A few weeks ago, a Muslim woman refused to shake hands with the head of the Met police, Ian Blair, for religious reasons. The incident occurred during an official ceremony held by the metropolitan police…
It seems that the ever-efficient Venezuela Connection continues to send thousands of kilograms of cocaine to airports and ports worldwide. Nearly a year ago, on April 11, 2006, Mexican authorities seized 5.5 tons of high-purity…
The internet is filled with reports that supporters of Rafael Correa stormed the Ecuadorian Congress, where a debate was underway about the approval of a call for a Constituent National Assembly. Sources indicate that the…
Dear Richard: Unfortunately, I didn’t get your email address when we met at Quinta Esmeralda in Caracas on December 3rd last year, so an open letter will have to suffice. I see you will be…
Well friends, it seems I’ve been proven wrong… Some of you may think, “this guy is a joke,” and you might be right. However, what seemed normal a month ago is no longer the case,…
In a truly revolutionary manner, where all the deputies present at the National Assembly stand up, raise their hands, and unanimously approve laws, the chavista legislative body in Venezuela has just granted Hugo Chávez the…
Well, friends, it seems I can’t stop raising concerns about the craziness of the president chosen by over 7 million of my fellow citizens. While I was dozing off today, I caught snippets of President…
The BBC, also known as the Bolivarian Broadcasting Corporation, has uniquely shaped the benign image that many outside Venezuela hold of strongman Hugo Chávez. Let’s not forget that the BBC co-produced the fictional docudrama *La…
London, July 2, 2006 | [Without accents] A few days ago, I publicly announced my decision to step back from political activism. Following this announcement, I received a significant number of emails expressing, in most…
London 03.02.05 | My journey into writing and reporting on the Venezuela crisis began in October 2002 when I discovered that Hugo Chavez had been invited by Oxford’s Center for Socio-Legal Studies to speak at…
The president of Fogade, Jesús Caldera Infante, stirs up controversy once again. He is now focusing on the alleged irregularities committed during the asset transfer process by some banks involved in the crisis of 1994…
This is the official statement from PDVSA: ‘The Board of Directors of Petróleos de Venezuela has been expanded to ten members, with its internal structure now including three vice presidencies. This is in accordance with…
Following the announcement of a factory for Iranian tractor technology at the former Fanatracto site, it’s worthwhile to reflect on Venezuela’s experience in this sector. When Fanatracto, the National Tractor Factory, emerged in the late…
London – Well, well. Finally, a major publication in the U.S. has picked up on the reports I’ve published on this blog exposing rampant corruption and money laundering by a handful of Venezuelan thugs and…
OIL The Government is considering outsourcing exploration and production programs to large corporations. José Suárez-Núñez The Minister of Energy and Mines, Rafael Ramírez, confirmed yesterday a 30% cut in the investment plan and a 40%…