Venezuela: Let's launch a worker and popular tide against corruption

By Socialist Tide

The latest mega-corruption facts that have come to light, scandalizing the entire country, with the arrest of senior PSUV militant officials and members of the entourage of the now former minister Tarek El Aissami, among other cases, They are not something exceptional. They are an example of the way of appropriation and accumulation of capital by the political-military bureaucracy and the lumpen-bourgeoisie that prevails in the Venezuelan State..

The Fifth Republic, after a few years in which he promised a socialist transition, in which important reforms were made and the people obtained valuable social achievements; ended up reproducing and even multiplying the evils of the IV, adding new ones. That, by not replacing the capitalist model, and on top of that for suffering a marked bureaucratic degeneration and authoritarian drift. It is what has metastasized and makes its purulence sprout with notable intensity today..

The arrests that have been taking place are not part of a real "anti-corruption crusade" but rather of "settling scores" and internal disputes for power and control of illicit businesses., in addition to occurring practically in a pre-electoral framework, in which the government seeks its rearrangement, to ensure the re-election of President Maduro and the continuity of the dominant caste. Every time there is a fight over standing "wherever there is", Some important people are imprisoned and their closest collaborators or accomplices are released. It is the fight for control of national income and a way of purging itself that the system has to withstand the pressure.

The struggles of the workers and the people are growing, and although they have not yet achieved their demands, have an impact on the political superstructure; especially when the reduction in income reduces the loot of the corrupt who dispute with the people the resources to satisfy their basic needs..

This time, with the "anti-corruption" operation that is being carried out, Members of regional governments and the military and judicial sectors have also fallen, together with whoever was Minister of Petroleum, of Industries and National Production, Vice President for the Economic Area, Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Governor of the State of Aragua, Minister of Internal Affairs and Justice, and one of the top leaders of the PSUV. It's not anything.

But from time to time these types of confrontations occur, as happened with Rafaél Ramirez, also former Minister of Energy and Petroleum, and former president of PDVSA. In 2017 They were arrested, with accusations of corruption, Eulogio Del Pino and Nelson Martínez, when they were Minister of Petroleum and President of PDVSA respectively; although Nelson Martínez died in prison in 2018 without having been tried and Eulogio Del Pino remained imprisoned since 2017 without knowing about the trial (which is equivalent to being "kidnapped").

So the removals, Persecutions and arrests are part of the internal collisions in the State apparatus and a reflection of the class struggle. It cannot be said that this happens because the government fights corruption., but the other way around: is your source, so corruption is a constant and it is left to run... Until someone due to disagreements, for not making the agreed distribution, or for sticking your nose into someone else's territory, falls into disgrace and what was hidden is revealed, or it just takes a toll on you somehow, without much being known about the matter. Some accuse others: Rafael Ramírez points out in the press that "Maduro and Delcy's operators received oil in the corrupt plot". The others accuse him.

As the deputy of the bureaucratic regime Hermann Escarrá recognizes with his own figures, the amounts involved in the recently revealed corruption plot, would add up to 23.000 millions of dollars in different irregular events. But this is just the foam that spills from the rotten pot. And what is even more reprehensible is that it continues to happen while an imperialist blockade is denounced and two years of pandemic are being confronted..

According to the organization Transparency Venezuela, «they are committed more than 42 billion dollars of Venezuelan public assets in a total of 127 cases of alleged corruption or irregular management of Petroleros de Venezuela resources, S. A. (Pdvsa)». Not to mention more multibillion-dollar “giant cases” involving more people working within the state and others who are fugitives from U.S. authorities.. Ver: https://www.aporrea.org/contraloria/n381454.html

In Venezuela, There are references that illicit economies constitute the 21 % of the Gross Domestic Product, 1/5 del START (some 9.400 million dollars a year), data that supports our assertion that they are a main part of the mode of appropriation of the bureaucracy and the sectors of capital associated with it or born from it. The main illicit activities are drug trafficking, smuggling of gasoline and gold, extortion in ports, exchange fraud, commissions and surcharges, the illicit game, financial speculation…

Other sources give higher percentages for Venezuela, as a Global Financial Integrity report 2017, which indicated that the global average of illicit financial flows in the world, related to international trade, was from 18% of total trade in 2014, Venezuela being located among the countries with the highest percentage, with a 56% (some 70 billion dollars, which include informal economy activities, figure and percentage higher than Afghanistan, by the way).

In a global study published in 2018 by the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (THRACITE), who evaluated 84 countries in four areas: government and institutions; transparency and trade; supply and demand; and customs and infrastructure; Venezuela obtained a score of 14 on 100, only surpassed in bad grade by Syria (11), Yemen (12), Libya (13) and Iraq (13), countries that were or are at war.

Due to known behaviors and antecedents and international data, we can conclude that, when here we talk about "anti-corruption crusade", There is nothing left but to appeal to the popular proverb with the phrases of "zamuro taking care of meat" and "cachicamo telling the morrocoy conchúo". The people must not allow themselves to be deceived.

