For a moment I did believe Venezuela would get rid of Chavez today. This, however, wouldn't have changed anything, but a face. If Chavez leaves, it won't get rid of the half of the country that still likes him and wants him, and I'm willing to bet defeating Chavez will only make his supporters fight harder, longer and dirtier (and by dirtier I'm not implying that they always play dirty or that the opposition are little angels, because they aren't). But Chavez was not defeated today... At this very minute Venezuela is celebrating and mourning at the same time. What a mess of a bipolar country! Thinking about it freaks me out a little.
I don't like Chavez, but this is not because of his ideologies, since I'm a bit off a socialist myself (I think), and to be honest with you, I don't really know much about his actual work. But I'm not afraid of the words "socialism" or "communism", or rather, I'm as afraid of those words as I'm afraid of the word "capitalism". Many Venezuelans make the mistake to dislike Chavez, or so they say, because he's a socialist, being socialism the cancer we all learned about from the many horror stories of the USSR during cold war days. So, to them, socialism equals evil. I know that in theory, socialism and communism are a lot different than most instances we've seen in the past. Furthermore, the recent success of many semi-socialist countries like Norway, shows that perhaps it's not so bad after all. I also don't care that much about all the corruption going on among Venezuelan politicians, and how Chavez and the people in power with him can so proudly say that they are so socialist, so anti-capitalism, raising their fists in the air and screaming "homeland, socialism or death!", yet all of them wear Prada and drive Hummers, while the rest of the country rots in misery. You know, I don't approve of that shit, but it's no different than any other government Venezuela's had. It's not like this is the first government where the politicians ruling experience a sudden accumulation of some sweet ass wealth. The reason I don't like Chavez is because he's an inept politician who's managed to split into two irreconcilable half's a country that not too long ago was one and the same. Tonight one half of Venezuela celebrates, as if god just came down and told them they were the chosen ones, some even cry tears of joy, while the other half mourns in shock, almost as if the death of their own dear mothers was just announced. Chavez means hope and a bright future and he also means darkness, no future at all. He's the perfect duality. If you think Repubs and Dems have polarized the US, in Venezuela it's ten times worse.
How did Chavez managed to do this? I don't think he ever planned or even wanted this, but I think it all happened because he's not smart enough to understand many things that should be obvious to any nation's leader, and by lowering himself to the same level of his enemies in order to show his machismo, he ended fucking everything and everyone up. He's charismatic, he's one of the people, he's a definitely a leader, but he's not a good president of an heterogeneous nation. However, after 14 years in power, he still believes that the reason half of the country hates him is because he must be doing something right, and even worse, he's convinced his supporters this is the case, and at the same time, he's completely alienated the other half. He didn't throw the first punch, actually, that's the opposition's doing, but when this happened, he decided to draw a line and declared anyone who doesn't agree with him "the enemy". He started a war instead of being better than that and showing he was a true leader, a leader of one whole country, not just half of it. Venezuela today consists in two very distinct groups who hate themselves to death. Today one side insults the other just because they are from the other team, when just a little over a decade ago they used to call the very same people neighbors, and they lived in peace and even partied together, and this division just didn't exist, In fact, I've even read reports from back then that claimed that Venezuelans were one of the happiest people in the world. Chavez, who praises and admires Simon Bolivar so much is doing the exact opposite that Bolivar attempted to do and achieved at one point. Unknowingly, he's been trolling Venezuelans and Latin America hard for quite a while, planting seeds that grow differences and hate among people who otherwise would be friendly and warm, and whom historically have never given that much of a shit about politics. I say unknowingly, because like I stated before, he's not smart enough to really know what he's done.
Unfortunately, the cult of personality is such that his followers are totally blind. They just do as they are told, like robots, when it should have been them the ones who should have replaced him long time ago. The fact that Venezuelans have chosen to let him rule for over 20 years is a clear symptom that something is not right. He might represent something great to many, but this doesn't mean giving him the amount of power that he's had for this long is the best for the country, for any country. Do all his supporters really think there's no one better than him, no one with better ideas or a better plan? I wouldn't believe that for a second. Also, if he really loved his country, if he really wanted the best for it, then he would have stepped down on his own by now. That would've been the right thing to do. But you know how power can be, just as addicting and harmful as a drug. He must love feeling like a god and like a devil, and this love/hate thing, this huge amount of power, must be intoxicating to him. A cocaine high wouldn't even come close, I'm sure.
Even with the possibility of things getting worse, I had hoped that his possible retirement announcement would be become the first step in the unification of my country. In reality, another victory under his belt means nothing, just like his defeat would have meant nothing more than a reason to dream. But reality and dreams are not the same thing, aren't they?
As far as I can see, this is Venezuela's reality at the moment:
- The people who voted and elected Chavez are Venezuelans, just like the people who voted against him are. One side is not more Venezuelan than the other. You, we, are one country, and we all want the same shit. Venezuela is a democratic country and democracy is what we witnessed tonight. Whether you like it or not, if Venezuela elected Chavez is because the Venezuela wants Chavez. As simple as that.
- Venezuela has suffered more from this sudden and irrational polarization than from Chavez actions.
- With or without Chavez, if we continue to look down on people "from the other team", if we keep fucking each other, and insulting each other, and hating each other, and tricking each other, etc, then nothing will ever get solved and it will be us the ones to blame of the eventual destruction of our country.
- There is not, and there has never been, an enemy. This division is artificial, it doesn't exist.
I'm pretty certain the vast majority of Venezuelans don't know, have never thought of, or have forgotten about these facts.
All I'm trying to say is that we should all hold hands, sing along and stop being fucktards. Like this:
Love :)
No comments:
Post a Comment