Banana Republic Newsflash

[Sigma_Orionis]

Is there anyone who actually believes the constant barrage of "the outside foreigners are out to get us" stories?

Not that I know of.

come on, sigma. our current president has his devoted base. I see no reason not to expect that yours does as well. despite what the policies and practices are doing.

The thing is that: after 20 years of BS, it's kind of hard to keep coming up with excuses for the disaster we live in.

Just got a WhatsApp message where is says that we all have to get ready because there's going to be massive trouble between the 5th and the 21st of January.

[Sigma_Orionis]

How come he gets to flee and you don't? It's as if the whole thing is unfair!

He probably has a Diplomatic Passport. And enough US$ stashed in a bank account in MIami

[SciFiFisher]

How come he gets to flee and you don't? It's as if the whole thing is unfair!

He probably has a Diplomatic Passport. And enough US$ stashed in a bank account in MIami

I hear $500,000 buys a U.S. Visa with no questions asked these days.

[SciFiFisher]

Is there anyone who actually believes the constant barrage of "the outside foreigners are out to get us" stories?

Not that I know of.

come on, sigma. our current president has his devoted base. I see no reason not to expect that yours does as well. despite what the policies and practices are doing.

The thing is that: after 20 years of BS, it's kind of hard to keep coming up with excuses for the disaster we live in.

Just got a WhatsApp message where is says that we all have to get ready because there's going to be massive trouble between the 5th and the 21st of January.

Whatever happens, I hope you are safe.

[Thumper]

Yes, I wish I could just beam you here.

[Sigma_Orionis]

How come he gets to flee and you don't? It's as if the whole thing is unfair!

He probably has a Diplomatic Passport. And enough US$ stashed in a bank account in MIami

I hear $500,000 buys a U.S. Visa with no questions asked these days.

That's the EB-5 (Investor) visa we talked about the other day. It's US$ 500,000 if you prove you are going to invest it in high unemployment areas. He'll probably claim political refugee status.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Whatever happens, I hope you are safe.

The rumor mill has been going around for about 15 years. One thing is certain though. After January 10 Maduro will be considered a "De Facto" ruler by a lot of countries. So, things are NOT going to get better. Thanks for the good wishes though.

Yes, I wish I could just beam you here.

Thanks.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Well, we're now officially under a De-Facto Government.

[Thumper]

Is this the longest, slowest train wreck in history?

[geonuc]

10,000,000% inflation? How does that even work (I know - it doesn't)? How do you buy stuff?

[Sigma_Orionis]

Is this the longest, slowest train wreck in history?

About 15 years long already.

10,000,000% inflation? How does that even work (I know - it doesn't)? How do you buy stuff?

At this point, people in stores are openly quoting their goods and services is US Dollars.

The Washington Post published a piece on Maduro's swearing in as De Facto President.

And I found this pearl:

According to a U.S. intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ­sensitive matters freely, Maduro’s defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, told the president last month to step down or accept his resignation — a threat he has yet to act on.

Padrino Lopez sold out his character in 2017. I find it very hard to believe. The same article says:

Observers say that a scenario in which the military intervenes to hand power to an opposition-led government is unlikely any time soon. There are signs that parts of the military are unhappy, with desertions rising and hundreds of officers fleeing the country. But the institution is under constant surveillance, with disloyalty punished harshly.

[SciFiFisher]

And of course they have had 15 years to install military leaders, judges, and etc who are weak, spineless, or who believe the party line.

[Sigma_Orionis]

And then this happened on Sunday

Juan Guaidó was travelling to a rally when intelligence agents intercepted his car north of the capital, Caracas.

The agents have been sacked over the "irregular procedure", part of a "media show" to benefit the opposition, the information minister says.

But the arrest seems to be designed to send a message to those who oppose Mr Maduro, our correspondent adds.

[Sigma_Orionis]

This hasn't made the international news yet.

The National Assembly just declared Maduro an "Usurper" and asked 46 friendly countries to seize all his assets and his cronies'

It also offered amnesty to all Civilian and Military personnel that rebels against Maduro.

Last year the opposition formed a Shadow Supreme Court (most of the justices are in exile of course) and they just asked the Military to rebel against Maduro.

Yesterday, Maduro decreed a huge salary increase (as in almost 5 times the former minimum wage) which of course is BS since inflation is like well beyond 200% a month.

I suspect that the National Assembly just made this move when they saw the international reaction when Maduro tried to arrest its president on Sunday (as seen in my previous post).

Don't know how this is going to end up. But things just got "interesting"

[geonuc]

I suspect there will be a few more arrests.

[SciFiFisher]

It's almost like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

[Sigma_Orionis]

It's almost like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Thumper just said something very similar to that

[Thumper]

Is this the longest, slowest train wreck in history?

About 15 years long already.

Yeah, I thought he did.

[SciFiFisher]

Is this the longest, slowest train wreck in history?

About 15 years long already.

Yeah, I thought he did.

[Sigma_Orionis]

And now they've blocked access to Wikipedia

[SciFiFisher]

And now they've blocked access to Wikipedia

They must be getting pretty desperate.

[Thumper]

Yeah but have they blocked Cookie Monster on Twitter yet?

[Sigma_Orionis]

No, but they plan to put a law out that will allow them to block everything (as if they needed one)

Now this would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. From this piece

Once again, he ignored the disregard of the international community, but last night, it was revealed that his team asked journalist María Elvira Salazar for an interview to send a message to U.S. President Trump. Salazar has an interesting story to tell about that: “We’re true, we’re people you can talk and negotiate with,” said the usurper to Trump, imploring a meeting in person that allows them to meet and overcome the prejudices against him.

Oh yeah, some yahoos that style themselves as "The Citizen's Platform in Defense of the Constitution" (with that long winded name they've GOT to be Commies) just came out proposing a "transparent referendum to renew all public powers". Saying that they "reject both Maduro and Gauido's US-EU-Group of Lima sponsored Parallel State.". (Sorry, link in Spanish from the inevitable aporrea.org site)

Of course they're commies. After all they say this

En la rueda de prensa se le dedicó mucha atención a la descripción de las implicaciones de la declaración internacional del Grupo de Lima, constituido por los gobiernos de varios países latinoamericanos, que actúan en concierto con el gobierno de Donald Trump, y que apoyan la pretensión del presidente de la Asamblea Nacional de establecer un gobierno y Estado "paralelo" en Venezuela, con respaldo de ese grupo de gobiernos y de los Estados Unidos, bajo lo que denunciaron como una operación "intervencionista".

Translation:

Much of the Press Conference was focused on the description of the implications of the international declaration of the "Lima Group". Formed by the governments of several Latin American countries that act in collusion with Donald Trump's government and that support the aspirations of the president of the National Assembly to establish a "Parallel" State and Government in Venezuela, with the backing of that group of governments and the US. Which they denounced as an "interventionist" operation".


BTW: the so called "Lima Group" is an ad-hoc group formed by Most of Latin America with Canada and the US. Mexico is part of it too. Of course, now that they put a PSF in power they' don't want to be a part of it.

[Sigma_Orionis]

Finally something made the International news

[Thumper]

NPR had a story about this yesterday. They're trying to get more world leaders to recognize the opposition leader as the actual, lawful president.