Hugo is not so huge
Say what you will about Hugo Chávez, that man is insane. Living la vida loca (What? Too late for a Ricky Martin reference? Or was there never a right time for one?) seems to have caught up with Venezuelan president.
One of the South American country’s most prominent newspapers, El Universal, came out with a brain-picking piece that describes Chávez’s latest campaign for the Dec. 3 election as remarkably conservative. Well, as conservative as a man who invites Castro to his birthday parties can be.
El Universal’s Sara Carolina Diaz writes that Chávez has been conducting a radically different campaign than his original one in 1998:
He is no longer the irreverent, bold man who led the political establishment back in 1998 to take desperate measures that eventually resulted in a defeat they have not overcome to the present date. This time, Chávez has chosen to take a less winding road: a few rallies, a few tours, and no marches in the streets.
Ignacio Suárez, a social sciences professor at the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas, says that Chávez’ is more than a little comfortable in his seat. And why would you expend your energy on something you have in the bag, right? Suarez thinks that overexposure could backfire, especially if the massive crowds that used to rally behind the man in red may not be as ravenous as before.
But the voice of the ::cough:: revolution ::cough:: has changed its tune this time around too:
While in the past he vowed to vindicate the rights of Venezuelans by fostering a constitutional reform, Chávez promise during the present electoral campaign is vaguer, and focus on moving forward with the revolution.
But no worries. For all the half-assed effort put forth by the Chávez camp, he has plenty of time to work on it if he wins:
Chávez’ “electoral offer is chiefly a challenge: I am staying until 2021 and I need more time to consolidate this process.”
Oh, Hugo. You so crazy.
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