Venezuela September 10
Posted by sender47 9 years, 7 months ago to Government
Hope everyone is alright, and the movie do well, I will have to wait for the DVD or Bluray release, like with the others.
As for the situation here, well...
After 3 moths delay on the inflation numbers, and a change in the method of measure (is still unclear if Fisher or Paasche), the annual inflation is 63,4% (In food is 92%, and still we are under fair price law, so basically they are adjusted by the gov). Why tackle the problem when you just need to change the way you measure it. Is the same as how unemployment is measured since 2005, they just ask if you have done any type of work for at least 4 hours in the previous week... hey, I have sold juice in an avenue that is closed to cars 6 hours on sundays. And there I was thinking of myself as unemployed when the gov says I am employed -.- shame on me.
Last week there was expectation for possible economic reforms as situation is each day worse... Maduro just rotated ministers, fused some ministries, created some vice-ministries (I still have no idea of what the "Vice-ministry for Supreme Happiness " does). So no changes in economics.
Scarcity... there are so many things I haven't seen in years... whole milk? I haven't seen a liter in 3 years (and the 2 litter presentation around 8), but you could find UHT presentation... until recently.. well to be honest you can find, If you know to whom pay... the problem, the price. Lets take the lowest official exchange 6,3 VEF per USD that no one can acquire (the three are 6.3, 11.7, 50 VEF per USD), in that case the minimum wager in Venezuela is a little less than 700 USD (make the math for 50, and the black market is in 92 atm). In that case 1 litter of whole UHT milk would be... 20 USD.
Keeping with scarcity, the oldest newspaper in the country "El impulso" will publish until sunday because of the paper scarcity (And as we are under exchange control the gov says who get USD to buy outside), we had two big paper companies, both expropriated and completely ruined. BTW the gov is starting to publish 2 new propaganda newspapers .-. .
A new one from the minister of education, Hector Rodriguez who said that “…It’s not like we (the government) are gonna take the people out of poverty so they become middle class and then turn into escuálidos (term used by Chavistas to call opposition supporters)”.( http://caracaschronicles.com/2014/02/25/... ). Now he asked for the educator to "review their technical and political formation"
In oil news the gov is trying to sell CITGO. (A junkie selling everything for more drugs). http://caracaschronicles.com/2014/09/09/...
And I think this one will be of interest to people in North America, for the moment is only in spanish http://www.infobae.com/2014/09/10/159375...
The important points are:
-173 people from the middle east, connected to Hezbollah entered Canada bypassing the security using Venezuelan passports.
-Most of the Iranians that entered, made stopover in Caracas, first.
-They had ID, Visas and even birth certificate from Venezuela.
-Tarek El Aissam, important figure of the chavism, former Interior minister (Basically national security), and now Aragua state governor, is identified as the connection with Hezbollah.
- His father Zaidan El Amin El Aissami was a military collaborator of Saddam Hussein
-Hezbollah is using Venezuela as a gateway to USA and Canada.
That's for now, take care.
As for the situation here, well...
After 3 moths delay on the inflation numbers, and a change in the method of measure (is still unclear if Fisher or Paasche), the annual inflation is 63,4% (In food is 92%, and still we are under fair price law, so basically they are adjusted by the gov). Why tackle the problem when you just need to change the way you measure it. Is the same as how unemployment is measured since 2005, they just ask if you have done any type of work for at least 4 hours in the previous week... hey, I have sold juice in an avenue that is closed to cars 6 hours on sundays. And there I was thinking of myself as unemployed when the gov says I am employed -.- shame on me.
Last week there was expectation for possible economic reforms as situation is each day worse... Maduro just rotated ministers, fused some ministries, created some vice-ministries (I still have no idea of what the "Vice-ministry for Supreme Happiness " does). So no changes in economics.
Scarcity... there are so many things I haven't seen in years... whole milk? I haven't seen a liter in 3 years (and the 2 litter presentation around 8), but you could find UHT presentation... until recently.. well to be honest you can find, If you know to whom pay... the problem, the price. Lets take the lowest official exchange 6,3 VEF per USD that no one can acquire (the three are 6.3, 11.7, 50 VEF per USD), in that case the minimum wager in Venezuela is a little less than 700 USD (make the math for 50, and the black market is in 92 atm). In that case 1 litter of whole UHT milk would be... 20 USD.
Keeping with scarcity, the oldest newspaper in the country "El impulso" will publish until sunday because of the paper scarcity (And as we are under exchange control the gov says who get USD to buy outside), we had two big paper companies, both expropriated and completely ruined. BTW the gov is starting to publish 2 new propaganda newspapers .-. .
