FARC denies links to Chavez and Correa

Taking a queue from their close friend Chavez, the FARC deny any links with the Venezuelan and Ecuadorian governments. Go figure. You'd expect them to just capitulate after 40 years, and give up all the good drug and ransom money that is supporting their 'war'? I didn't think so.

Interesting that the FARCs statements are reported on the Venezuelan Information Minsitries web site. If you were going to plead innocent, you would go to a neutral party so as to make sure that your statement was sincere.

Note to the FARC: all it takes is the hard drive to be in semi-working order for information to be retrieved off of it. I'm sure that if the hard drive wasn't completely trashed, Interpol is doing its level best to retrieve the little bits and bytes that are on there.

And also, we have no idea where those laptops were found in the camp. They may have been well protected, not just lying out and about.

Chavez Insane?

Apparently, Accion Democratica is going to file a petition to have Chavez mental status examined.

It's about time. This man has been acting about as irrationally as anyone can, although for a very good purpose which is to draw attention away from all that is going wrong in Venezuela.

Not sure what AD thinks they are going to accomplish since the courts aren't neutral in Venezuela, but it's a bold move.

A better article on the Peruvian situation.

Here is a better article from Reuters on the situation with Peru and Venezuela.

The movimiento estudiantil in Venezuela

Good piece from the Wall Street Journal on the leader of the student movement in Venezuela.

I watched this guy on the Globovision web site during the referendum in Dec. '07. He seems to be a genuine person, not out for grabbing power. We'll see.....

Peruvian link to Chavez

Lo and behold, I found the article on the arrest of the two Peruvians carrying $150,000 into the country.

Note, the amount of cash is $150K, not $150 million as previously reported.

The creeping vines of Chavez' socialism

You know that pesky vine that grows on your trees that acts as a parasite? It grows so slowly, but one day you look out your window and all of a sudden you see the tree has succumbed to the parasitic vine.

Chavez is attempting to be that parasitic vine wrapping around the whole of South America. His next victim is Peru. Apparently, Peruvians sympathetic to Chavez' cause are using 'Houses of ALBA' to indoctrinate fellow Peruvians. Thankfully, the Peruvian government smells El Burro coming, and is on the alert.

In the first article there was mention of an arrest of two Peruvians attempting to bring in $150 million into Peru in support of those opposed to the Peruvian government. I attempted to find other articles on the arrest, but couldn't. Would love to know more about that.

Unfortuantely, I'd have to agree...

The Bush administration should NOT put Venezuela on the terrorist sponsoring state list right now.

I agree with Mr. Oppenheimer's theory that doing so at this time would just give Chavez more ammunition for rhetoric to bolster his sagging popularity in Venezuela.

Wait until the data on the laptops can be validated, and yes Mr. Chavez these things can be forensically verified and validated as authentic, and when the truth is validated about Chavez' and Correa's connection to the FARC proceed with putting Venezuela and Ecuador on the terrorist sponsoring list.

At that point in time, chances are only the hardcore Chavistas will still back Chavez. $300 million in support of FARC when you're own country is experiencing high levels of crime and shortages in foodstuffs won't sit too well with the majority of Venezuelans.