Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is a Shanty Town Thug
By Aleksander Boyd
I know, I know.. It's been a week since my last editorial or update, but to be frank no one seems to be missing me that much. Anyway, putting into practice what Professor Briceño Guerrero calls "desviar la mirada" or "to shift attention", I went to Amsterdam to try to get lost in the decadent city. Prostitution, drugs, alcohol and yet no violence, hang on; what's wrong with that picture? Nothing's wrong, Dutch people are so used to these matters that they make no fuss about it anymore. The same principle apply to Venezuelans; they are so accustomed to abuses, violence, prostitution, alcohol and crime that they have lost their shock capacity. They don't react anymore.
The opposition is conformed by a band of cowards, mindless, incompetent, useless, selfish and amoral individuals who have Venezuela and the well being of its citizens in the last spot of their priority list. They have no balls nor brains and what it's even sadder they can not out-maneuver Hugo Chavez who is certainly no genius. Let's face it folks, by bitching and winging about the excesses of Chavez and his thugs, favors will not be won from the international community. Which brings us to another issue, what's the point of courting the "international community" anyway? A good simile would be a drunkard, loser, jobless, womanizer, violent latin macho from the downtrodden status trying to appeal a stylish, posh, self-denominated intellectual, spoiled, clueless, ignorant European chick from the upper classes. The chances of succeeding are non existent.
Venezuela has the same status in world affairs as Zimbabwe. Instead of wasting time with them we should try to gain support from the chavistas for they are certainly not assuming their posture owing to moral or intellectual reasons. They have aligned themselves with the government due to its ability to deliver in times of scarcity. The higher bidder wins as with everything in life. On the other hand Europeans, as far as I have discovered, don't give a toss about Venezuela. They can hardly locate the country in a world map and explaining to them the reasons why we don't want Chavez in power anymore is as difficult as trying to make a mentally retarded person understand Einstein speed of light's formula.
The US' stance is another issue on its own. Bush is very busy giving away Iraqi reconstruction contracts to his mates and accolades. The prospect of controlling Iraq's oil is just too appealing. Whatever happens in a South American banana republic is simply irrelevant. Thus, the American admin does not really care about Hugo Chavez or the Venezuelans for that matter. At any given time, they can send in the CIA to oust the creole Robin Hood without too much of a hassle.
Opposition leaders and educated Venezuelans are abandoning the ship. They all seem to be running away for their lives. And I question myself, what about the lives of the 500 or so people who are killed every month? Who is going to defend them? Who is going to take revenge on that? Yesterday, my sister in law was in a bus stop in San Bernardino with her 18 months old son and a couple in a car stop by to say "what a gorgeous baby you have got". She replied "thank you", then the woman jump out of the car and tried to immobilize her whilst the man was trying to run away with the baby. A taxi driver who was passing by stopped and after firing two gunshots to the air made them leave. And I question myself again; would these stupid Europeans have the same perception if someone had try to steal their babies? Would they not blame the government for the lack of security on the streets? Can the opposition be blamed for the disarmament of the police forces of Caracas?
Hugo Chavez is a "malandro de barrio" (shanty town thug) and as such he has to be dealt with. No diplomacy can be applied in his case for he understand nothing about it. The foreign press keeps portraying him as the champion of the poor, having a vast support amongst the lower classes. If such were to be the case, why is he so afraid of going to elections? Taking into account that he counts with the support of the poor -which in Venezuela's case make up for 80 % of the population-, it would be an easy ride for him to win another election, wouldn't it? Why the fear? Why the constant blocks to the revoking referendum?
The scenario is a fertile soil for a revolution of a truer sort. Those who
want to set sails and leave have every right to do so. Those who want to prostitute
themselves to keep their heads afloat have every right to do so and those who
will do whatever it takes to get rid of the tinpot dictator have every right
to do so. One thing is certain and I have said it before, no international task
force will go to Venezuela to solve its problems. If the dictator wants to dialogue,
let us dialogue. If he wants violence, violence he shall get. Courting middle
class army officials can prove more beneficial than regaining lost love from
the hypocritical international posh darling.
send this article to a friend >>