January 16, 2006

Chavez Superstar

Summary:

• Standing out as the political figure of the year compensates Chavez´s indignation for his catastrophe in the Parliamentary elections.

• According to the Colombian magazine Gatopardo, Chavez is the most media like and scandalous character of the continent.

• Jorge Castañeda, ex Secretary of Foreign Relations for Mexico, signaled that it is time for the International Community to take seriously that Chavez, taking advantage of the disgust for Bush, successfully exports this model.

• Evo Morales arrived in Venezuela in a plane from Cubana de Aviación, obtained 30 Million dollars from Chavez and parted in a plane from Pdvsa-Citgo.

• On the verge of breakage, relations between Venezuela and Peru, for Chavez support to Ollanta Humala, this circumstance aggravated by the imputations against the candidate, Lourdes Flores.

• According to Chavez, his circle of good grows, comprised by Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia.

• If the alliance Chavez-Morales is sustainable, the destiny and use of the greatest energy resources in the continent depends on these two.

• The new Iranian President invited to Caracas.

• The ratification of the strategic alliance signed with Jatamí and the offer regarding Venezuela’s uranium reserve is expected.

• Meanwhile the country falls apart, Chavez keeps blaming all sufferings to previous governments and keeps offering plans for the future.

• A thought out and discrete document of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference annoys Chavez.

• It is a drawing of the social and political drama of the country.

Upon arriving to his seventh year in the Presidency, Chavez compensates his indignation by his catastrophe in December’s Parliamentary Elections with the acknowledgement of his star figure in the contemporary political world. At the beginning of his mandate, he was subject of mockery when he anticipated such purpose. Now, means of communications and analysts of diverse latitudes coincide in pointing him out as Person of 2005. From Time Magazine to China Daily. He appeared in the front pages of prestigious magazines, including Foreign Policy. Each cover pretends to construe the Caribbean Lieutenant Colonel, so determinant in the new political map being configured in Latin America. Foreign Policy titles the interview as Hugo Boss, an ingenious word game. Boss, as chief, but it also identifies a well known men’s wear brand. Effectively, Chavez does not elude to highlight the quality of his suits, dress shirts, ties, apparently from European brands and frequently shows off his wrist with exorbitant pricely watches. In the text of the interview is a suggestive proposal: Chavez modernizes the authoritarian model for democratic times: an autocrat with power to compete victoriously in any election, but not so much as to completely disregard the opposition.

The Colombian Magazine Semana, upon designating for the first time, man of the year, to a

person from another country, justifies this act with the argument that Chavez, otwithstanding his anachronistic demagogy, and being perceived as a tropical clown, is now positioned as the Latin American leader of greater global influence. Another Colombian magazine, Gatopardo, was surprising upon presenting him in the front cover, a distinction reserved by the publications characteristics, to the glamorous faces of the world’s cinematography. Hugo Chavez, Visionary or hallucinating? is the title under a photographic composition of the face of the character. The editor justifies himself stating that the magazine circulates in all Latin America and Chavez is the most means like and scandalous character of the continent. In the ample Gatopardo news coverage, a balance of the oil dollars used by Chavez in 2005 in foreign expense was made, totaling US 2,006 million.

According to Jorge Castañeda, ex Secretary of Foreign Relations for Mexico, Chavez is a challenge for Latin American leaders, and it is time for the International Community to take seriously the accusations that Chavez is exporting this model. Castañeda points out success in the radical confrontation speech against the United States, nourished by the growing disgust of the Bush administration. Who have occupied themselves the reality of Chavez as a character of significance, do so with a laudatory tone, either critical or neutral. It calls to attention that all coincide in awarding him the greatest merit for his attitude towards Bush. China Daily´s news coverage sums up the praising expressed by the media of that country by seeing in Chavez an obstacle, a nuisance, for the United States, which the same analysis of the Europeans.

HE GREETS EVO AND FIGHTS WITH TOLEDO

Chavez receives appraisals and censorship. Also visitors. On Tuesday, January 3, Evo

Morales arrived, in a plane from Cubana de Aviación, in a world tour as the elected President of Bolivia. At the Airport, Morales declared that he was incorporating himself to the task of Fidel in Cuba and of Chavez in Venezuela to confront Neoliberal Imperialism. On his part, Chavez took advantage of the moment to refute speculation from spokespersons from the United States regarding the rule of evil that is allegedly being proposed to form, Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia.

We – he affirmed – are integrating a rule of goodness, the new century. The leaders had a prolonged meeting at Miraflores, and upon its conclusion, there was a press conference to announce various agreements:

Venezuela will grant US 30 million in social help to the new governor, it will supply all the diesel that the Andean nation imports monthly, totally free of charge, and in La Paz, PDVSA Offices will open as well as Venezuelan State Banks to support the government performance of Morales, who parted from Maiquetía towards Europe in a Falcon 200 EX plane, with a US plate, property of PDVSA-CITGO.

