The news came as a surprise. Not that a new cabinet was unexpected: around January 10 everyone expected Maduro to name a new Vice President, the one that would succeed him as president if he resigns, or is resigned. But no one expected Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah to become that vice-president. This is truly awful. And if you look at who is being named along to some key portfolios it gets worse.
So let's start with our Tareck boy.
Before we read into the nomination importance, let's look at his career. He is from a Syrian Druze family. Nothing wrong with being a Druze. Except that they support Assad and Chia and that sort of assorted terrorism (while those in Israel are well integrated in the state structure, go figure).
When young he militated with the left and was on board with Chavez, with a quick ascent (through Chavez brother who was a teacher of him it seems).
He was associated for 5 years with the Interior ministry, eventually becoming the minister himself before Chavez placed him in the crucial state of Aragua as governor. This is extremely important because Tareck was always at hand when the drug traffic system of Venezuela was organized big time. It was also the period when Chavez became interested in paramilitary ventures from the bolivarian militia to the dreaded colectivos of today. Amen of the close links to Iran and Syria, such as the weekly flight to Teheran for which there was no way to get a seat.
As a result Tareck El Assaimi was named in the Wall Street journal among those officials in Venezuela investigated by the DEA and what not for illicit activities. There is no doubting why Tareck easily deserves a spot there. In Spanish here, with pic included.
Since he has been governor he has the reputation to spend more time in Caracas than Maracay. It is to be noted that at first Chavez wanted him far in Tachira but Tareck had ways to impose his presence close to the action, Indeed he has been quite vocal in particular against any dialogue or any concession for the opposition. That he lost badly, real bad in Aragua assembly vote in December 2015 certainly angered him. Let's note that his own election in 2012 was with a surprising 55% in a state that normally historically gives 60% or more to leftist parties. He is clearly an imposed figure there, but his time has come.
There is only one reading possible in naming Tareck El Assaimi vice president of Venezuela at a time where he could become president until 2019 without an election if something were to happen to Nicolas Maduro. An appointed president, without a vote anywhere. Think about this: a terrorist sympathizer, milita and paramilitary organizer, likely drug trafficker, indicted in the US, is now the vice president of Venezuela. A vice president that cannot travel in any country with Interpol.
The message is clear, the regime has appointed somebody that has no problem to dip his hands in blood. Why do you think this is for? What would be the regime's intentions for the next few months?
How come he made it to such a position above so many big sharks in the pond? Because Tareck represents several groups. The terrorists with unsavory links across the world, but not the largest of chavismo group. But surely he has the contacts. He also represents the civilian narco economic wing. The wing that became drug trafficker by cupidity and pleasure rather than following geopolitical orders from Fidel and Hugo. I am not making any excuses for the military who "followed orders": all drug capos end up in the same gutter of violence. He is also a voice for the radical commie left civilian section (more below). He also has links with the corrupt bolibourgeoisie though if I were them I would think about leaving the country because Tareck knows where and how to get money if he needs it. As such his main ally in the regime is Diosdado Cabello and we could almost assume that he is the anti military establishment candidate, having only those deeply in drug trafficking on his side. Is this a provocation against Padrino? Or does it mean that the regime has finally prevailed and that the army will repress now at will?
Now that you know what the new vice president represents let's look at the ones getting in, a not reassuring perspective whatsoever.
Elias Jaua is now at education. That means radical ideology. He is of the band that think ideologization should be decisive in schools (even if his own children go to a famous private school). Jaua has been a life long communist, from neo terrorist activities in college to presiding over the massive expropriations of lands that have left us without food. He is an intellectual brute and has no problem taking the necessary measures to make sure that his ideology prevails, the ruin of the country being a small price to pay, just as it happened in Cuba.
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| Tareck and Hugbel salad days promoting riots at Universidad de Los Andes |
Jaua super ministry has for right hand Hugbel Roa who became recently quite infamous when he accused the new Venezuela cardinal of pedophilia (we are awaiting the evidence still) and when confronted through his microphone to the face of the represantive questioning his accusations. Quite a democrat. The obvious question for Roa is that since he allegedly knew that the cardinal loved little children so much, how come he was not arrested yet. The real reason for the irate Representative is elsewhere, Baltazar Porras is the one that saw Chavez asking for help and crying in 2002...
The finance and economy ministries are fused into a single super ministry one that will be presided by representative Ramon Lobo. Ain't that funny on how so many chavistas desert their assembly seat with such ease? Do they know something we do not know? But I digress.
Lobo has been a nobody in the regime. Oh, yes, he has been around for a while but this is the first time he hits jackpot. Before that he was mayor of La Azulita, which means Podunck for all practical purposes except that they have good coffee beans, smuggled to Colombia probably. Then they put him for Merida state representative. But he could not win his district seat, and made it because he also was candidate on the list system that ensured that the PSUV would get at least one seat in Merida. (note: the current governor is a communist). So what does Lobo brings to his curriculum to direct Venezuela's economy having only directed the administration of a small rural district? Well, he is a life long communist. He also studied economy in college. Already a plus among chavismo [sigh...] But besides "academic" work and political agitation there is no evidence that he ever held a real job anywhere, you know those with real responsibility, that require you to make investment decisions, budgeting stuff out or real earnings, etc... From economy the only things he knows is to wait for the stipend from Caracas and spend it until he runs out of cash. And then blame Caracas. To deal with a country on the edge of official bankruptcy I am afraid it does not add up.
At labor ministry we have Francisco Torrealba another representative that leaves like a rat the National Assembly. I could not find much about him but I know of him as he was a main voice in attacking and making a case for chavismo as to how useless and illegal the National assembly is. But coming from the extremely corrupt labor direction inside chavismo, there is nothing good to expect from him, being a commie or not is irrelevant in that regime position.
So there you go, a most radical new government, and that without counting those that remain in like Molina who says that only chavistas have the right to be public workers, a violent promoter of apartheid for political reasons.
This is a cabinet named to destroy the opposition, to erase what is left of the private sector. This the first outright communist cabinet. As far as I know there is no "moderate" voice as the few military inside of it have been collaborating actively with the crazy left of the regime in the past. Let's just say that Padrino may have at most half a dozen supporters left. And I am very generous in assuming that Padrino has not fully caved in. He is himself a communist but reined in some of the excesses of the regime for his wish not to become the "el pueblo" murderer in history books.
This is a cabinet named to finish the opposition. It is a group that could not care less about world criticism of their actions. They are in to make sure that the opposition becomes powerless, and then, when all the necessary crimes are committed, that the opposition cannot mount a challenge, they will run totally flawed elections that they will win with major fraud, to justify their crimes.
Whether they succeed is another story.
You have been told.
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PS: note that Tareck likes the good life, He tends to be nattily dressed when in private and likes very much stuff about like soccer, like, you know, owning teams and being hired as a striker, Qaddafi son's style. Do Druzes drink booze?
PS2: Jaua also is leaving the National Assembly. This is quite a razzia the regime makes in the Assembly PSUV faction.
PS3: already in 2014 O'Grady at the Wall Street Journal had quite a portrait of Tareck El Assaimi. I mean, the world knows what this guy stands for. Who will dare be seen shaking hands in public?
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