Cadena!

Sure enough, at 6:30 when the ratings of Alo Ciudadano go up, in particular on a day like this, Chavez just commandeered all TV and Radio stations to talk. The excuse is some silly ceremony at Miraflores. Within a couple of minutes of starting the cadena, he shifted to the political matter at hand. So, what does he do? He starts by rewriting history by denouncing how sullied were elections in the good old days. The best line so far: the political parties of the past used the funds of the state to pay for their campaigns!

For a connoisseur of history like me, the intensity of Chavez lies as I hear them while typing can only demonstrate how hurting is chavismo now that even Rosales is bailing out.

It is difficult for someone not living in Venezuela to appreciate how a president can lie so blatantly and get away with it. The press, the free press that is, the one that asks the tough questions is not allowed near the president, never in Venezuela, rarely outside of Venezuela. The opposition, or anyone else for that matter, is not allowed to read a statement after that (as is used in the US for example, after a state of the Union speech or the Saturday presidential message, a few minutes that are, or most often not, broadcast by the media). So we have here, Chavez, commandeering for as long as he wants the airwaves, reciting any inanity, any lie that crosses his mind and we are all muzzled, unable to escape such an invasion of our privacy, of our ideas, of our beliefs, unless we turn off TV or subscribe to cable.

PS1: It is 19:31 and the cadena keeps going on. By know of course anything that has gone wrong in Venezuela since one can remember, and in particular under Chavez, is due to the Empire, that is the good ole US of A for those not in the loop. Apparently no US president has been able to sleep soundly unless they found some way to screw Venezuela.

I will spare the reader of all the inanities and lies uttered: after all Chavez is talking to the "ignorant" masses that follow him to convince them to go and vote Sunday and he knows that none of them is going to hit any history book any time soon, but I could not resist one gem: Chavez dared Bush. He bet to him that he would remain longer in office than Bush. Of course he forgot to add that no matter what, Bush term ends in three years from now, no matter what, a blessed certainty that US folks have whereas in Venezuela we do not know anymore when Chavez term will end, and if it will end before his death.

And as a bonus I will add something which just left me speechless. According to Chavez in 1998 a group of military that included Rincon "la cual aceptó" were prepared to thwart a military coup that was rumored to take place in case Chavez got elected president. So, what did they do, they placed under some major bridge going to Caracas some explosives to blow it up, just in case. Lo' and behold Chavez won and power was given to him. In their happiness they forgot about the explosives. They remembered about it one year later. Ooops! But according to a hilarious Chavez, it was no more than a cute prank.

What is wrong with this picture? The incompetence of the military? That Chavez did not punish them as a president from forgetting such a dangerous thing? That it is all a lie anyway? That he makes fun of it?

And to think that some people want a military dictatorship to remove Chavez from office! Lord have mercy! You want people like that running the country? It is not enough to endure Chavez soldiery incompetence? Some people do still wonder how come I have become such a rabid pacifist and anti armed forces of any type...

PS2: At 19:54. Now he announces that he has proof that the CIA is behind everything going on right now in this political turmoil. I will advise against holding your breath while you wait for the evidence to be presented. Unless it is related with a Colombian fake paramilitary shrink.

PS3: At 19:58. All is the fault of the Mar del Plata summit where we all know Chavez magisterially trashed the US. That is why Rosales has been convinced by the Empire to do what he is doing. By the way, Rosales is the main target of all the attacks. His speech today has been particularly resented by chavismo it seems.

PS4: at 20:11. This is when you appreciate how unfair cadenas are.

Chavez just said that the congressmen who were denied deplaning in Caracas airport a few days ago, well, it is not true, It is just a media lie. Of course we will never see him having to defend that assertion. He just declared that it was a media ploy and that will be that. He knows that the congressmen are diplomatic, that by law in the US they cannot direct foreign policy and that if they were to be seen actively creating a diplomatic incident they could be reprimanded and even could face severe sanctions. Only if the State Department chooses to make an incident out of it will there be some problems for Chavez. But State has more important matters to attend than a handful of Congressmen, who by the way know very well that State has other business to do. But then again the US is a country where opposition and government can seat together and decide what is best for the country whereas in Venezuela and uncouth soldier goes as he pleases to Mar del Plata to shout diplomatic obscenities and decide on his own that Venezuela should get into the Mercosur, without consultation with the opposition, or anyone else but Castro.

PS5: It is 20:22, the cadena has lasted almost two hours. Alo Ciudano is shot. Now he is screwing Grado 33. By law Globovision cannot change schedules and we will need to wait for 12:30 AM to see the scheduled replay of Grado 33. There is no talk show scheduled until tomorrow.

PS6: It is 20:24 on my computer clock and Chavez has threatened the media. He has threatened with closing them if they discuss further the withdrawal of the opposition. He is desperate.

PS7: At 20:29 it is an "electoral coup". How original! The Empire! A coup! In addition the electoral coup will end in December 2006 after Chavez reelection. Of course, very modestly, he is ONLY a pre-candidate.

PS8: at 20:32 my computer clock it is finally over.

Truly, if people overseas were forced to seat through one of such cadenas, the opinion of quite a few about Chavez would change.