Caracas Chronicles

Here’s one to turn your stomach: Jesús Caldera Infante, the former head of Fogade who was so corrupt his own staff rebelled rather than continue covering up for him, now says he’s a victim of “political persecution.” Responding to Assemblymember Pedro Carreño’s investigation into his misdeeds, the guy says Carreño is only out to get him to forestall his intended run for the Táchira State governorship.

[Which, for all I know, could be true: a fight between Pedro Carreño and Caldera Infante is more or less a fight between Al Capone and Bugsy Siegel as far as I’m concerned.]

What’s galls me is the way kleptochavistas who, exceptionally, get into trouble immediately turn around and cynically co-opt the language used by the scores of real victims of chavista political persecution. Nevermind that the guy is STILL the top bureaucrat in the Carabobo State Government – nevermind that he’s never been tried, or even indicted, or even faced more than parliamentary censure. Nevermind that he’s still living high on the hog off the money he embezzled. Barf.

What’s serious, though, is that Caldera Infante’s preposterous gripe muddies the semantic waters, tending to raise questions about ulterior motives when real persecuted dissidents cry foul. Which isn’t just infuriating, it’s dangerous.