Caracas Chronicles

So, Nicolas Maduro was in New York City last week and apparently things didn’t go so well for him.

But the government (through the Information Ministry) believes otherwise and, to prove it, paid for a couple of full-page color ads on Sunday’s editions of two major U.S. newspapers: the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Days earlier, Maduro had strongly criticized both papers for running editorials questioning Venezuela’s unopposed bid to join the United Nations Security Council as Latin America’s representative (which looks like a done deal).

Of course, one-on-one interviews would have been a better option, but that’s a no-no … because questions. Instead they gave both the Gray Lady and the WaPo lots of our money to put up an unremarkable, gramatically-challenged propaganda ad. That’ll show them!

At this point, propaganda is all they’ve got. Just go channel-surfing on TV and many commercials on both national and international (cable) channels are from state institutions or companies such as PDVSA or public banks. And the Information Ministry is about to go even further thanks to its brand new in-house advertising agency (a.k.a. the AVP). Basically, the communicational hegemony will have its own version of Mad Men (So, who will be Don Draper?)

One more thing, what’s the deal with Chavismo’s obsession regarding Puerto Rico’s independence? I mean, the island has voted on this issue several times and the most the independence option has gotten is a little more than 5 %. In the last referendum held almost two years ago, most PR voters chose either the status quo or joining the U.S. of A. as a State.

Isn’t the constant meddling on this issue something one could consider as… I dunno… imperialist?