Piñera does the right thing

goodbye crusty white person with far right views

As reported by Maladjusted this morning, there's been a big hoo-hah down this way thanks to an interview given by Chile's ambassador to Argentina in which he said that the Pinochet years weren't that big a deal. Here's the exact quote as IKN shamelessly lifts SM's good translation:

"The majority of Chile didn't feel the impact of the dictatorship. On the contrary, they were relieved. Because before you couldn't buy anything imported, you had to pay for what was produced in Chile--expensive and bad. Over night, you started to find out what was missing. The people won. Then the streets were cleaned and people started to have jobs."

For details of how dumbass this crusty was when opening his mouth, check out the Maladjusted post.

So the news out of Chile a few minutes ago is that ambassador Otero (for it is he above) has "had his resignation accepted" (i.e. Seb Piñera has booted his ass outta town) even after he gave it the full apology. This is good. I'm actually beginning to like this Piñera dude, much to my own surprise.

Paraguay, Sex and drugs, (no rock'n'roll..yet)

They asked him to resign, and he resigned.

This crazy Paraguay place will start getting a hedonistic reputation sooner or later, mark my words.

• First you have a President with a background of extracurricular activities not normally associated with Catholic bishops (by that I mean he's into adult women more than the usual temptation traps) and with a child support burden to match.

• Then there's the recent data that has Paraguay as the world's number two producer of marijuana (ask anyone in Buenos Aires about the quality and they'll grin cheesily).

• And now a new scandalette, with Paraguay's ambassador to Chile caught with his pants (about to be) down at a bachelor party (photos from here).

This Armando Espínola dude in question, who is married to one very pissed off wife, is also famed for another sexy moment a few years ago when he was caught on camera checking out girly photos on his laptop while voting for a new law while a member of Paraguay's senate. He today resigned his diplomatic post in Chile and is presumably on his way back to sexytown Asuncion.


Now to be fair to Espínola, he said that the photos were taken years ago at a bachelor party and that someone had recently tried to blackmail him with the evidence.

Nice wig, Armando

When he refused, the presumed blackmailer went to the local Paraguay scandalrag 'Popular' to sell their wares. Darnit, there must be something in that tereré to get all these political hormones rushing about. Well, at least the guy had enough gumption to resign, not like that tosser Berlusconi in Italy.

The European Union has left the building

Goddam lefties like....errr....Italy and tinpot politically unstable countries like.....errrr..... The United Kingdom have decided that it's probably not a good thing to negotiate with fascist dictators that suspend constitutional rights, force curfews, suppress media and other such trifles.

Sweden’s foreign minister said all EU ambassadors have been recalled from Honduras after Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a coup.

Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU presidency, wrote on his blog yesterday that “all EU ambassadors have now left the country.”

Bildt wrote there is still uncertainty about events in Honduras after the coup and the EU is debating how best to push for “a quick return to full constitutional rule.”

The UN, the Organization of American States (OAS), the US and others have condemned the military coup that ousted Zelaya on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the surprisingly good coverage of Honduras at The Miami Herald continues.

'You will help me change the opinion of the world,'' Micheletti told a gaggle of foreign reporters hailing from Nicaragua to Italy who were at the country's presidential palace for a news conference Wednesday evening.

But if Micheletti was looking for an easy ally in the foreign press corps Wednesday, what he had instead was a hard time trying to explain his foreign relations gaffes. A man who just a week ago was the head of congress now finds himself in the hot seat, as the international press and leaders from throughout the world press him for explanations.

Micheletti said he looked forward to welcoming a team of four or five countries, including Canada, Mexico and Guatemala, that he heard plan to visit Honduras in the coming days.

''But, you just said a couple of minutes ago that trip hasn't been confirmed; it's just a rumor on an Internet page,'' a Salvadoran reporter shot back.

After a brief pause, Micheletti responded: ``That's fine, then I have the hope and faith in God that they will come. Israel and Taiwan have said they support us, and I have faith that other governments will follow.''

The reporters pressed: Had Taiwan and Israel formally expressed their support?

''I don't have an official declaration, but that is the rumor I've heard,'' Micheletti responded. ``It's an aspiration I have that all of the countries will be a friend of ours.''

Usurper Micheletti warns Insulza, Correa and Klishtina that if they accompany Zelaya to the sho on Saturday they'll be responsible for any bloodshed, not him. I mean, what a prize dickhead. No wonder Alvaro Vargas Llosa likes this guy.

And you know its serious when Zelaya's credit card gets blocked by congress. It's like...oh shit...they weren't kidding after all....

Berlusconi doesn't just offend IKN, by the way...---

By Antonio Berni (Argentine artist, 1905-1981)

......his words have now caused a diplomatic spat.

Argentina's chancellory has today summoned the Italian ambassador to express its "profound concern and ill-feeling" (precise Spanish "profunda preocupación y malestar") about the "joke" (a word that can be used only in the loosest possible terms) cracked by the Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi featured in this post found just down the page. It's so crass that it's not being repeated here.

Hey, I got an GREAT idea! Anyone know a few pathetic, offensive, racist Italian jokes that will offend even a quarter the amount that Silvio offended Argentina today? Which reminds me, thanks for the "Oh I'm so terribly offended by Silvio's weiner" mails this morning.

Related Post:
Silvio Berlusconi, freemasonary, death flights and Argentina's Dirty War

Venezuela's media love Israel more than Hugo. Surprised?

I love you though you hurt me so
Now I'm going to pack my things and go
Tainted Love, Soft Cell, 1981

Israeli news service Ynet got a telephone interview with Israel's (now ex) ambassador to Venezuela, Shlomo Cohen. Here's the link and go visit and read for yourself, but here are the direct quotes from Cohen. Y'know, sometimes...just occasionally.....you get a glimpse of the reality behind the curtain. No further comment from me. Let's be different about all this and treat you as a thinking human being. Read the man and work it out for yourself.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is the first time I'm being dismissed. We're getting the paperwork together and preparing to close down the embassy as quickly as possible. We don't have much time to waste, since the government has ordered us to leave the country within 72 hours. I don't remember anything like it. This is a new low in the relations between the countries."

"Since yesterday I've been receiving many calls from friends of Israel here, expressing their sympathy and support in light of the president's decision."

"During the Second Lebanon War I was summoned for consultations and Chavez threatened to sever the ties with Israel, but didn't follow through with the threat. This time he did. I estimated that something like this could happen. After all, he is an ally of Iran who maintains very close relations with the government in Tehran."

"Although the parliament lauded the decision and supported it, it's clear to everyone that he is the only one making the decisions. He regularly supports radical states and organizations, and his door is closed to us. Even if the media in Venezuela understands why we embarked on the Gaza operation, the regime is simply uninterested. It supports one side and that's that."

"I hope the economic and cultural ties continue despite the crisis, and I'm hopeful that one day the friendship that characterized the ties in the past will return. I no longer believe I will be back here as an ambassador; after all, I was declared a persona non grate. Perhaps I shall return in the future as a tourist."

The Israeli Ambassador to Venezuela is expelled

Shlomo Cohen and wife are about to travel by aeroplane

Here's AP on the news (in Spanish), and here's the Ottotrans™ of the moneyline.

"Venezuela has decided to expel the Israeli ambassador, Shlomo Cohen, and part of the personnel of the Israeli Embassy, reaffirming its vocation to peace and its demands for the respect of International Rights."

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Communication Jesse Chacón said:

"This is not a decision against Jews as is being said, but against Israel. Thus as we criticize the Jewish holocaust we (also) criticize the Palestinian holocaust because holocaust is holocaust and should be named by its name."