The Devil's Excrement

After almost three months at the negotiation table, Hugo Chávez’ Government confirmed yesterday what we have suspected all along, they simply feel there is nothing to negotiate. Cesar Gaviria has simply wasted his time living in Venezuela since Nov. 8^th. Even more stupid were the Club of Friends from the US, Brazil, Spain, Mexico Chile and Portugal who wasted their time attempting to mediate in the negotiations. But it must be Jimmy carter who feels the worst, his two proposals made in good faith two weeks ago as a solution to the Venezuelan crisis were met by a very simple answer: We have nothing to negotiate. The terms of the answer are clear, the proposals are “positive”. But, the Constitutional amendment, in the words of the Government is not a subject to consider in the negotiations and the date proposed for the referendum goes beyond the will of the negotiation table. Thus, we wonder, what is positive about them if only the opposition is really willing to negotiate. I just wonder what Gaviria and the amigos think about this. Why did Chavez want to expand the group of “Amigos”? What’s Gaviria doing in Caracas? But perhaps, the true spirit of the Chavez revolution is condensed in the fact that there was no meeting of the negotiation table today, as Government representatives were celebrating the 11 year anniversary of the failed 1992 coup attempt. How Democratic, no?

The answer is simple: When Hugo Chavez is the perpetrator. In one of his most cynical statements to date, Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel, who interprets every act of the opposition as fascist or a coup attempt, reinterpreted history and common sense today when he said that Hugo Chávez’ attempted coup in 1992 was a coup of opinion not a coup de etat. Moreover, the more than 200 people who were needlessly killed that day, the Vice-President said they “immolated” themselves for the cause. Meanwhile, Hugo Chávez himself said he could not believe in Sunday’s signatures gathered at “El Firmazo”. How easy it is to believe your own lies! One of the plans in the 1992 coup attempt was that people would take to the streets to support the coup, but nobody did. On Sunday people stood in line and traveled to other parts of the cities to be able to sign the petitions against Hugo Chavez and his Government. More than 4.7 million people signed, but Chavez and his cronies simply refuse to accept the reality of their failed revolution.