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WikiLeaks- the Frenchman was right: Hugo Chávez is crazy
There are supposedly over four thousand documents that WikiLeaks is releasing that refer to Venezuela. The only one that I have seen so far is from France where the Elysee Diplomatic Advisor Jean-David Levitte, says that Hugo Chávez is “crazy.”
Possibly such mention in a diplomatic “SECRET SECTION” document gives it some importance, but I have seen the same word in Caracas since 1998 in graffiti on the walls of the city and in telephone booths. I’ve heard numerous Venezuelans say it out loud.
I agree: he’s crazy and he keeps giving more and more reasons to confirm this. Two examples:
Recently President Chávez met with his counterpart in Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos. As his caravan was moving from the airport to the place of encounter in Santa Marta, Chávez saw people lined up along the street. Frustrated because he felt isolated from them within the vehicle that was carrying him, he ordered that the caravan stop. He got out and walked among the people and visited with them.
That’s crazy! Do you think the head of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI, would suddenly stop his popemobile in Catholic Columbia, get out of the glass bubble, and walk among his flock? And yet there was Hugo Chávez, in supposedly hostile territory, walking among the people!
I am writing this on Sunday evening, November 28, and a few minutes ago Chávez gave another proof of his insanity. We’ve had bad rainstorms recently in Venezuela and many families have lost their homes and others have been encouraged to abandon theirs because of the pending danger of landslides. Well, Chávez just said that he felt eight or ten families could be temporarily accommodated in the presidential compound. I didn’t see George W. Bush doing something like that when the Katrina tragedy hit. Yes, he is going mad!
No, that’s wrong. He has already proven that he’s mad. He is going even madder! He said, I believe very sincerely, that it was mostly a symbolic measure. But I also believe it shows where his heart is, even if some might question his brain.
So, let’s give Mr. Levitte at least one point for a correct observation about Chávez’s sanity and a note of thanks to WikiLeaks for letting us in on his observation.
At the same time, we’ve got to take one point away from him for his observation that “even Brazil wasn’t able to support him [Chávez] anymore.” The memo was dated 16 September 2009. That was over a year ago. Looking back at all the Chávez-Lula meetings since then, Mr. Levitte was sure wrong on that evaluation.
And we should also subtract one more point for his evaluation that “Chávez is taking one of the richest countries in Latin America and turning it into another Zimbabwe.” Oh, come on! Has he ever been in Zimbabwe or Venezuela?
So “one” minus “two” equals a “-1” for the advice from Mr. Levitte. I wonder how much other useless advice will appear in the WikiLeaks’ revelations. U.S. government officials say that lives might be in danger because of the information in these documents. I don’t know about that. But I would certainly think Mr. Levitte’s career as an Elysee Diplomatic Advisor should be.
by Charles Hardy ©
Charles Hardy is author of Cowboy in Caracas: A North American’s Memoir of Venezuela’s Democratic Revolution, published by Curbstone Press. Other essays by Hardy can be found on his personal blog Cowboyincaracas.com. You may write him at cowboyincaracas@yahoo.com.