The Komissar, a figure we need to get used to

This is my first post under Venezuela's new dictatorship, a neo-totalitarian version adapted to the XXI century reality. We do not know how successful will Chavez adventure be but from now on we must assume that this blogger is writing at his own risk as anything that is posted from now on can be taken against him. But more on that in an oncoming post.

To open this new period in the life of this blog, or at least whatever life is left to it, I have this extraordinary video that I filmed from my TV screen, courtesy of Globovision (and taken from the official VTV, so it is "politically correct", chavista wise). I do not know whether it is available already but I could not wait to bring it to you.

This video is taken during a land grab, an expropriation of a productive farm, a robbery, whichever way you wish to qualify it. It happens following the orders of Chavez as to the lands in the Southern area of Maracaibo lake. It is carried in this particular farm by the agriculture minister himself, Juan Carlos Loyo.

In this extraordinary video, so telling of the mental structure of chavismo today, he behaves like a red Komissar of the USSR of yore. He harangues a crowd probably made of bureaucrats dragged to the scene. Probably some employees of that farm, and an extraordinary amount of military as if it were some invasion or something. All, ALL must listen to the political harangue, red t-shirt included with the picture of famous murdererer Che, and a big gun at the belt that Globovision helpfully circles in red as it is a violation of TV laws at this time of day, by the way. The message is clear, we have not seen such a disppaly of raw arrogance and naked blunt power since the good old days of the Soviet Union.

You do not need to understand the words, it is standard chavista fare, harking back to the 2002 "coup" that is not even an argument anymore as whatever Carmona Estanga tried to do then has been done since, and much worse, by Chavez.  Just concentrate on the body language of what is little bit more than a beefy brute, empowered for verbal violence and waiting for more real violence, butch leather wrist band included.  And the body language of the attendants.



By the way, Loyo is a totally incompetent guy, ill prepared to exert the position of Agricultural Minister but willing to to the dirty job of expropriating whatever Chavez indicates. His name jumped to the front stage when Diego Arria farm, La Carolina, was seized early this year. That got him the promotion that he exhibits today.