SOCIALIST TIDE REPORTED THE CONTINUED EMBETBERGING AGAINST THE COUNTRY AND NO INSTITUTION DID ANYTHING

Socialist Tide has been denouncing for years, with the support of research and studies, the occurrence of a colossal embezzlement and capital flight in Venezuela, for more than 250 billion dollars, as well as a shortage in PDVSA's accounts estimated at a figure higher than the 200 billion dollars (the recent case represents only a fraction). We have stated that this was equivalent to at least a decade of imports for the entire country and exceeds the amounts of our External Debt., as well as exceeds the amount of several annual budgets of other Latin American countries. This is a historic robbery that sets a record and takes on genocidal proportions., whose result we see in the miseries endured by the Venezuelan people and in the diaspora of millions of emigrants, along with the dismantling of the country.

• He 27 February 2013 We went with a group of citizens, and with different organizations, before the Public Ministry, to introduce a demand for investigation and sanctions by the commission of embezzlement against the Republic and exchange crimeswww.aporrea.org/actualidad/n223911.html
• In 2014, through a study, carried out by the Marea Socialista Research Team (www.aporrea.org/contraloria/n257348.html) We show the occurrence of enormous embezzlement and capital flight against the Republic, estimated at around 259.000 millions of dollars.
• Also in 2014, We published a work on the payment of illegitimate and allegedly corrupt foreign debt by the country: http://www.aporrea.org/contraloria/n258820.html
• He 3 June 2015, We went with a commission made up of several former ministers of President Chávez, and by the editor of the popular communication portal Aporrea.org Gonzalo Gómez, member of Marea Socialista, to submit a document to the Comptroller General of the Republic (www.aporrea.org/contraloria/n271555.html), on behalf of the participants in the public launch event of the Platform for Public and Citizen Audit (www.aporrea.org/contraloria/a208509.html) to request investigations from said body, about the occurrence of alleged continued embezzlement from the nation.
• In September 2015, as part of the Platform for a Public and Citizen Auditwww.aporrea.org/contraloria/n271368.html we present a document before the Republican Moral Councilhttps://www.aporrea.org/ddhh/a214280.html requesting to investigate and stop the diversion or loss of immense amounts of resources from the National Oil Revenue and the country's currencies.
• In 2017 Another study was presented in which some members of Marea Socialista participated, titled: «Remembering... What happened to Venezuela's oil dollars? Corruption at PDVSA: Just the tip of an iceberg!»www.aporrea.org/economia/n314042.html

None of this generated any "anti-corruption crusade" in the indicated years or in subsequent years..

CORRUPTION DOES AS MUCH OR MORE DAMAGE THAN THE BLOCKADE AND IS OLDER: STEAL MONEY FOR WAGES, IT RUINS THE COUNTRY AND PREVENTS THE WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE

At least since 2017 The government has been repeating the excuse of the blockade and imperialist sanctions against the country, which undoubtedly cause serious problems to our economy, and above all to the working class and the population, imposing inhuman deprivations; but it's even worse, in the middle of all that, the aggravated effect caused by corruption, to which is added the dispossession of all the value of work from the Venezuelan working class, with an anti-labor policy of “zero salary”, that does not cover even one day of the worker's food and transportation.

If we take into account that the latest official data available (from 2018) report an active population of 14.5 million people in Venezuela - not very credible data, knowing that the economic and social crisis, It has caused employment to fall and many people have had to leave the country- only the 23.000 millions of dollars that Escarrá talks about, they would give to distribute among the Venezuelan workers (the working population) almost 1.600 dollars per head; figure that the current sum of all the monthly salaries received by a worker with the official minimum wage does not reach in an entire year.

But if we were to talk about the cost of the basic basket (CB of food and other non-food goods and services) as a reference for the minimum wage (Art. 91 CRBV that the government and employers fail to comply with and violate), estimated at more than 900 dollars monthly in Venezuela at the end of 2022, we have to approximately 475 billion dollars stolen by embezzlement (executed by officials and capitalists), only until 2013, They are an amount that would allow you to cancel the cost of 527 millions of salaries at the cost of the CB, and it would be enough to distribute almost 33 million dollars per person among the entire existing active working population. And we are not counting the continued embezzlement after the date of the complaint. That's why we must, among other claims, reinforce the fight for a minimum wage that covers the cost of the basic basket as established in Art 91 CRBV, Instead of resources being sucked away by corruption.

Where did all that money go?? What was it washed in?? Who were all the authors of such looting?? Something so immense could not go unnoticed by any government.. That's why everyone is involved.

THE COMPLAINTS OF CORRUPTION WERE NOT ONLY NEGLECTED: THEY CAUSED REPRESSION ON THE COMPLAINTERS

We will give some examples:

We do not forget the disappearance of Alcedo Mora, after denouncing corruption at PDVSA, without this leading to any effective official investigation.

