I have been in Caracas these past few days, and repression and all I simply have had no time to to worry much about Chavez. Or tire you with my worries. Besides, repression is becoming such a matter of fact while Chavez celebrates his 11 years in power promising us 11 more years. Unless a massive "Mision Valium" is in the offings, I doubt the country can last another 11 years under Chavez....
But luck always helps me, from the most unexpected places. My S.O. has this thing about visiting the few green areas left inside Caracas and I obliged last Sunday. We went to try to find out a small park tucked all the way in upper El Marques. It was not easy but after trial and error we found the dead end street which lead us to Parque La Aguada, just separated from El Avila by the Cota 1000 highway.
There is really nothing much to write home about, besides the impression that this park is in better shape than most parks of the country. Probably its hidden locale and a neighborhood brigade manage to keep it out of trouble with still functioning basketball courts and picnic cabins (if you do not mind the noise of the Cota 1000). For those of you who do not know, a few years ago Chavez ordered the end of the entry fees charged at any public park, as "el pueblo" could not be asked to pay for its parks (even though the entries charged where dirt cheap to start with). But budget provisions did not follow and public parks decayed slowly but surely, just as the electrical grid and so many other things decayed while money was stolen or sent to Cuba, same difference.
There was no picture worth taking. However looking up I found an interesting point of view of Pico Oriental and I took it, just to justify my carrying of my small camera. Suddenly from under the meeting area shade the guard came to tell me that I could not that, that it was forbidden to take pictures inside public parks except during events such as birthday parties for children held in parks....
You have to know that the INPARQUES guard is a rather old man, missing a few teeth, probably there since the park exists and who in spite of his real "pueblo" qualities was able to understand how ridicule the situation was. The more so that this little park was in much better shape than most other parks where indeed Globovision could go for yet another damning report. Never mind that he was alone and I could have fooled him easily to take as many pictures I could have cared to take.
I do not know about you, but to commemorate the absurd of Chavez 11 years in office I cannot think of a better example than the no pictures rule....
PS: I have not been able to confirm the rule yet, but if the guard were wrong it would make the scene even more eerie....