Observations focused on the problems of an underdeveloped country, Venezuela, with some serendipity about the world (orchids, techs, science, investments, politics) at large. A famous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo Perez Alfonzo, referred to oil as the devil's excrement. For countries, easy wealth appears indeed to be the sure path to failure. Venezuela might be a clear example of that.
February 11, 2010 at 1:01 pm
That’s the idea Roberto N, why not market it? You don’t actually have to invent the product, the idea itself has real value in terms of moving popular opinion. It’s not for nothing that the consumer goods companies – the successful ones, anyway – spend billions on marketing.
EVERYTHING starts with ideas. Unless you’ve a gun.
February 11, 2010 at 5:58 am
You could get rich in Venezuela if you invented a Lomotil like medicine to counter “De repente con Chavez”.
“De repente, se me salio un regalito, pasame el Lomotil!”
February 10, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Now he has his own radio program. If he just confined it to his myriad stations, it would not sound so… surreal.
De repente, Chavez… That’s just what happens when he gets the urge and starts a “Cadena”, on all the stations…
More likely, it goes for most of us like “here I was, listening to X on xx.xx FM “y De Repente, el $/$&@! ese empezo una cadena!”
February 10, 2010 at 5:37 am
[…] Cartoon from the Economist, found at Devil’s Excrement. […]
February 10, 2010 at 12:22 am
His antics were just discussed on the Rachel Maddow Show on the MSNBC cable TV channel here in the USA. It is a political discussion/news show. She had to keep saying that she wasn’t kidding, when describing the harp break in thing. It almost sounds like megalomania to me. Not a good sign.
February 10, 2010 at 12:19 am
GO HuGO, GO! There is simply sooooooo much material to work with. Right off the cliff…
February 9, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Has he forced all businesses to close and people off the streets and pass a law to force people to watch his sit-down/stand-up comedy routines yet?
I have a feeling if nobody watches, he will.
February 9, 2010 at 12:49 pm
and yet he’s afraid to show his (oddly puffy) face at the UNASUR cumbre for Haiti. What a douchebag.
February 9, 2010 at 12:03 pm
It was a great cartoon and it’s really great today. Pity the cartoonist didn’t embody Hugo Chávez’s preeminence in radio, which is even more aggressive and multitudinous than television. Rupert Murdoch, eat your heart out!
February 9, 2010 at 11:45 am
The cartoon dates from the summer of 2007 during the first RCTV controversy. Like good wine, the cartoon has aged rather well. All too well.
February 9, 2010 at 10:30 am
Oh, my! That cartoon is so good! And The Economist’s cartoonist is a real genius.
Thanks, Miguel.
February 9, 2010 at 10:00 am
Are any of you in Venezulea aware of Fake Steve Jobs?
Is there a Hugo equivalent?
I would think that this type of sarcasm would be appreciated in Venezuela and drive Chavez nuts.
You need MORE Chavez. And if he won’t give it to you, then Fake Hugo will. Think Twitter. Think HCTV. Or rather, FHTV.