Venezuelan Opposition Banner Standees full of ignorance during World Cup Match

To be honest, I don't care about the World Cup, I really don't. I got bigger problems than a one month soccer-fest. But this caught my attention.

One of the most ignorant photo of the week, they take some Venezuelan fans who were in one of the 2014 World Cup matches in Brazil , holding a national flag modified with a neo-facist conforming message "Time to overthrow a dictatorship": 

• Ukraine (1 month) 
• Egypt (3 months), 
• Syria (2 years), 
• Venezuela (in process),
• and Brazil (pending) ".

All very nice except for one tiny detail: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, which branded a dictator, just won an election with 87% of the popular vote. 

Question of the Day: How many dollars did the tickets cost and who paid for the stay in Brazil?

Translation Based on Google Translate:
Source: http://www.laredoma.co.ve/2014/06/foto-imperdible-opositores-venezolanos.html

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It does not change the fact that Syrian President Assad is still a tyrant like his Father. Ukraine is ruled by a nationalist (or neo-fascist) political party with another oligarch. Egypt has a president who is becoming no different than the previous president before the Egyptian revolution. Brazil and Venezuela despite their problems are the only actual legitimate democracies left on the list.

Learn the points of confrontation between "radicals" and "pragmatic" in the economic policy of Venezuela

The letter of the former Minister of Planning Jorge Giordani, and the most recent report by investment bank Bank of America / Merrill Lynch on Venezuela , have publicly formalized the existence of a confrontation over economic policy within the Cabinet of Ministers the area.

This is a (non-exhaustive) timely overview of the issues at stake and the positions of the "radical" and "pragmatic" wings.

1) Adjustments macroeconomic The two wings agree on the need for adjustments in economic policy. Obviously the approaches differ in the specifics.

2) Public expenditure Giordani's vision focuses on reducing public expenditure by way of a scheme that "increasingly against a grant expenditure schedule accompanied by success indicators that would facilitate a gradual expansion and curb expenditure not fulfill their commitments achievements. " The pragmatic wing, as reported by the Bank of America, prefers monetary policy actions that, in this way, restrict the flow of resources to the public sector.

3) Exchange rate policy Giordani favors a strict control mechanism by the state allocation of foreign exchange, with emphasis on combating corruption. The letter maintains prime rate Cadivi (with a high-level committee to authorize sector allocation) and the outline of Sicad (only one version). While the pragmatic wing prefers the option of exchange correction through unification in the market rate defined by the Sicad II. This would be seen as a "desirable" as in the medium and short term.

4) Price adjustments Giordani is in favor of a price adjustment (no doubt by way of reduction of subsidies) "which accommodated defense priorities purchasing power of the most vulnerable groups." The pragmatic wing would be more willing to widespread price adjustment resulting from the migration of imported products to Sicad II rate. These adjustments are being made ​​through the measures taken by the Superintendence of Costs, although at a slower rate than expected.

5) Indebtedness Giordani firmly warned against the growth of external indebtedness derived from auction mechanism with dollar securities established in SITME. That was arrested in early 2013. Yet the pragmatic wing could encourage external financing under that "continued reliance on bonds rather than cash sales to feed SICAD II is a sign that the increase in external liabilities could emerge as the path of least resistance. "

6) Privatization While the former minister claimed the productive role of the state and does not address the possibility of privatization, the Bank of America document reveals the pragmatic wing layout to integrate the private sector. This would not be open to privatization but with joint ventures and other strategic alliances with the private sector.

Article Translation from Google Translate
Source from: http://la-tabla.blogspot.com/2014/06/conozca-los-puntos-de-la-confrontacion.html

Venezuela is currently suffering a drought. Conserve as much water as you can!

Venezuela's guarimba insurrection might be over, but here's an actual situation that has appeared: A drought. Laredoma has already reported on this.

The Venezuelan Minster of the Environment, Miguel Leonardo Rodriguez, reported on Satuday that the seventh major drought of the past 60 years is currently registered in Venezuela, who noted that this drought is manifested in three ways: Moderate, severe, and extreme , For it's geographical location, Venezuela does not have four seasons but a annual variation of climate characterized by two periods: dry season : which runs from November to April, and a rainy season :from May to October.

The rainy season is well marked by the intertropical convergence line (cloud cover).

However, dry-mentioned period remains in the country, especially in the northwest, where the main reservoirs which are located most of the Venezuelan population is supplied. Some of them have been affected, as Manuelote, Three Rivers, and Tulé in Zulia state.

"In Manuelote, we got historical rains have fallen in December, January, February, March, and practically no rain at all. This has prevented reservoirs from recovering. That makes reservoirs have dropped their level more than 10 meters" he explained, referring to a press release of a regional newspaper.

Given this scenario, this Sunday was made the General Staff Integral in Zulia state, directed to implement plans to tackle drought in the state, said Rodriguez, after a meeting in which the governor of Zulia, Francisco Arias Cárdenas was present.

This Staff shall consist of officials from the Ministry for the Environment, Hidrolago, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces, and mayors.

"This entity daily assess the level of reservoirs, will follow up on the situation, coordinate plans and responses," he said.

The Minister also urged people to join the campaign of rational use of water and meet so full supply plans that will remain until the rain period is established in the country and the reservoirs have levels recover low due to low rainfall. "The water always have to save it."

"We still are not in the presence of El Niño, which may be present in the second half of the year. Represent That drought, but has not yet been ordered but we have to prepare ourselves to this situation," he said.

Translation based from Google Translate
Source: http://www.laredoma.co.ve/2014/06/detalles-ahorremos-agua-venezuela-vive.html

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Also, Venezuela Analysis has reported on the issue, which is more about preparing for a prolonged el nino related drought.

Caracas, 11th June 2014 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – It’s the rainy season in tropical Caracas. The weather service frequently predicts thunderstorms and the air is thick with humidity, yet the menacing clouds rarely produce more than a few drops. Venezuela’s The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources expects half the usual rainfall for the season and is planning accordingly.

In March of this year, at its VI World Forum on Water, the United Nations presented a study of drought in Latin America. The study concluded that excessive urbanization, globalization and climate change are responsible for leaving 800 million people in Latin America without access to safe drinking water and 2.5 million without access to bathroom facilities. In Venezuela, the percentage of people without access to potable water and toilets is comparatively small, in the single digits. Unlike those countries where water service is privatized and a source of profit, in Venezuela, water is provided and subsidized by a state-owned company. For 36% of Venezuela’s population, water is entirely free. For the rest, the cost of all utilities is subsidized and amounts to about 10% of the average worker’s pay.

UN Water Reports and newspaper headlines of raging forest fires and water rationing in California and catastrophic glacier melting in Peru all point to the ongoing ravages of climate change. Yet, corporate press in Venezuela and the U.S still blame the Venezuelan government for water scarcity. They lump water into the list of commodities whose appearance in supermarkets is erratic.

The incremental warming of the Pacific ocean caused by climate change has already caused devastating drought in some parts of the country. In Guárica the state-run electric company has scrambled to repair parched hydroelectrical transformers as soon as they break down. Yet, of the 54 needing repair, 13 remain to be fixed, resulting in frequent power outages.
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It's clear that the Venezuelan Government has already preparing for a major drought. Despite the screaming and howling from the opposition media and it's blogger extension.