Quico says: Sure, we didn't do so well in the PanAm Games, but in the league tables that really count, Venezuela is still on top of the game. The World Bank has just published its latest study on governance matters (covering 1996-2006), and Venezuela has edged out Paraguay for the coveted Western Hemisphere silver medal in freestyle corruption!That's right, boys and girls, we're now officially more corrupt than the country where a President of the Republic got busted riding around in a stolen BMW.
That's no excuse for complacency, though. We still have a ways to go before we catch up with the undisputed hemispheric masters of the craft: the Haitians. But Hugo Chávez was never one to go down without a fight. (OK, except for Feb. 4th and April 11th.)
As new corruption allegations rain down on PDVSA, he is keeping the focus squarely where it belongs: on corruption in the oil industry before he came to power. Showcasing his determination to go for gold, he then confirmed his backing for PDVSA boss Rafael Ramírez, the man directly responsible for it all.
See, the Haitians might have the natural talent, but with leadership like that, we have what it takes to make it to the top.
