Excerpts of column "Runrunes" (Rumors) released on May 22

High

TODAY OR TOMORROW? Members of the State Council were recommended not to leave Caracas, at least for this week, "just in case," in the event of being sworn in by the President Commander today (Tuesday, May 22) or tomorrow (Wednesday, May 23). Yesterday (Monday, May 21), he was not in the mood and continued in complete rest to mitigate the pain and get well from the effects of radiotherapy.

Intermediate

LAWLESS? RED THEFT? Will be justice administered on Tuesday, May 22 in the hearing of brokerage firm Econoinvest? At this time, a hearing must be held, where Judge William Hurtado will decide on admitting or not the insidious request from public prosecutor Daniel Guédez to extend the remand in custody awaiting trial for the four Econoinvest managing directors: Herman Sifontes, Juan Carlos Carvallo, Miguel Osío and Ernesto Rangel. The young entrepreneurs and their families have gone through a real hell following an unfair detention; bank supervision stuffed with irregularities and undue postponement of a lawsuit for more than two years. In accordance with law, two years are the maximum term of detention without a court sentence. Two years on May 24, a term that exceeds any sentence to be served by the four managing directors if found guilty of the outrageous charges. As known, minority shareholders and employees filed charges at the Attorney General Office and the Comptroller General Office against the first supervising team, composed of Nahunimar Castillo, Carlos Araujo and Orangel Godoy. The new supervisor, Víctor Moreira, promptly paid individuals and legal entities without the government having to pay a single penny. And he clearly stated that "after repaying all creditors, the business continues in good standing." Now, Tomás Sánchez and his Securities Superintendence turns a blind eye to a trust fund that they ought to establish with remaining funds, the sole owners of which are Econoinvest shareholders. Not only have the four managing directors been stripped of their businesses, the work of their entire lives. Now, when they are entitled to face trial in freedom under the Constitution, the Attorney General Office, through public prosecutor Guédez, convinced that "red power is forever," has maliciously applied for an extension that could withhold them in the absence of trial and without a crime, for additional two years.

Low

DISHONOR! A study by Daily Beast found that Venezuela is in the 14th position of the countries on earth with less freedom of the press and more business opacity. According to Transparency International, it occupies position number 164 among 180 surveyed countries. Based on the Misery Index 2011, it is in the second lowest position. The Economist: Venezuela is one of the 10 countries in "The Wars of 2012," according to an analysis in Foreign Policy & Crisis Group. In the Freedom Index, Venezuela ranks sixth, in the opinion of The Heritage Foundation.

www.runrun.es

@nelsonbocaranda

Translated by Conchita Delgado