November 2009

In spite of having won contracts worth millions of dollars in different countries, Smartmatic seems incapable of shaking allegations that mar its reputation. And the reason is quite simple: the more business it gains, the greater the lack of transparency. Take for instance what has recently happened in Mexico, where the government is planning to gather biometric data to produce ID cards. A tender was organised by the Mexican government and the following companies submitted bids: LATIN ID S.A. de C.V., MAINBIT S.A. de C.V.; SOLTIC S.A.

Gregory Wilpert has written to let me, and my readers, know that he has not misrepresented himself. His 'clarification' follows:

News don't get anymore surreal than this: Mexico has just granted a $150 million.

Just over a month ago I published a long interview to Brazilian journalist and intellectual, Olavo de Carvalho, about the Foro de Sao Paulo, and Lula's interference in other countries affairs, among other things. Lula's latest faux pas -apologists call it Brazil's coming of age in the international scene- was to be seen embracing Iran's dubiously-elected leader Ahmadinejad.

Do readers remember the article by Andres Oppenheimer, in October 2005, where he exposed that Venezuela's Statistics Institute managed to decrease poverty levels, after President Hugo Chavez publicly blasted a report that showed a poverty increase of 11% since his ascent to power in 1999? The article was aptly entitled "¿Un milagro en Venezuela?" A true miracle indeed, for Chavez thinks he has the power to order poverty levels to decrease.