There are the cases of two young people from PDVSA (now former managers) who reported corruption and were later arrested on charges of providing confidential information to the United States. We demand the review of his case and the granting of full freedom.

MS has been prevented from legalizing elections and one of our premises was raided. They have sabotaged our events with "blackouts" and they have even harassed us with "collectives". They have imprisoned some of our leaders at some point. We have suffered threats and smear campaigns by state media.

They do not pursue the vast majority of the corrupt, unless they compete, but they are cruel to the workers who complain and fight, that I facilitate are imprisoned for "instigation of hatred" and even with accusations of "terrorism".

WHO CAN RAISE THE FLAG OF THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION? 

Not even the government of the bureaucracy (the new right) nor the bourgeois opposition (the old right) can you raise those flags, because they are part of corruption. We include the union bureaucracies of both sides, because they are part of the clans and the corrupt are their political leaders.

Government, in addition to having appointed those who have committed corruption to their positions, kept them in them for a long time and has not guaranteed nor does it guarantee the recovery of resources (It is even possible to think that they would be stolen again). The opposition of the classic right was demonstrated with Guaidó and with cases such as Citgo or Monómeros, among others, who also has no scruples about using the public resources of Venezuelans. Many of those who are political opponents are involved in shady and lucrative businesses with the government.. The business class takes advantage of the government's anti-worker policies, subjecting the working class to permanent robbery. (It is theft and corruption to take away your fair salary and benefits for the enrichment of a few.).

The government with its instruments, before the ANC (2017) and now the AN, with endorsement of other public powers, has approved unconstitutional instruments such as the so-called Anti-Blockade Law and the Special Economic Zones, that protect the secret, the lack of transparency and decisions without consultation in the transactions and businesses of the State with transnational and national capital. This serves to hide corruption..

There are those from the government and the National Assembly who propose strengthening anti-corruption laws., But their laws are of no use if they themselves flagrantly violate them. (those that already exist) and trample on the Constitution.

It corresponds to the working class and the sectors of the people in struggle, to the Sovereign People, raise the anti-corruption flags as victims of its hardships and consequences.

THE SOCIALIST TIDE PROPOSALS AGAINST CORRUPTION AND EMBETBERGMENT

• Marea has always called on the working class and the popular movement to exercise the role of anti-corruption controller and supervisor., which is linked to education and formation of values ​​and awareness against this scourge, which in Venezuela is a structural part of the system of domination.
• We maintain that the consistent fight against corruption has to be linked to the need to fight for a new revolution, to establish a democratic government, anticapitalist, workers and the people, without bureaucrats or corrupt.
• In that way, We raise the slogan of a Public and Citizen Audit, with worker participation, both companies and state accounts (including those of PDVSA, CVG, Mining Bow, agri-food sector…) as well as external and internal debts, highly suspected of illegality and illegitimacy. We even believe that workers have the right to this in private equity companies. To apply it, a social movement capable of organizing it and giving it impetus is necessary..
• We demand the investigation, dismissal, judgment, imprisonment and confiscation of accounts and assets of the corrupt.
• This goes hand in hand with the essential liquidation of nepotism and the concentration of multiple positions in the same people.
• We demand the demilitarization of the Public Administration and the review of the businesses of the FANB companies.
• We demand that all unfinished and failed or uncompleted works be investigated, with which State resources have been squandered. (the "red elephants").
• We include in the audit and investigation requirement, with its due punishment if corruption is proven, the cases of companies and state funds handled by the self-appointed “interim president” Juan Guaidó and his team, with usurpation of public powers, and in a manner harmful to national sovereignty, in complicity or at the service of imperialism (US governments).
• We propose an Independent Fund and Under Social Control, for the deposit and management of resources that can be rescued from the hands of the corrupt, to allocate them to the improvement of salaries and social conditions, as well as the recovery of state companies, productive investment and public works necessary for the common good.
• In these moments, anti-corruption slogans, along with the demand for labor rights and constitutional wages, They must be part of the main axes that drive the development of the class struggle in Venezuela, and the substantive recovery of the prominence of the labor-popular movement.
• Given the approach of the situation of national and presidential elections, anti-corruption demands must also take center stage, within the framework of the great discredit that surrounds the government sector and the opposition bourgeois formations; something that we will have to discuss how to approach.
• To achieve the necessary changes, We are committed to promoting and uniting all struggles, rebuild the organic strength and mobilization capacity of the working class and the poor people, and continue in the purpose of building a revolutionary party, anti-capitalist and anti-bureaucratic, of the exploited majorities.

We close this document reiterating the need for a new revolution in Venezuela, that allows us to overcome the current government and the prevailing corrupt-capitalist economic system, through a government of the workers and the people, without political-military bureaucracies, and with democracy and respect for the rights of the people.

«Zamuro does not take care of meat», Let the people take care of their own! Money for salaries, not for corruption!