A new one from the minister of education, Hector Rodriguez who said that “…It’s not like we (the government) are gonna take the people out of poverty so they become middle class and then turn into escuálidos (term used by Chavistas to call opposition supporters)”.( http://caracaschronicles.com/2014/02/25/... ). Now he asked for the educator to "review their technical and political formation"
In oil news the gov is trying to sell CITGO. (A junkie selling everything for more drugs). http://caracaschronicles.com/2014/09/09/...
And I think this one will be of interest to people in North America, for the moment is only in spanish http://www.infobae.com/2014/09/10/159375...
The important points are:
-173 people from the middle east, connected to Hezbollah entered Canada bypassing the security using Venezuelan passports.
-Most of the Iranians that entered, made stopover in Caracas, first.
-They had ID, Visas and even birth certificate from Venezuela.
-Tarek El Aissam, important figure of the chavism, former Interior minister (Basically national security), and now Aragua state governor, is identified as the connection with Hezbollah.
- His father Zaidan El Amin El Aissami was a military collaborator of Saddam Hussein
-Hezbollah is using Venezuela as a gateway to USA and Canada.
That's for now, take care.
Rearranging what I eat, for food that can be found. Mainly vegetables and fruits that are on season and can be bought to street vendors. White meat, red meat and fish are each one more expensive than the other in the black market, and in the "legal" market is scarce (well in the black market is also a little difficult to find).
Studying japanese, preparing things for my Master grade work, and hoping I can do some planned things. Planning is difficult as you never know how things will be the next day, not to say next month.
Thanks for the interest
I have read through the text of your posts on this thread and find it amazing that you have chosen to stay in Venezuela. What an environment!
Jan
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/se...
And here today (Remember I said the gov is publishing 2 new propaganda newspapers)
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/09/11/...
Seemly being a big old newspaper had its repercussions outside ... little ones didn't had that much luck, some of the continue on the web, of course they had to cut personnel so, they have less first hand information and work by using as source the newspapers that still survive.
Well my parents won't move, the older the less people accept moving, and is in human nature to hope. Also I have planned by a full scholarship to study abroad, I want to come back... I know, is how Dagny felt, you just want this %&/@ to win
I read in the second link that El Impulso now had enough paper to publish for another two weeks - I assume that this means that the closure of the 110 year old paper is receiving too much world attention and the government will wait until the media spotlight turns somewhere else to close the paper down.
Jan
My mother probably would be more prompt to move, as she is from Argentina, and has family there (That are going the exact same way than us with a 7 or 8 years delay). But unless it is completely unavoidable for them, they will not move.
Yes, what is more interesting is that the one that will give them paper is a gov paper company, that before wouldn't sell them. Now they will because of the international attention, probably as you say, until the spotlight change.
At the same time Maduro announced the creation of two propaganda newspapers. So it is about if you are in the grace of gov or not, as any other buys paper outside Venezuela (Private paper companies were expropriated), and for that you need foreign currency... we're under exchange control... and if the gov doesn't want to give you USD... well... Black market is not really an option, for the price and the fact that you have to present what you do o the gov, and if they catch you.....
I say 2 porpaganda newspaper because one is the PSUV newspaper (the gov party), and the other is a newspaper of the TV opinion program in VTV (State TV), conducted by the president of the National Assembly and leading member of the PSUV Diosdado Cabello. Just imagine Obama announcing something like thad.. hell would break loose XD.
I have plans next year (If there is still a country next year -.-), I hope all goes good, and will be able to help my family. Anyway, Tim has been supportive in the case we have to run off, and as the debt of the gov with airlines is getting Venezuela into a lock down... well it doesn't sound like a too far possibility.
Thanks for the interest. Take care
Actually UHT Milk cost 24 bolivars that is around 0,25 USD per Liter!... with the parallel Dollar now near 100bs per USD.
As you see we are far away from 20usd per Liter..
And to be honest i almost always find Milk here in the Island not that hard as said Sender47.
Also keep in mind that a full tank of gas (60 liters) cost here 0,06 usd, oh yes yes .. 0,06 not 0,6 .. 0,06 for 60 liters of gas.!!! who can beat this? when you fill your tank in USA i can do the same here but for a life time.
There is still to do in Venezuela but here you can make your business without paying a FED 33% tax plus a State Tax, plus some VAT and more and more...
We only pay 12% that's it!... no headache with all the complexity we have in europe or USA!..
Never heard of that Hezbollah here!..
