Venezuela, crime and punishment?

During the past couple of weeks, Venezuelans have witnessed something unheard of before in their country: many people in high-ranking government positions have been arrested for corruption. An entire network was discovered of public officials and private businessmen who have allegedly robbed the nation of billions of dollars centred around three key government enterprises, the public oil company PDVSA, the entity supervising the cryptocurrency (SUNACRIP), and the public steel industry.

In a heartfelt address to the nation, an indignant President Nicolás Maduro called them a mafia, and it was obvious he feels deeply betrayed by people who up to now had his full confidence. He vowed that no stone will be left unturned to catch all the criminals and to regain the people’s stolen funds. The citizens have been very attentive to the proceedings, giving much support to the government against criminals deemed also as traitors and demanding no impunity.

It all started last October with the discovery that government accounts were missing $US 3 billion that should have been transferred there from PDVSA. That was the little breadcrumb that investigators started to follow leading to the oil company, the cryptocurrency agency, the important steel state industry, to private businessmen, one former deputy of the National Assembly (who had at some point been a minister), a former governor, a mayor, and even a few judges. Up to now, near one hundred people have been arrested awaiting trial.

Money laundering operations have been discovered and illicit goods shown on TV: warehouses full of hundreds of brand-new automobiles, several buildings under construction in an upper-class section of the capital, half a dozen aeroplanes (one found stuffed with dollars) and several mansions in the most exclusive Caracas neighbourhood where, allegedly, orgies were held and a prostitution network maintained. Many of the accused are now confessing and giving information to obtain leniency in their sentencing.

The National Assembly speedily passed (by unanimity) an anti-corruption law that mirrors the Assets Forfeiture Law model promoted by the United Nations, whereby the assets of those who have been sentenced for corruption are returned to the state. This is important because up to now, said assets had been auctioned off allowing lackeys of the corrupt to buy them to safeguard them for later use or sale by the criminals. As well, the Penal Code was modified allowing the maximum sentencing for corruption and treason to be extended from 30 to 50 years. (Venezuela does not have a death penalty.)

These well-placed individuals are not the first to steal from the people, but it is the first time that in Venezuela that an operation of this magnitude against corruption within the government files has been attempted.

Corruption has existed since the Europeans arrived at those shores, robbing, killing, enslaving, taking all that was not theirs under grandiose pretexts to cover their sins. But also, in later years government officials and politicians have stolen a great deal from their own people. This is why, with frequent corruption in the political and economic culture, it is necessary to exert constant vigilance. To have honest judges, a nation needs honest lawyers. To have honest politicians and officers one needs honest citizens. As Simón Bolívar famously stated that “morals and enlightenment” are our greatest needs”. However, this is all predicated on an infrastructure of just laws and impartiality in their enforcement. No one, whatever their position can be above the law.

The Bolivarian Revolution started by Hugo Chávez obtained landslide victories at the polls because it stood against the two-party system that ruled in Venezuela for 40 years which allowed corruption to thrive. And yet how little this is understood outside the country. For example, a writer in The Times Higher Education Supplement, recently stated that “… back to the 1980s. Venezuela is by the definitions of the time among the most prosperous countries in Latin America, and certainly one of the most Democratic.” This is wishful thinking on the part of those who are adverse to the socialist Bolivarian government The demographic data on inequality and poverty of that time shows that prior to the Bolivarian Revolution , Venezuela was anything but an idyllic place as revisionist opposition people like to think, but a veritable swamp of corruption “which was not being confronted by the state; instead it was being encouraged and justified…Thus, one of the main priorities of the Bolivarian Revolution, of its constituent process, as well as of all the initiatives of the Chavista forces, was aimed at eradicating corruption.”

The supposed “capitalist” economic system of Venezuela was reduced to a bacchanal, not real useful production, but of individual sacking and enrichment at the expense of the public welfare. This supposedly prosperous nation in 1999 had a poverty rate of up to 80 per cent, despite the immense petroleum income of the government.

Not only did economic corruption flourish, but violations of human rights were commonplace under previous governments: from 1960 to 1998 constitutional human rights were suspended 21 times. The Bolivarian government, in contrast, has never once suspended human rights guarantees, despite tremendous US sponsored terrorism, mercenary invasions, cyber-attacks, and numerous coup d’etat attempts.

Now the enemies of the Bolivarian government of Venezuela are screaming: “Look at how corrupt the Chavistas are!” But those are voices of hypocrites and liars, who have a very biased and selective memory, who never complained about human rights violations, robbery and fraud by previous governments led by Acción Democrática or COPEI, in which the criminals -high ranking as they were- were not held accountable and punished for their crimes.

The esteemed Venezuelan historian Luis Britto Garcia points out that the conquest was a colossal looting operation, and the grossly stratified colonial society that ensued, left a legacy of inequality and larceny. “With the explosion of the petroleum and mining based economy, public goods and earnings overtook the private economy, and a batch of newly rich and newly corrupt people came out of the trafficking of concessions and the milking of the state.” The previous governments, can be accurately regarded as oligarchies, governing for the benefit of an elite that had minimum public spirit, that absorbed all the individualism and consumerism obsessions of capitalism, but not the minimum work ethics or any sense of social responsibility.

But why is this corruption network operating now? Although not having tangible proof, there is a plausible explanation. Based on the fact that the USA is the prime haven for Venezuelan thieves involved in the former PDVSA, RECADI, and the banking debacle, and known coup plotters, terrorists, and many fugitives of Venezuelan justice. They have found political support in the USDA which has become the place where all sorts of conspiracies against Venezuela are plotted with US government approval.

Counterpunch