[continued from previous post]
What Chávez achieved in the short term was something something not seen here in recent years outside of the national reaction to terrorist attacks: the unification of everyone, all the way across the political spectrum. The exchange at the summit was all over every news outlet, and the universal reaction was immediate: amazed laughter, and a general nodding of heads at the way Chávez confirmed the overall perception of him as an idiot on the scale of George Bush. My friend who had giggled about Juan Carlos' intervention, a person very much to the left side of the political spectrum, referred to Chávez as un loco de baba -- a drooling idiot -- a portrait completely in tune with the general outlook.
I mentioned the effect Chávez had on the Spanish public on an email list I sometimes take part in, along with the fact that he was basically seen as being of the same basic stripe as W., one woman reacted with rabid anger. She knew little about Chávez or Venezuela apart from the broadest, most superficial parts of the Chavista description of him, but couldn't keep her knee from jerking, rushing aggressively to his defense. And she is not alone in that. On another email list, a Spanish language forum, a young woman who admitted she knew little about the actual situation in Venezuela, went expound on him in glowing terms, posting links to articles in Rebelión that pushed the Chavista take on everything. I get the feeling, though, that the ranks of the unquestioning may be thinning a bit, that many see him less as a champion of human rights and of a broad socialist agenda and more as a simple power-hungry thug. On the eve of the referendum re: Chavez's proposed changes to the Venezuelan constitution -- what he called the 'constitutional reform', essentially giving him absolute power and an unlimited ability to get re-elected -- that took place in Venezuela two days ago, El País published an opinion piece by a Venezuelan writer -- the title: 'He's Not of the Left -- He's a Fascist.' I cringed when I saw that -- it's a word used far too easily, 'fascist,' with the smearing power of the labels 'racist' and 'pedophile.' But could also be seen as the coming home to roost of certain nasty chickens in the wake of Chávez's own willingness to toss the word around carelessly.
Chávez seized on the interchange with Zapatero, and in particular on Juan Carlos' exasperated interjection, and attempted to use it in the days before the referendum to galvanize support. He's smart enough to know a hot-button topic -- the Spanish colonialism of centuries past, embodied in what was portrayed as a king's arrogant command to a freedom fighter -- when one presents itself, and canny enough to hope it might be distraction enough from more substantial issues, like the Venezuelan economy. The Venezuelan opposition had a massive rally in Caracas three or four days before the referendum, Chávez responded with a series of large rallies leading up to the day of the vote. And when it came down to it, none of it was enough -- the proposed changes to the constitution went down by a narrow margin, in part apparently due to a sizeable abstention of Chavista voters.
Within the last 24 hours, Chávez has responded to that defeat with these comments (translation mine):
"Did Hugo Chávez choose the wrong moment [to attempt the constitional reform]? Could be. Could be that we're not yet mature enough or ready to assume the socialist project. Before going around looking for those to blame.... No, I made a strategic error in the choice of the moment to make the proposal. That could be. It could be that those 3.4 million [of supposed Chavistas that should have voted but abstained] still aren't mature enough politically to assume without fear, without letting us be terrified by the opposition's propaganda... a socialist project."
Or it could be that they weren't prepared to give this individual absolute power. Either way, I'm happy to see him off the front pages, I'm happy to be able to turn on the TV without being confronted by more about him. The news media made big-time hay with all of this, and with Chávez 'freezing' relations between Venezuela and Spain in the last week or so, making ominous threats about reviewing or nationalizing Spanish firms doing business in Venezuela. A friend told me she turned on the tube to find a celebrity gossip show that had tracked down Chávez's ex and had her on, telling tales. My general response to all this is the same as it is whenever a clip of Bush comes on -- I change channels or kill the TV. I'd rather not sit and suffer. I'd rather enjoy my day.
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Christmastime, la Plaza de Chueca, Madrid
España, te quiero.
rws 7:57 AM [+]
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