Friends, I am also from Brazil ("z" in english, "s", in portuguese) and I do
not fully agree with this. There is corruption, but it was a bigger problem
in the past.

This thread started because there was the information that in Venezuela
traffic offenders used to be immediately executed by policemen some years
ago. With all due respect, there is no way I could believe this. I do not
know what is the image being spread about Venezuela, and Caracas (I mean,
because of Chavez), but Venezuela is definitely not a place where one might
expect such a thing.

Regards,

Pedro Drummond
 

-----Mensagem original-----
De: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] Em nome de
Carlos A. Marcano V.
Enviada em: sexta-feira, 24 de setembro de 2004 10:46
Para: piclist@mit.edu
Assunto: Re: Re: [OT] Venezuela zero tolerance policy

 Russell McMahon wrote:

>And where does it stop?
>Absolutely nowehere, in practice.

 And I must add, where does it start? 

I think that my friends from Brasil (yes, with s) and Argentina would agree
that in our countries we are raised, intentionally or not, to be corrupt.
Let me explain myself. Latin american children grow up in so vicious
societys that parents are "forced" (even thought moral should come first) to
teach their kids "survival" schemes. I am not saying that they show you the
best way to give money to goverment employees but to act always trying to
get the biggest benefit for yourselves and to avoid being a victim of
someone eager. As an example, It is tipical that teenagers involved in minor
traffic accidents watch as their parents spend some (or lots) of money to
get them away from trouble (traffic police is one of the most corrupted and
also one of the most underpaid in the country**), instead of accepting their
responsability for their actions. This way this kids "know"
that there is a way of getting out of jams just coins away. And this is just
the tip of the iceberg. 

Regards,

*Carlos Marcano*
-Guri, Venezuela-

** That is another issue: How the hell have we managed to be the fifth oil
exporter in the world and be so poor? Corruption turned us into poor people?
Or poverty made us corrupt?

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