Caudillo Chaves and his tame media

This year may be a beginning of a change in Venezuela. For a change, the fractured opposition to the Caudillo decided to unite in the face of the common enemy, so Chavez may be faced with a real fight for the job, unlike in the previous elections hailed mainly by Jimmy Carter.

The man to lead the opposition this time is one Henrique Capriles Radonski, Governor of Miranda state. He is facing an uphill battle, taking into account the ways and means used by Caudillo and his supporters. And this time, undoubtedly feeling the pressure, Chavez really let his loyal dogs free.

Of course, smearing one's political opponent, especially during the pre-election period is not news. Point me to a democracy where it doesn't happen... but then Venezuela is not, strictly speaking a democracy. Yet. And the viciousness of media, which is mostly in Chavez' hands, is boundless, if not exactly coordinated, as you shall see.

The main "weak point" used by Chavez' loyalists is Radonski's pedigree. You see, his maternal grandparents happen to be Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland who left Europe during World War II. While Radonski himself is a practicing Catholic, he is not hiding or denying his Jewish blood, and in the current atmosphere of his country it is, apparently, somewhat of a handicap.

The topic is not new for pro-Chaves crowd. Since his election to the post of Miranda state Governor, the use of his ancestry to smear him started in earnest. However, recently the histrionics went up in the pitch and intensity.

Well, also in the stupidity, mirroring Chavez' own unbridled hate to anyone who dares to challenge the Caudillo.

Chavez himself called Capriles in appearances last week on state TV a “low-life pig” and compared him to former French presidential candidate Jean Marie Le Pen, who favors clamping down on immigrants.

Or:

"You are not going to be able to disguise yourself, even if you look for advisers, masks. Dress yourself up however you dress yourself up. Pig's tail, pig's ears, pig's nose: It's a pig," Chavez said, laughing along with pro-government lawmakers.

I wonder what exactly was Chavez thinking about, using that specific animal for comparison, while himself looking like this:

Well, a colonel will remain a colonel, and you could hardly expect refined manners from a Caudillo. His media, however, has taken the fight several steps forward. Follow a few examples chosen from the three links above.

Venezuela’s state media has accused opposition presidential nominee Henrique Capriles Radonski of offenses ranging from participating in a Zionist conspiracy to joining a Nazi-inspired effort to wipe out blacks and the poor.

Of course, with the usual Z suspect at the helm:

The column that raised anti-Semitism concerns said Capriles "has a platform opposed to our national and independent interests" and urged Venezuelans to reject "international Zionism" by re-electing Chavez.

Of course, consistency (or excess of brain power) is not the strongest trait of Chavez-led press, so:

Oddly, the column also accused Carpiles of involvement in a group that promotes "the national Aryan race," referring to a racial concept promoted by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

And, if the above wasn't sufficient:

Another media report, aired Feb. 13 on state channel VTV, said Capriles was a member of a Catholic group called Tradition, Family and Prosperity, which it described as a “neo-Nazi sect” that sought to assassinate Pope John Paul II and “eliminate blacks, mestizos, communists and the poor.” The report didn’t say what evidence it had to support its claim.

Now, to crown the whole deal, here comes a juicy one:

Mario Silva, a staunch Chavez ally who hosts a late-night talk show on state television called "La Hojilla," or "The Razor Blade," recently suggested that Capriles is gay.

On Feb. 10, Mario Silva, host of a late-night debate program aired on state-owned Venezolana de Television, or VTV, accused Capriles of being caught by police performing oral sex in a car with another man in 2000.

Of course, all of the above is only a tip of the iceberg, but we can summarize the findings: the unfortunate presidential candidate is, apparently, a closet fascist gay Nazi racist Zionist Aryan Catholic supremacist.

What can I say? No wonder, that being a man of so many diverse qualities, Mr Capriles succeeded to unite the anti-Chavez opposition under his flag. After all, to believe Chavez and his friends, all the opposition supporters are bent in one or another of the above mentioned ways.

Chavez was supported by 47.3 percent of those surveyed in a December poll by Caracas-based Consultores 21, while an unspecified opposition candidate had 44.9 percent.

Not yet, but getting there. And good luck, Mr Capriles, you closet ...

P.S. You may wonder about the picture adorning the beginning of that post. First of all I like it, and secondly, you may guess its link to the gentleman in the second  picture by yourself.