Enemies of the homeland, particularly those behind the scenes, I will give you a name: Globovision. Greetings gentlemen of Globovision, you should watch where you are going….I recommend you take a tranquilizer and get into gear, because if not, I am going to do what is necessary. [President Chávez issuing one of his trademark kiss-of-death warnings on Tuesday]
In fact, with Chávez now threatening to shut down Globovision – the only remaining TV station that does not blithely parrot his political talking points or broadcast his public bromides…verbatim – the only real questions about the simmering crisis unfolding in Venezuela are:
1. Will the Venezuelans who have taken to the streets to protest his despotic decree to shut down the country’s oldest television channel, Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), on Sunday (only to replace it with another state-run channel dedicated to promoting his political agenda) inspire military generals to perfect the 2002 failed coup against Chávez or merely goad them into executing his orders (with greater dispatch this time) to quell these protests…by any means necessary?
2. How much longer will regional leaders stand idly by as Chávez makes enabling fools of them for steadfastly praising him as the deus ex machina for their longsuffering anti-American (anti-Bush) grievances?
Alas, the answer to the first question is already becoming manifest. Because even though thousands of city-dwelling protesters appear to present a formidable force for regime change, I suspect Venezuela’s fool-me-once military generals are mindful that millions of country-side farmers are still so devoted to Chávez (their benign feudal lord) that they have their pitchforks sharpened and hoisted to defend him – just as they did in 2002. Indeed, Chávez has already issued the clarion call for them to:
Be alert, on the hillsides, in the shantytowns [in case the protests turn into another coup against me].
Therefore, either with the whimper of plaintive cries from hopelessly-weary protesters or the bang of gunfire from hopelessly-conflicted soldiers, these protests will end within days…with Chávez’s dictatorial powers enhanced immeasurably.
Nevertheless, the answer to the second question offers a little more hope. Because the only female leader in Latin America, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, has already shown that she has the political cajones to condemn this regional bully for abrogating his democratic oath so brazenly. Therefore, even Caribbean leaders – too many of whom swallowed Chávez’s PetroCaribe snake oil ever so promiscuously – must now feel compelled, if only to pump-up their limp egos, to join the chorus of those condemning him.
But I too am mindful that no less a regional leader than President George W. Bush can attest to the fact that it’s foolhardy to expect Chávez to cower or retreat under a barrage of political condemnation. After all, this Venezuelan Diablo actually thrives on such verbal jousting….
Accordingly, despite the bravery of these protesters, I am constrained to lament: Viva Chávez…and may God help the people of Venezuela.
NOTE: I feel honor-bound to disclose that I heralded Chávez’s wholly-democratic election in 1999 as a bona fide socialist revolutionary. But, as the Related Articles below delineate, my disillusion and disaffection with his leadership were swift in coming.
Meanwhile, the only silver lining in the dark political clouds now hovering over Venezuela is that these (latest) patently-dictatorial acts by Chavez might finally shame international celebrities like Danny Glover and Harry Belafonte enough to stop them from prostituting their fame in support of his regime. But I wouldn’t bet on it. After all, Chávez the munificent is bankrolling Glover’s biopic (with $18 million) on the life of Francois-Dominique Toussaint Louverture, leader of the 18th century slave rebellion that led to the founding of Haiti. (Although, in the crass and craven business of funding movies, at least this project has eminently-redeeming value….)
Related Articles:
Viva Chávez
PetroCaribe: Let’s look this gift horse in the mouth
Hugo Chavez
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