As Latin America editor for the Miami Herald, Andres Oppenheimer is one of the world’s most powerful men. I mean at least that what he says about himself on his web bio, which means he’s also kind of a douche, which you already knew if you read his stuff.
Anyway nobody is more psyched about this whole miracle laptop deal than Oppenheimer, and he has written about it approximately constantly since that fateful day earlier this month when the Colombians invaded Ecuador to shoot the Mexicans.
This week Opie goes all Johnny Cochran on us with the argument that Chavez and Correa are proven terrorists if it turns out that the laptops in Colombian custody were ever actually owned by FARC rebels. This argument is sort of bullshit, of course, since the debate is less about the authenticity of the laptops and more about whether the files say what the Colombian government says they say. And analysts say they don’t. To recap:
>>> Colombia says that Venezuela wanted to send $300 Million to the FARC. The laptop evidence says that they wanted to send a “dossier.”But Oppenheimer knows all this. He’s not interested in a discussion of the laptop docs and what they mean. He’s interested in pushing the gloves must fit storyline to the other journalists who are only casually following the story. And it will probably work too, considering that they are lazy and stupid and he seems so powerful on his website.>>> Colombia says that “Angel” is a code word for Chavez. The laptop evidence refers to “Chavez” when they are talking about Chavez.
>>> Colombia says that Chavez had a special relationship with the FARC. The laptop says so did Bill Clinton, Jim McGovern, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
>>> And Obama.
