Message to INFODIO readers: investigative journalism, which is what this site does, takes lots of time. Visiting media looking for a quick run down on Venezuela's gargantuan corruption, have the decency to at least cite the source when plagiarising this site's content without attribution (exhibit Reuters here and here, exhibit Bloomberg here, exhibit OCCRP here). To all readers, do the right thing, the honest thing: support independent investigative journalism, help us expose rampant corruption. Note added 28/06/2021: impostors are using this site's former editor's full name, and a fake email address (alek.boyd.arregui@gmail.com) to send copyright infringement claims / take down requests to web hosting companies (exhibit Hostgator). The attempt is yet another effort paid by corrupt thugs to erase information about their criminal activities. Infodio.com has no issues with other websites / journalists using / posting information published here, so long as the source is properly cited.

September 2009

The Love of Money

The BBC has produced what it calls a "Series offering a definitive account of what happened to create the greatest financial crisis for eighty years", entitled The Love of Money. The series is remarkable in that it provides a window into the thinking of the people that were/are in the driving seat, and whose decisions for better or worse brought us to the current mess.

Venezuela's finance minister comes out of FONDEN closet

For some time Hugo Chavez, his officials and assorted apologists have maintained that FONDEN, meant to be a rainy day/development fund of sorts, had $57 billion. Today the truth has been revealed: Ali Rodriguez, Minister of Finance, has said that the fund had "accumulated" $57.8 billion worth since 2005, of which $44.5 billion have been 'invested."