Chavez in Cuba, Raul Castro alive

Today I have taken a break in the news. Only tonight, as I turned on Alo Ciudadano while I made my weekend exercises did I learn about Ortega escape (or "disappearance" alright?) and that Raul Castro is alive.

See, we were treated earlier to pictures of Fidel alive and holding a recent Cuban paper edition (with that creepy feel that you get when you see hostages proof of existence to their families). Never mind that Fidel looked rejuvenated on the pictures, perhaps even with a dye job. Must be all the analgesics that relax him so much to the point of rejuvenation.

So, Chavez who decided a couple of days ago to go to his pal birthday, did land in Havana today and was received by Raul Castro himself. Now we know that a least Raul is alive. A picture of Raul and Hugo chatting in Havana seating on a tacky red couch is in the Venezuelan MinCI page.

Some thoughts here.

1) I am delighted that I have not indulged in the Waldo like search for Castro's whereabouts. I smelled a manipulation from the start, even if Fidel is indeed sick or dead or embalmed. I refuse to give into these creepy manipulative, games which ensnared from the CNN up, more than a few minutes of my time. I feel vindicated. Even more now that all the Raul-Hugo rift rumors have been squelched: Raul needs too much of Chavez money not to be nice to Hugo on command.

2) Much more interesting is that Chavez goes at tax payer expenses to Cuba with no other apparent purpose but to bring a cake and gifts to Fidel. Yes, he is bringing as presents a coffee cup and a dagger that belonged to Bolivar as reported by the MinCI page itself. How on earth can he give objects to Castro that should belong to Venezuelan museums? That are a patrimony of our country? Not even to a museum in Cuba, to Castro himself!!! This is unbelievable!!!!!!! Then again Castro has become a museum of sorts himself, from archaic ideas to his semi-embalmed decrepit self.

So let’s stress this for a few seconds: Chavez at tax payer expenses goes to Cuba for no other reason but to see his pal. As a caller in Alo Ciudadano said, where can we register so that we can go and visit our friends having birthdays overseas for free, just as Chavez does? We had to wait for today to learn that in a hurry a silly meeting seems to have been arranged (was it scheduled? How come nobody knew about it?) in Jamaica to justify the trip. I suppose that Jamaica’s prime minister is going to play along since Jamaica is one of those countries that close their eyes to Chavez abuses in exchange of oil discounts…. Also, can I pick up stuff in Venezuelan museums and give it to my pals overseas?

Indeed, Venezuela does not even belong to 15% as I write on the right side of this blog, it belongs to Chavez and Chavez alone. When are chavistas going to wake up? Can they even? Is there no outrage anywhere? Or are they looting themselves that much that they could not be bothered by a Bolivar’s coffee cup when museums are missing a Matisse and what not (valuable paintings probably hanging around in the office of some high flung chavista officials).

This is certainly not the cup in question but I found this image where Bolivar looks suitably angry. It comes from a commemorative china set.