role uncovering corruption in Ecuador. Ecuador in recent years have been considered as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The CCCC has so far being considered one of the few organizations that have been pointing out corruption and have a high reputation. However most of their recommendations point out the moral problem but generally have been very unspecific about the institutional causes of corruption.
Corruption in my point of view is not only a moral problem, but also a transaction cost problem. I am not naive as some free market friends to think that only economic analysis and a simpler rules will solve the problem. Corruption is a problem that should be fought on both areas, the institutional and the moral roots of it. Corruption fight should not be a monopoly of the left, our free market friends should be more outspoken against corruption.
Other links related
El Telegrafo
Woman surrenders after girl found alive
Last night I was struggling inmsomnia trying to get tired to get sleep browsing the internet, and I found this news. I think as a parent that this is one of the most difficult things to face, to loose your children or your loved ones to a criminal that abducts them.
That made me think again of a conversation that I had with a friend in Ecuador few days ago who is getting into the bussiness of security tags to track products and perhaps in the near future to have it implanted under your skin to follow you while you shop, visit the doctor or to pay at the cashier without ever taking out a credit card.
I am worried about privacy issues as any other libertarian but I have to admit that I find more benefits than problems in having such a device. Specially if you live in countries outside of the USA where the chances of being abducted are certainly higher (although Child abductions like the one I mentioned at the beginning are far too common here in the US). A product that allows you to be tracked via GPS like the one offered by a Mexican company is surely a hit product.
Although some people are already developing devices to block them to protect people's privacy, in the end I believe that the devices designed to track down people when they are in danger, will have overriding mechanisms to avoid the blocking and transmit the finding data. I think that the current discussion from the Activists for privacy or the Lawmakers should not be whether this kind of devices should exist or not or if they should be regulated, but rather how to protect yourself from being spyied by the government or marketing companies and how to use the technology for your protection and best interest.
That made me think again of a conversation that I had with a friend in Ecuador few days ago who is getting into the bussiness of
I am worried about privacy issues as any other libertarian but I have to admit that I find more benefits than problems in having such a device. Specially if you live in countries outside of the USA where the chances of being abducted are certainly higher (although Child abductions like the one I mentioned at the beginning are far too common here in the US). A product that allows you to be tracked via GPS like the one offered by a Mexican company is surely a hit product.
Although some people are already developing devices to block them to protect people's privacy, in the end I believe that the devices designed to track down people when they are in danger, will have overriding mechanisms to avoid the blocking and transmit the finding data. I think that the current discussion from the Activists for privacy or the Lawmakers should not be whether this kind of devices should exist or not or if they should be regulated, but rather how to protect yourself from being spyied by the government or marketing companies and how to use the technology for your protection and best interest.
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