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I got up this morning to the news that "I've got AIDS." It wasn't my doctor who gave me the bad news, no. It was the Derwick boys (Francisco D'Agostino, Francisco Convit, Pedro Trebbau, and Alejandro Betancourt), who in their boundless wisdom, continue to position the only tactic they have at their disposal, money, in order to deploy the only strategy they know to use when bribery fails: intimidation.

The social programs of Hugo Chavez were based on direct transfers of cash and strong subsidies to the Venezuelan poor, in exchange for their political loyalty. As such they were exclusive and designed to obtain maximum political benefits. Poverty, however, is a structural condition that calls for structural solutions. Cash transfers and subsidies represent a fish a day, as compared to the need for empowering the poor to learn how to fish. When the transfers diminish or, even, disappear, the poor revert rapidly to their original condition, this time more despondent than ever.

Rafael Ramirez is the Minister of Energy and Petroleum of Venezuela. For the past 11 years he has also been the President of the state-owned petroleum company, Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). I would like to describe in this article how he led the company into bankruptcy. In so doing he has also generated economic and social chaos in the country, since petroleum is the only source of foreign currency for our nation. It represents 96% of all Venezuelan exports.

The correct thing to do, in relation to billions of dollars reportedly schemed by a number of companies contracted to solve the power crisis in Venezuela, is to allow them to have their say. As such, I sent a few communications yesterday to IMPSA, an Argentine conglomerate whose activities have been singled out by Venezuelan experts as exhibit A of enormous overbilling in the execution of public infrastructure works. Case in point Tocoma, fourth dam in a series in the lower Caroní river, being built by a consortium (Odebrecht, Impregilo & Vinccler​) and in which IMPSA was the chosen contractor to build and install 10 Kaplan turbines.

derwick-associates by dm_5228661b7e55f

UPDATE, September 9, 2013, 2:10 EDT: Dailymotion has removed the video above, after receiving a copyright infringement notice, presumably sent by agents / lawyers acting on behalf of Derwick Associates.

Derwick Associates, the energy company involved in a mega corruption scandal, overcharged the Venezuelan State as much as $2.933 billion according to estimates from energy expert Jose Aguilar. In an interview with INFODIO, Aguilar argued that Derwick Associates is the "tip of the iceberg" in a considerably larger swindle that could have cost Venezuela in excess of $23 billion. Aguilar named names of international corporations taking part in the scheme: Argentina's IMPSA, Spain's IBERDROLA and Duro Felguera, France's Alstom, China's CMEC and Sinohydro, Germany's Ferroostaal, Thailand's TSK, as well as American Waller Marine.

Leopoldo J. Martinez is a Washington D.C.-based Venezuelan tax expert and lawyer, closely aligned with the opposition movement to the late Hugo Chavez. Martinez is meant to be Washington's representative of MUD -umbrella group of parties and politicians- led by Henrique Capriles. His Twitter and Facebook account reveal where he stands politically. There's even photos of him sitting proudly next to Capriles.

Forget about Tiny Rowland and his African adventures as imperialist entrepreneur and dealmaker. The unacceptable face of capitalism has morphed into its XXI century iteration: bankers. This meme of bankers as the world’s worst has been appropriated and “occupied” by the Left. And the argument has been set up as one between “capitalism” and the power of the state. It may seem odd for someone like me to bash capitalism and entrepreneurship, but seeing what some “capitalist” bankers and banks are doing these days, I can't help but empathise with the "progressive" trend to paint bankers as the parasites on the world’s productive class.