Just look at who promote the war!.. who make them and who finance them... and you will see why you get those fake information coming to you overthere!..
Just ask yourself :
How many wars Russia has done?
How many wars USA has done?
Pretty easy to see who is evil....
Guyz dont let your opinion be fooled by the newspaper!.. or television...
Greets
SOMEONE is watching you!!!
First as I wrote taking the "official" rate of 6,30 that by the way is what officially by the BCV is 6,30. I'm pointing the lie of the exchange rates. Cencoex, old CADIVI at 6,30. Sicad I at 11,70 and SICAD II at 50.
So please read " Lets take the lowest official exchange 6,3 VEF per USD" that by the way is the one the gov uses to say we have the highest minimum wager. -.-
Really?, all I can find is skim UHT milk.
Again read "If you know to whom pay... the problem, the price" talking of whole UHT milk, and I have payed 1200 VEF for the 12x1 litter box, to someone whose uncle works in the industry. If you have I gladly will accept them and pay you 24 VEF (or 70 big profits for you) per litter, my pleasure (Although MRW isn't allowed to send food).
I can't afford a car, and have never denied the fact of the cheap gasoline, In previous post I was asked for this, here are some pretty knowledgeable people in the oil industry . And been in the Gulch I know that any type of control will provoke an unbalance, therefore black market and all the problems associated with that, like ehhh ... smuggling, familiar with that?. Cause, and consequence.
About the taxes, first time I talk about taxes. but apart of the fear of expropriation that drove out most of the investors to Colombia and Panama. You should talk with a proper company owner, is not only the ISLR.(check with a company owner arounf how much they pay for ISLR) here, around 22 different taxes a company has to pay http://www.el-nacional.com/economia/Empr... not so easy. If this were a great place to invest and have a company every one would be here investing. (unless you have a contact in the government and just want to get some cheap dollars.. like the... ehh... 25000 million USD lost in cadivi)
Provably for you this is just propaganda, and Fraser Institute of Canada is part of the economic war but.Index of Economic Freedom 2013 last place: Venezuela.
Here the note in the very same newspaper that will stop publishing on monday for the lack of paper http://elimpulso.com/articulo/venezuela-...
About the 12% of IVA (Sales tax)... never talked about it before, but ok. Is low, yes. No problem saying it... again what is the inflation? and you said parallel near 100 USD. What is the phrase... "Inflation is the tax of the poor" isn't it? no more need to say.
12% isn't the lowest in the region either. In here there is a table with the IVA of each country of the region. http://blogs.elpais.com/eco-americano/20...
Getting USA into the sales taxes you say 12% here here wikipedia has a state table of sales taxes on USA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sales_taxes... ... now IVA or Sales taxes in Venezuela seems a little high ain't it? Remember that we once where in 9%.
About Hezbollah, You can read the report here: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/... there is a link to it at the end of the article. I'm posting it. Want to say is false ok. Go for it, In the investigatiion of "The Palestinian" Venezuela was used as connection between This middle east goups ETA from Spain and FARC from Colombia. This is not new here from 2010 near the publication http://counterterrorismblog.org/2010/05/... , there are also videos in hidden cam made by the author here, is on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D58tL5f5n...
Ok I'm getting tired of writing by now
"Just ask yourself :
How many wars Russia has done?
How many wars USA has done?"
And tired of this things too -.-
First, when I said USA was the root of all goodness or Russia of all evil -.- . I haven't even refereed to what they do o.O, so uncalled comment that look trying to justify being versus USA, because... yes.. it cool to be versus USA... there are good people and bad people everywhere, people is just an animal, a reasoning one though, or that we believe, I'm posting my point of view and my opinions, you are free to post yours.
Lastly what newspapers not with the gov? there are few, and El Nacional was just bought. so, there are quite few in Caracas that I could read. BTW I don't buy newspaper, on internet I can read from every tendency from Aporrea to DolarToday for extremes.
And.. TV that one is really good... Ok what channel is feeding me with bullcrap? RCTV closed, Venevision and Televen they just don't speak, Gobovision bought....VTV, TVES, AN TV, FANBTV? all are statal tv... I will confess you something... I haven't seen national tv in like... 2 years.
Ok that will be a long comment. Cheers
I dont look at TV not to say never since i was 12 years old..
I read and read books concerning economy and politicals.. that's my hobby.
Now i admit that venezuela is living a hard moment, but i can tell you something i come from europe and if you compare a country like Belgium vs Venezuela you will see that there is not really different just that europe is hidding perfectly their numbers!..
