I have always maintained that one of the gravest issues we Venezuelans face, especially those of us who consider ourselves thoughtful, critical, and somewhat objective, is the lack of political representation. The Chavistas have Hugo Chavez. The opposition has a bunch of pseudo-leaders who collectively don’t reach the popularity level of the caudillo. And those of us who do not identify with Chavez or any opposition leader have no one; in short, we lack political representation. Many politicians have realized this rift and want to obtain votes from this group.
The actor Orlando Urdaneta seems to be one of those looking to capitalize on this issue. Just a few days ago, on November 30th to be specific, he participated in a program hosted by Jaime Bailey in Miami, during which, among other nonsensical statements, he made the following remark: “When a year has passed with you and me sitting here, Chavez will not be the president of Venezuela” (minute 4:58 in the video). According to Urdaneta, Chavez’s downfall before November 30, 2011, would happen following the launch of a non-violent campaign—similar to Ukraine’s Orange Revolution—presumably coordinated by him, who resides in Miami and has no significant popular support in Venezuela, except within certain circles of housewives in Altamira and Los Palos Grandes.
Frankly, it embarrasses me to hear such claims from people who supposedly represent a sane opposition, contrasting it with the “cozy and conniving opposition” that, according to Urdaneta, participates in elections and plays along with Hugo Chavez. Likewise, I felt embarrassed when I heard journalist Patricia Poleo on a similar Miami program a few years ago claiming she had evidence of ships loaded with uranium departing from ports in Ciudad Guayana to the Middle East.
If these two are the kind of politicians and journalists that represent the new democratic dawn of Venezuela, I think I prefer the current status quo on both sides. This group of people, as they can’t be called any other way, greatly contributes to validating the Chavista argument that the opposition is a bunch of disjointed individuals. It is inconceivable to watch the conversation between Orlando Urdaneta and Jaime Bailey and not accept the Chavista definition.