Columbus and Chavez

Some excited mobs from some chavista sectors tore down the Columbus statue last Tuesday, in one of the most embarrassing moments in Venezuelan recent cultural history, very rich in such embarrassing moments. But are Columbus and Chavez so different? At least according to chavista hagiography? Weil, Tal Cual editorial cartoonist thinks not. The trinkets that Colombus tried to exchange from gold are not any different than the trinkets distributed through the "misiones" to get the humble vote for Chavez, who thus gets to keep the oil gold. Plus cela change, plus c'est la même chose.