For exemple.. in belgian francs and till 1999 just before we switch to euros.
A middleclass house costed approx : 600.000 belgian francs (approx 18000 euros) but today in euros teh same house cost you 150000 euros around 10x the price in 10 years of euroland.
Plus you have to pay the register which is 21% of the final price so 21% of 150000 which will be more than the complete house price in belgian francs.
Another idea food for a month was 60 euros at that time and for 1 person now it cost you 350 to 400 for 1 month of food for 1 person.
A tank of gas was 20 euros approx for 60liters now you are near 75 euros.
And if i tell you how many taxes we have you will not believe me... for exemple just one exemple...
In Belgium if you buy a car.
1) you pay 21% on the final price
2) First Tax is to put the car in the street (not to drive it just to drop the car in the street) this cost you from 50 euros to 5000 euros depending teh car horse power (a jeep in belgium will be 5000 euros of tax)
3) Second Tax is to have the right to drive the car in the street between 200 euros and 7500 euros (for a jeep)
4) Car Insurance (obligated) around 500 euros to 7500 euros per year
5) The car need to go to a technical checkup every year, they check 120 point in the car if one fail you have to fix it before you can use the car on the street again this cost approx 60 euros.
6) Official Plate approx 40 euros.
PS: oh yes if you put a radio in your car you have to pay for it too.
All taxes need to be paid yearly.
This is just for a car same for a house, you pay on TV, on black water , clean water!!! and more more..
Sincerly it is insupportable.. its inhuman.. you cannot live there anymore.. you work to pay.. oh yes we pay 61% of charges on our ISRL so you get 1000 euros then you get 390 euros for you!.. to pay food, car tax, and so many many taxes all the way!...
Companies stay in Belgium because they have real slave on their hands and the governement protect companies against nationalization..
Just an idea Microsoft in Belgium use 4000 persons and pay 0,01% of local taxes against 61% for the worker..
Not telling you that venezuela is perfect again and again.. just that is not that terrible when you come from oversea....
Otro tema!..
All the links you send me are from the RIGHT!.. ElPais, Impulso, CaracasChronicles.. etc.. etc.. there is a lot of lies in these newspapers (digitalnews)... just look at the owner and you have the answers... to all their articles... its called propaganda even if you dont like this word.. but it is...
Again.. How many countries Russia Attacked? none..!!! how many USA attacked? hundreds.... who is the only country that use Nuclear Weapon.. USA!!... how many US bases are around the world? how many Russian?
Its not me ...i am just talking about what is real , about what happened and not about incertain future of things like "will they sell citgo or not?" this is bulls**t this is just words to distort the public opinion but this is not the result of anything.
This thing of Hezbollah make me really laugh !!! it just appear in news paper (from the right) and it is taken like a fact.
USA, Wallstreet financed first worldwar and the second worldwar and this is really documented and proved, this are real information ... hermano!!!.. dont take everything emotional; with newspaper.... wait and see...
I prefer to think that teh right is preparing the public opinion (specially abroad) to accept an invasion or something similar against venezuela.
They always need to justify!... there is some very good books to read!.. old but good totally documented! by Antony Sutton... these are vitamins. i hope you will enjoy them..
http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Street-Bolshe...
http://www.amazon.com/Wall-Street-Hitler...
Gracias por leerme.
Here nobody is watching you ;-)
To read "Left" newspapers... they obviously will evade anything that can talk bad from their side, the same happens to every side. lets quote Jesus in this one "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?". Human brain always try to tell you -you are right-, it makes the body feel more comfortable and with less stress.
By the way AD is part of the Socialist international, Copei Christian democracy (center). PJ center-left. In fact there hasn't been any "right" in power since ... maybe Perez Jimenez (let's say that he was kind of Pinochet). The right has never been popular in Venezuela. in fact AD and Copei after the disband of the communist guerrilla, said that the fault of bad things was of the "right".
What is right or left is pretty lose, and many times used as a tag to label all the enemies, be they from the "right" or the "left".
I like for political analysis, more than the left-right, the Colectivism-Individualism, (left-right change a lot from place and times). The Political Compass is one of my preferred http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_c...
Again the Hezbollah, I posted a link to the video made for "The Palestinian" in my previous response, were the author infiltrate and live as one of the group. If you want to believe is false, ok, be my guest. The publication is from 2010, so is not something out of the hat just now in 2014.
The government have been saying that USA want to invade since... like 2001. If you want to believe that is true, you are free to do it.
Again I have never touched the subject of USA being the source of good or Russia of evil.
