Chávez, the myth

A pretty good op-ed in the New York Times, by Cristina Marcano and Alberto Barrera. The money quote: From the intensive care unit, the president “continues to perform...

A pretty good op-ed in the New York Times, by Cristina Marcano and Alberto Barrera. The money quote:

From the intensive care unit, the president “continues to perform his duties”; he gives orders and sends kisses to children. This is what his vice president says. According to the Supreme Court, the Congress cannot consider him absent, for no matter how ill he is, only Mr. Chávez himself has the authority to declare himself absent. The opposition is demanding a “fe de vida” — proof that he is still alive, as if he were a kidnapping victim. Day after day, on the street, on Twitter, our president dies and comes back to life. But this is not a magical realist novel.