Caracas Chronicles

Quico says: We’re so used to hearing the word “coup-monger” tossed around indiscriminately as an all-purpose slur against government critics, we’re pretty much inured to it by now. Perversely, the wanton overuse of the term makes it easy to forget that, back in the early morning hours of April 12th, 2002, there really was a hard core of civilian and military conspirators who went fishing in troubled waters and very nearly made off with complete control of the state.

Few of them had a higher profile than Allan Brewer Carías, who along with his Hollywood-villain moustache spent that night milling around the Army’s General Command in Fuerte Tiuna, is widely credited with writing at least the “considerandos” in Carmona’s decree, and by all accounts was knee-deep in the conspiracy.

So why the hell is The New York Times running this mind-blowingly vacuous interview he gave on Sunday’s referendum?! Set aside the sheer colominaesque banality of Randy’s Ranting – complete with the standard, oligophrenic charge of “totalitarianism” – and focus on the editorial decision itself. Is the Gray Lady absolutely determined to lend credibility to the charge that, in Venezuela, oppo = coupster? What does it take to get removed from the ranks of polite company in New York these days?

Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak! Dr. Brewer Carías…buy a car-wash or something. Please. No nos ayude más, compadre! Seriously.