The surprise in the press conference was the presence of Ollanta Humala, who Chavez signaled as the leader that may well reach the Presidency of Peru in the Abril 9 elections. Lima’s reaction was immediate. The most important newspapers, in their Wednesday, January 4 edition, reported the facts as a confirmation of Chavez god-fatherhood to Ollanta. Upon nightfall, the Chancellor´s Office announced the call of its Ambassador in Caracas for consultation, upon considering the Venezuelan President declarations as interference in the internal affairs of Peru.

On the following days, there was a certain distention, but on Monday, January 9, Chavez criticized his Peruvian colleague for having withdrawn his Ambassador. He justified his interview with Humala, whom he praised as a soldier, a Quixote, concerned for the Indians of Peru, for the forgotten ones and for those abandoned, while he qualified Lourdes Flores as a candidate of the oligarchy of Peru. Flores, as an oligarch, dislikes soldiers, and Ollanta is fighting the first place in the elections.

President Toledo considered as inadmissible, the interference in the Peruvian elections. Chavez – Toledo declared – may have all the oil dollars he wants, but he is the President of Venezuela, not of Latin America. He added that Chavez tends to the political instability of the region. Political leaders, including important presidential candidates closed lines against Chavez interference. According to analysts from Lima, Chavez bets on Humala´s triumph to rely with a new ally and fears that Flores reaches power. Chavez, in Hello President of Sunday, January 8, assures that he counts with Morales to defeat the North American imperialism. Our rule (circle) of good grows, comprised, as stated, by Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. He predicted that the team will keep growing. As for now, he is careful to strengthen it.

The Finance Minister declared to Clarín of Buenos Aires that Venezuela is willing to buy all the bonds offered by Kirchner. If the alliance Chavez-Morales is sustainable, the destiny and use of the greatest energetic resources of the continent depends on them.

Chavez prepares himself for two events that will contribute to highlight his international leadership. The World Social Forum that will have Caracas as scenery and the Lieutenant Colonel as main character. The other event is the imminent visit from the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

According the Teheran Times, the Iranian leader manifested Chavez his interest in strengthening the link between popular governments opposing the United States. The Lieutenant Colonel took advantage of the call to invite him to visit Venezuela, in which opportunity he will surely ratify the strategic alliance signed with Mohamed Jatamí and the offer regarding the Venezuelan uranium reserves. Chavez has signed strategic alliances with Russia and China. The Venezuelan Chancellor’s Office announced its commitment to sign a memorandum of understanding and collaboration with the Arab League, which will grant Venezuela an observer status, a condition already obtained in the African League.

WE HAVE BUMPED AGAINST THE CHURCH, MY SANCHO FRIEND

The geo strategy of oil and the anti American flag reports foreign dividends to Chavez. On the domestic side, a claim that there are resources to expand the revolution in as much as the country is falling to pieces. It is not rhetoric. The ways (roads) of communication that connect Caracas with the international airport, with its main import port and with the rest of the country have collapsed or are not working. In this seventh year, the President continues to blame all suffering to the previous governors and keeps offering plans for the future. He did so in his first message to the National Assembly, in which opportunity he attacked Toledo and Lourdes Flores once again and complained about the document approved by Venezuelan Episcopal Conference of January 11. A discrete and thought out document in which the Bishops declared the deplorable reality of the country, which affects them, specially the diminishing of the quality of life on account of the accelerated increase of poverty and insecurity. They blame unforeseeable events, manipulations and distortions for the collapse of the road, home, health and educational infrastructure all throughout the country. They acknowledge the importance given by the government to social programs, and that such programs are a partial response to poverty and sicknesses, but lack emphasis to attack the causes, which they point out as: job instability, loss of acquisition power of the currency, oil based mentality, growing populism and low value of work.

The greatest disgust of the President is the call to reconciliation, to sincere dialogue, to a common project to improve the situation. In this line of work they request grace measures and a humanitarian treatment for political prisoners, the cease of persecution and discrimination for political causes, the violation of human rights and the sanction of normal activities and fair claims.

Leaning on the recent message from Benedict XVI, they point out as a Venezuelan priority, reestablish the Constitutional laws in force regarding the suffrage so that the citizens may regain trust in the vote. The Church is concerned with the democratic destiny of the country, for the magnitude of its political problems, and it demands transparent, autonomous and reliable electoral authorities as a necessary condition so that the high abstention count is not repeated, as occurred in last December 4 elections. Venezuela Today considers that the document, for its content and opportunity, ratifies the Church as the best credited Institution before the Venezuelan society. It will surely bring the Opposition out of its lethargy.