The Emperor has no clothes
The saddest thing about the memos that Venezuela’s ministers sent to Hugo Chávez while he was convalescing in Havanna?
It’s not that they address the guy as “Comandante Presidente,” and that he signs his name above a line that says exactly that.
It’s not that jalabolismo has been routinized and institutionalized to such an extent that the forms he handles come pre-printed with a spot for comments from the “Comandante Presidente”.
It’s not that he makes little side notes, telling his ministers to “administer it with efficiency” when all they are doing is asking for money to cover up yet another hole.
It’s not that the nation’s riches are handled like they were during the tenure of Juan Vicente Gómez, whereby if someone needed money, they begged the caudillo, and if they were lucky, they got it.
It’s not that the Ministers ask the “comandante Presidente” to consider funding health care, “muy respetuosamente.”
It’s not even that the communications section of these appropriations includes the option “twittear.”
No. The saddest thing is that they are posted in a chavista website. This isn’t some leak chavistas are mortified to see out in the open; this is their idea of PR!
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