Last Sunday, the resident of Miraflores made one of those statements that etch themselves into history. He had the audacity to instruct the Venezuelans, since he never asks for anything politely, to prepare for war. I, who am quite far from the theater of operations, thought, “this guy has lost it.”
But Monday rolled around, and the media broadcast Chavez’s gem worldwide. This further example of verbal incontinence is the reason there is no amount of money or talent that can manipulate or change the widespread perception of public opinion around the world regarding the lieutenant colonel. In other words, his supporters may argue whatever they like, which only elicits a more negative reaction from thoughtful individuals. Anyone who has heard an enraged Chavez address portable crowds proclaiming, “prepare for war!”, then reads or hears any Eva Golinger claiming, “President Chavez has never said such a thing; the Bolivarian revolution is constantly under attack from sectors of the world’s oligarchy that want to seize our mineral wealth and subjugate the people to oppression…”, can only conclude: Chavez is a rampant megalomaniac, and his supporters believe the global population consists of deaf, foolish people—essentially, folks who cannot think and interpret for themselves. Double strike for the revolution.
Then Tuesday came, and I’ve been told that public employees in Venezuela were forced to sign a form obligating them to respond to the call for war when it occurs. The war, I hear, is defined as “attacks on the sovereignty, institutions, and facilities” of Venezuela. This means, for the writer here, that the moment the president, in his supreme and infallible discretion, decides to label any act he finds abnormal as an “attack on sovereignty, institutions, and facilities,” alarms will ring in all ministries, notaries, public offices, Bolivarian schools, universities, etc. Let’s hope the babalaos don’t dare any taxi drivers on the regional highway this time, so that the battalions of public employees from the liberating army can swiftly reach the border.
In the meantime, Uribe continues to play with Chavez like a puppeteer. The more verbal diarrhea comes from the presidency, the more undeniable the argument that Chavez is unbalanced and in need of psychiatric help becomes. He is no longer satisfied with providing financial and logistical support to the narco-guerrilla in its terrorist crusade against the Colombian state. Now, he wants to throw Venezuelan cannon fodder into the mix.
Will Mambrú go to war, or will he hide under some desk, just like when he “directed” the coup from the Military Museum? Will Chavez’s troops follow him in his crusade? What I believe is that Chavez’s rhetoric is achieving the unification of Venezuelans, with the firm conviction that we are nearing the end, and the resident of Miraflores is simply out of his mind.