The Chavez/chavismo loss of last Sunday is starting to have strange effects reminding us of that famous radio show in Venezuela "our strange universe" where many a wacko theory was examined in all seriousness even if the premise did not deserve more than outright dismissal after a good laugh. In no particular order, mostly today news:
Venezuelan plane stoned in Bolivia
Apparently in Bolivia Venezuelans are now looked upon in more contempt than gringos. A Venezuelan army airplane was stoned by the natives in the northern jungle settlements. Plane had to leave ASAP.
Communication Minister Lara thinks that the use of "mierda" as an expletive is not a crime
I have to agree with him on that . The use that Chavez made of it was incredibly stupid, incredibly revealing, and of course incredibly damaging to Chavez. But not a crime. It is a mystery as to why Lara thought his words would help his boss. But at least we should recognize that he sense that something was wrong with his boss yesterday. No word also on whether his boss appreciated Lara's literary allusion to Garcia Marquez "El Coronel no tiene quien leescriba", the famous novel about a finished dictator (Nobody writes to the Colonel).
Vice Minister Villegas resigns
In an interview after the referendum he said that Chavez need to listen to other people. He will not be one of these voices. At least not from the inside.
Chavez mother says she is delighted that the NO won
Now, what better spin maker than your mother...
Chavez (and Diosdado Cabello) lose the Miranda state vote
Ex governor Mendoza is threatened with arrest. Apparently he is the one who organized the Miranda campaign for the NO. This surely must give a new meaning to "gracious democratic recognition of defeat".
No one can put pressure on Chavez
Or so says the defense minister, Rangel Briceño, who has a hard time constructing simple sentences. Yeah, we knew. That is why Venezuela has been living on the edge for almost a decade, the inability of Chavez to sit down and negotiate something. So, Mi General!, tell us something new.
But Chavez puts pressure on his followers
Today he reproached a room full of ardent supporters, of those that did vote for him, for not having helped remain and that because of them he would have to leave in 2013. In fact, he blamed them for letting the slums of Petare vote NO. And told them that they owed him. Can you say "resentment"? Can you speak to the wrong crowd? how bitter can one get?
Cilia Flores about to lose her seat
In what is one of the most amazing news of the day, some of the responsible for the Sunday loss might pay for their mistakes! The National Assembly chair, Cilia Flores, whose actions have done so much damage to the SI campaign is openly questioned and might not repeat next year at the National Assembly unless Chavez forces the issue. Will he? Will he not?
Gimenez of Yaracuy might get the boot
And another piece of incredible news, Yaracuy sleaze bag governor Gimenez might get removed form office and condemned at least b parliament. I mean, in a country with so much incompetence and corruption, what Gimenez must have allowed must defy the imagination. The committee of inquiry talks about 200 billion bolivares. Even at 6000 tot he USD, it is a tidy sum to see disappear in thin air.
Meanwhile, journalists who try to cover such news keep beaten up by the Caracas Police Metropolitana
That is right, the Metropolitana of Caracas has beaten up savagely a camera man of Globovision. All is filmed, including the thug faces of the thug cops. You would be hard pressed to chose between a potential mugger and asking one of these cops for help.
And finally, you lost an election? Change hour to have folks speak of something else.
That is right, out of the blue we are back to that stupid half an hour change of time zone. That way half of Venezuelan kids will have more sun in the morning and the other half less. Works a little bit like the referendum for a constitution that only would have worked for half the country.
-The end-