Thursday, December 24, 2015

A sweet and sour Christmas

It is time for the annual exercice to wish the readers a happy Christmas. At least to those outside of Venezuela who have nice odds at it being happy; unless you are Venezuelans with a split family between those who stayed (had to?) behind and those who emigrated to freer skies.

Here, for the first time since December 1998, I have listened to my Christmas music collection with real feeling. Chavismo has always made its duty to spoil Christmas for all of us, including its followers who were constantly summoned for the defense of the banana republic (1).  This year is no exception as the Maduro/Cabello combo has managed to force through the nomination of political judges on December 23. And we know they are planning further moves of the judicial coup under way for next week. There is no rest for the wicked. Christmas eve for them cannot be much more than getting plastered with 18 year old Scotch that they are the lone ones to be able to afford these days.

But for the rest of us Christmas will be a tad better this year, even if food shortages and prices make hallacas difficult to come by and presents for kids will be very limited. The election result of December 6 has opened ajar the door towards better days. The road to complete freedom is still long and the road to enough prosperity to be able to reunite families is probably longer. But for the first time in years we can perceive a road.

Thus my best wishes for Christmas to the readers that have followed this blog for so long. As a gift of sorts, the lone ones that can be brought through Internet, two videos from what may be my favorite Venezuelan Christmas tunes, so different and unique from the packaged music that seems to have become the rule elsewhere.  A guitar with "Niño Lindo" and Guanaguanare with the original folk composer.



And a version with words, not necessarily the best one but there are is none on YouTube that truly satisfies me.

This Guanaguanare has a deficient sound track, sorry



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1) The 1999 Christmas was spoiled by the natural disaster of Vargas, but that year the regime did what it take to ruin Christmas absolutely by not only refusing help for the disaster but by performing its first judicial coup in between Christmas and New Year just as the country was picking pup the death toll. From there we all knew that the welfare of the people would never be the major concern of the regime: politics and power first. Always.

12 comments:

  1. IslandCanuck4:02 PM

    Merry Christmas Daniel.

    ReplyDelete
  2. God Jul! Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:53 PM

    Merry Christmas Daniel! Thank You for all of your hard work and insight.
    Better days ahead, we are all behind you and Venezuela, reading and watching.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:53 PM

    Bueno Daniel. No queda mas que desearte a ti y tu SO la mejor Navidad que puedan tener.

    Se tienen a Uds. mismos, y eso es realmente de dar gracias.

    Que para la proxima Navidad nos estes echando cuentos sobre patinatas y gaitas!

    Roberto N

    ReplyDelete
  5. I sense you are re-energized, best of luck and Merry Christmas to you and SO. Ima ground pounding, primitive type. But you are both in my prayers. Good luck and dawg be with you

    ReplyDelete
  6. Merry X-mass Daniel. El 2016 va ha ser mejor!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Charly7:01 PM

    Well, for us, Christmas eve was all sweet, and no sour, not even the punch. For the first time in years, the family, split along ideological lines was back together again. Hope it is a sign of things to come on a national scale. Merry Christmas to all.

    Daniel, many thanks for the music, superb!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous9:17 PM

    Mis mejores deseos para estas Navidades y que el Año Nuevo 2016 sea mejor y más fácil para Uds. Y gracias nuevamente por regalarnos tus análisis y perspectivas sobre Venezuela.
    Un fuerte abrazo,
    Mercedes

    ReplyDelete
  9. Merry Christmas Daniel and to all who read his blog. May 2016 be a happy year to you all.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous10:21 PM

    Belated Happy New Year, Daniel !
    The very best to you and yours in 2016.
    My relatives have moved away from CCS but I am still reading your insights with great interes

    ReplyDelete

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