Caracas Chronicles

The level of sycophancy chavista figureheads are displaying lately is worthy of psychiatric evaluations.  Reuters’ Daniel Wallis paints a picture,

Punctuated by occasional bulletins on the president’s condition, government media have pushed their always Chavez-heavy output to hagiographic levels – es pecially ahead of the Dec. 16 regional elections in which his ruling Socialist Party hammered the opposition by winning 20 out of 23 states.

One video, set to uplifting music, is a montage of prayers for Chavez’s health from around the country, with military officers, government ministers and regular Venezuelans hugging.

“Chavez is life!,” says one soldier in another typical video entitled “Give joy to my heart”, accompanied by soft-focus shots of the smiling president hugging babies, kissing their mothers and playing baseball with children.

In another, filmed from an aircraft on a headland by the sea, hundreds of red-clad loyalists arrange themselves into giant letters forming the words “Long Live Chavez!” alongside a house-sized poster of “el Comandante” and a Venezuelan flag.

What are these people drinking? I mean, it’s OK to like Chávez, I guess. To each his own, right? In that regard, I guess it’s OK to vote for him, as long as it’s done freely. If you’re a hard-core member of the PSUV because you honestly believe in its governing philosophy, so be it. Enjoy your millions and your 18-year-old Scotch.

But it’s one thing to like the PSUV, and quite another to pledge your life to a single person.

These days, chavistas feel no shame in saying they are “the sons of Chávez.” They loudly proclaim that Chávez taught them “to love humanity.” Loyalty Chávez til death do you part? That falls a bit short! To infinity and beyond.

The coup de grace in this rapturous orgy came today, when dauphin Nicolás Maduro proclaimed that the Armed Forces should continue being ever more chavista, which he equated to being bolivarian.

Folks, it’s really just a hop and a skip until the name of the country is changed once again. These people know no limits. The insane asylum’s gates have been opened for good, and we’re fast approaching North Korea territory here.

Chávez is everything. He is the heart of the fatherland. He is a cable car. He is the missions. He is the children. He is you and me. He is Bolívar. He is everything.

Let’s just make it official.