Excerpts of column "Runrunes" (Rumors) released on May 29

High

THE BUSES. There are six of them. They are at the headquarters of state-run oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) located in La Campiña (east Caracas). Through a fiduciary broker they were bought for USD 300,000 from Holiday World of Houston. I posted the photos on my website. The bills turned out to be at USD 1 million per unit. They are buses for rock stars. They include beds, restroom, speakers and satellite TV, in addition to oversized, outer screens for the caudillo or his designee- to engage in electioneering. It is a single pool of the government, the ruling party, personal assets, fees, ministers, military officers, encoded accounts, and global pimps.

Intermediate

THE PROCESSION. Ex-commander Yoel Acosta Chirinos, a pioneer of MVR (Movimiento Quinta República Fifth Republic Movement, a leftwing political party founded by Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez in 1997) has thrown -poison?- darts at the government and its campaign in several newspapers in the province. "The revolution comprises three stages: first stage is demolition of the old model; second stage is the building of the new model, and the third stage is consolidation," he explained in the city of Valera (Andean Trujillo state). "We, Venezuelans, are still in the first link, as we have been unable to knock down the old house and keep on dragging vices," he added. "Driving the president to an election campaign would finish him off, because of his illness; therefore, military officers are advised to preserve Chávez's life so that he can win on October 7 with a difference of at least 10% over the opposition candidate. Chávez gave it all for the people; now, it is the people's turn to give it all for Chávez. For that reason, they should get organized and exert the power afforded to them by the Constitution." Afterwards, he declared, "The PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela) is not ready to ensure the Head of State the office for the next election term, which means that the threats on this government are real." But he told journalist Hernán Lugo the toughest: "I traveled to Cuba to meet with Chávez, and security rings prevented me from it. Then, I approached (Foreign Minister Nicolás) Maduro, who ran away from me. He fled as if I had an infection." And he reasoned, "the problem with the ruling party is arrogance, lack of humbleness. Some in the government want Chávez to die because their wives wonder: When are we going to spend the dollars?'"

www.runrun.es
@nelsonbocaranda

Translated by Conchita Delgado