From Daniel in Venzuela (Venezuela News And Views):
...before I go into a quick summary of yesterday events let me offer you a brisk Washington Post Editorial that says it all about the current situation of Venezuela and Chavez, with phrases like this one: The official results, showing the margin of Mr. Chávez's loss, have not been released. "sin pelos en la lengua", as we say in Venezuela.
What can I say about yesterday performance in the National Assembly? No surprise was expected since we knew that the servile National Assembly was going to approve the orders of Chavez to allow for his eternal "reelection" (read again the editorial above, I am not the only one doubting of the quality of Venezuelan elections). And yet surprises came...
...boxes of useless signatures were carried by a human chain to the floor of the assembly. As I observed the carriers I thought about the move I was subjected too recently and let me tell you that for boxes supposedly filled up with paper they were darn easy to be carried around. The chair refused to have the boxes opened for inspection by opposition assemblymen. Imagine that!
- one box was opened by a sympathetic and exalted carrier who ruffled the leaf for the cameras. The cameras detected many blank sheets in the ream of paper! I mean, they cannot even fake it in one box!!!! Amazing!... ◼ Read the rest...
◼ The 2008 Venezuelan results: 7 - Conclusions
◼ The Chavez permanent show: 170 hours of cadena
A little note of interest: Chavez this year has already spent 170 hours in cadenas. That is, Chavez has commandeered ALL TV, and ALL Radio stations of Venezuela to transmit simultaneously his speeches for 170 hours this year. Nobody else is allowed to do, and nobody can reply to his message on the state TV network, the largest one by far in the country (1).
Hugo Chavez has been a tyrant almost from the start, at least since 2001.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Venezuela in 2001 I knew very little about Chavez. But everyone that I met, actually had a conversation with, were very unhappy with their president. When they spoke of his performance it was softly as if they feared someone was listening.
Having been to Venezuela I tend to pay more attention to news articles invoving the country and its people, including the president. I've long since come to the opinion that Hugo is kind of crazy, intoxicated with power, and no good for Venezuela, South America, or North America. Kind of like a South American Idi Amin. If he were to get the term limits removed and stay in power he would be more like Idi Amin with each passing month.
Just a few thoughts
It has been disappointing to watch this man at work, whom I had a little respect for at first for booting out a bunch of corporate raiders and surviving a coup attempt.
ReplyDeleteBut, I have watched this man speak, and I have watched how he reacts to questions which are not fawning of his agenda, and he is an absolute demagogue. He verbally tarred and feathered one Irish journalist who asked, in a very mild tone, why he was allowing indefinite election in his position and not for his governors or anybody else? Chavez went into a long rant about how American and European imperialists try to paint him as a tyrant.. which is not what the journalist said at all... and he didn't answer the question.
As bad as it is here, at least our politicians and press secretary still have to pretend to genuflect and say crap like, "You know, that's a really good question," and "I don't have that information in front of me right now, but I will definitely follow up and get back to you on that."
It's worse than that - he is actually shutting DOWN the media, it's really incredible.
ReplyDeleteBloggers like daniel in venezuela are working hard to make sure the world KNOWS what is happening - not just what the American press is fed by PR flacks like Shellenberger and his Code Pink cohorts.
I'd nominate bloggers like Daniel for Man of The year in a heartbeat.
here's his latest post - and he sees a turning point, I think: End of year whimsy
Cute article from the Wall Street Journal. they are not forgetting about Chavez and the contempt expressed for him is, in a way, even worse than what is expressed in this blog who at least acknowledges his political talent. Still, the WSJ is pessimistic "How nice it would be if oil stayed low long enough for a democratic Iran, Venezuela or Russia to emerge from this crisis. Odds are that won't happen."
But we will retain cute phrases that show how far Chaevz has fallen: "Inflation is already 36%, a punishing tax on the masses Señor Chávez claims to champion." and "Mr. Chávez can't prop up Castro or Colombia terrorists as before." Who knew.....
Is that light at the end of the tunnel?