If you want to discuss that, I suggest you make a post about it. You will find a lot of knowledgeable people about those subjects.
You think I am biased, maybe, by my reasoning knowledge, experience to get to a value judgment I'm not or at least not to much (I'm a Leones del Caracas, Caracas F.C Cocodrilos de Caracas, Boca Juniors and Real Madrid fan, no reasoning or logic applied on that, just my preferences).
Ask yourself too if you are not biased by "left" media, who knows, maybe yes, maybe not, that's up to your judgment.
P.S: No, really, make a post about USA and what you think of them. Will be a fun post, just don't expect the same sympathy that you could get on a RT news commentaries.
Well, in general I post the situation of Venezuela, haven't made comparisons.
It will be good if you make a post about what happens in Belgium. As you may know, in the Gulch taxes is not something liked, neither what states (or the moments gov) force its people to pay/do. The real power of a state is force.
But just answering a little if we put every price to paralell USD (now at 94), the prices would be logical, and at pair with the international prices. But then the wages not. by that price minimum wager (that is what is payed to at least half of the population) is less than 50 USD a month. I am an engineer, and as project engineer I won around 70 USD a month by the price of parallel USD at the time I resigned. (Selling Juice in the Cota-mil on sundays was better)
Most of my friends have gone, I would say that around 80% to USA, Canada, Colombia, Panama, and mainly Spain. And even when they had a really hard time finding a good job, they don't repent, they know how things are getting here. A line of 4, 5 or more hours to get regulated price goods is not ok, less if you have to work.
And of course the main reason for them to fly from here ...the criminality, you can survive doing a line, working in different places, but once a bullet take the life, that's it.
Is estimated that 88% of the emigrants have gone in this last 15 years. Is normal to buy a two way ticket saying you are going to study abroad so you can apply to ..now SICAD I, but that is only one way. I have guided a lot of people with all the legalization procedures of their documents, and believe me, this last year the requests have gone ten fold.
I will concede you that is important to plan where are you going to go, very well. Probably you will be safer and have sense of some stability, but the cultural shock and being away from where you have been all your life is stressful. Not to mention if you don't domain the language.
I will gladly read a post about the actual situation of Belgium, taxes and all of it. The same way I would like to read posts from someone of Haiti, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Greece, or any country talking about their experience.
Gracias por leerme igualmente.
And Slave Masters must be destroyed.
I wish the US was the warmonger you say we are. Then you would see just how long your little podunk dictatorship would survive.
Eat sh!t and DIE.
We are not talking about Citizens but Governement.. without the FED, USA is almost a country like many others in the world.
Its pretty easy to lead the world printing money and forcing others to keep Petro-Dollars to survive!..
Did you know that after the second war USA printed billions of USD to rebuild europe with the Marshall Plan?.. of course all the money was not for free!.. to give you an exemple Belgian citizen see more than 40% of their taxes quiting their country to cover the Marshall Plan Credit.
Today USA is living from abroad income they are almost unable to produce what they need them self!.
That's why Capitalism use Chinese and others poor countries to cover they need, this is has nothing to do with the political position you have or i have it is just fact.
If you read about President Charles De Gaules (french president) you will understand a lot about American startegy in europe!..
France is the only country in europe without NATO bases this is due to the decision of De Gaules who decide that no foreign bases and military crew can stay in a Soverein Country like france! and he kicked them out of the country.
This President was a visioneer, today Brussels is an extention of Washington in europe, we can see many but many things that are totally incoherent to our culture, and political decision and The European Community takes decision without consulting european leaders.
Did you know that, there is around 200 people in the european community and no one of them has been voted by the citizen?
Man Hugo Chavez or Maduro or even Charles De Gaules are heroes for their country, like it or not.. its just like this... no need to insult what is true!..
Probably the socialist governement in venezuela is not the best i can admit it but its what we have now..
But sincerly i am happy not to have an Obama to represent me and my country.
Open your eyes or stay watching TV its up to you bro'.
Maybe Obama can take Venezuela but USA with Europe are unable to take Syria! ;-) so i still have a doubt of the capacity of USA your supposed leader is afraid of Russia and China!
This up coming war will be in your country too!.. Russia have long distance weapon to reach USA without even moving from home!
Dont forget Vietnam, USA left vietnam after years without any result and they have been hit many times and during many years by guys in sandals!..
USA governement is Number One Criminals in all man story!..
Will see how US will manage the next up coming war!...
Friendly!...
Greets
Someone you loves you all! Wake Up!
Because this time if a war start you will be hit in your country for the first time with l