Coming out of that military closet

The obscene rally of yesterday at the Avenida Bolivar might have been a major image blunder for Chavez.

That Pyongyang feeling......

Pictures like this one went all around the world today and established, if any had still a doubt about it, that Chavez creation is nothing more than a military regime.  That the Bolivar avenue crowds over the years have become barely a few red specks and that the bulk in front of the central stage decorated with a gigantic image of Chavez, the beloved leader, is a military olive green crowd has been a lapsus of sorts that will haunt Chavez for the rest of his tenure.

The message from Chavez is clear here: you can do all the elections you want, I could not care less.  My power is at gun point, deal with it.

Only idiots and mercenaries can now pretend that we are in a civilian democracy dedicated to the betterment of the people.  Think about it: the latest weapons purchase to Russia is roughly equivalent to three years of the Venezuelan health budget (and even more depending on who does the math). 



Picture from El Nacional front page April 14. Look closely after clicking and you will see the gigantic Chavez in the middle.