As some of you might know, 3 weeks ago the legislative elections were held in Venezuela, in which the opposition parties, united as the Democratic Unity Table, got the majority of the votes with a 52 %, thus neglecting Chávez’s United Venezuelan Socialist Party (PSUV) the ‘supermajority’ (more than two thirds of the seats of the Congress) that allowed it to pass major legislation submitted by Chávez without serious debate or dissent.
Anyway, I’m not going to get myself involved in a political dissertation on Venezuelan political situation relating it to the 11 years, I think, Chavez has been in power. But being a Venezuelan outside my country I’m used to getting a lot of recognition from random people who hearing my country of origin, go straight into saluting, shaking hands, smiling and proudly saying Hugo Chavez!!!... and I’m not getting into details there either.
The last one of those, I met while eating my nightly ice cream walking around Port Yasmine here in Hammamet. We bumped into this street kiosk which I don’t even know what they were selling really (probably those fake tattoos), but as a pet, they had this funny looking ‘dog’ with more ears than actual dog (reason being it was not a dog but a Desert’s Fox). Anyway, random guy with funny hair approaches me right hand first, big smile and deep, serious looking eyes searching for acceptance from this Socialist Brother... while I’m thinking “oh here it comes...”
“HU-GO Chavezzzzz!!!”
And after a few negatives from my side, this disappointed street revolutionary replied “...you know nothing about politics”. I won’t give any details on my feelings here either, but I can tell you this intellectual street-fake-tattoo artist carried on with my friend and after hearing he came from Venice, excited and proud he delighted us with his story of how he had made 18 grand selling cocaine while living Padova when Italy won the World Cup... No comments needed!
So it could actually be I know nothing about politics, no problem. But I know this.
What you see in the picture is a sign installed outside the Venezuelan Congress, in downtown Caracas. There you have a picture of Chavez with the biggest of his charismatic smiles, head bent down a little to the right in a sign of his humble greatness, arms open and saying “Bienvenidos diputados de la oposicion” “Welcome deputies from the opposition”... “Ayudenos a construir el pais del que los vamos a correr” “Help us building up the country, of which we’re going to kick you out”
Personally, I wouldn’t mind a bit of humour from politicians nowadays although I aknowledge the mission in front of them has nothing of comical. A bit of a cheeky comment here and some good old sarcasm over there just to remind us that they want, at some point, have fun like any normal person.
But this sign is one more display of the disrespect, the abuse and the disregard the Venezuelan people have to live with everyday. An insolent show of Chavez's disdain and the classist content of his speech with which he’s creating a bipolar society in Venezuela
I don’t want to change anyone’s political views or convince you of this or that, I just want to share what’s happening in Venezuela... And hopefully I’ll bump into less of those... well, upsetting episodes when I say I’m Venezuela, and enjoy my ice cream.
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