VHeadline editor & publisher Roy S. Carson writes: Venezuela's Minister of Communications & Information (MinCI) is probably much too young to be suffering from senility, but he certainly shows himself to be something less than compus mentus in his latest claims on Televen's 'Dialogue' program with Carlos Croes, when, out of one side of his mouth he says that Venezuela needs an opposition that is loyal to Venezuela, and then proceeds to claim that anyone and everyone who is opposed to his or Chavez' version of THE TRUTH is disloyal, anti-democratic, plotting to overthrow the government, in league with the CIA and God alone knows what more...
Once upon a time, I had actually believed that Andres Izarra knew what he was talking about ... but several years of pseudo-celebrity as a cabinet minister, president of Telesur and back again to ministerial portfolio seems to have gone distinctly to his head.
YES! There are elements remaining in the Venezuelan opposition who still believe that they can turn back the clocks to the Lusinchi era when the president's mistress Blanca Ibanez was the executive in charge of government while old Jaime was engaged in his favorite pastime of collecting empty whisky bottles at Las Casona (the presidential residence). There are even the remnants of Pedro Carmona Estanga's somewhat silly group of groupies who thought they could use USA funds and covert ops to overthrow President Chavez' legitimate government in April 2002 ... and there are quite probably quite a few who would love to get Chavez' head in the hairs of their telescopic sniper sights given half a chance to fulfill the Reverend Pat Robertson's wetter dreams. But...
Just how long does it take for Izarra to realize that now years after that failed attempt to unseat Chavez and visibly aware that the people of Venezuela aren't going to allow the gringos to suck Venezuelan oil and other resources in the same way as the bloodsuckers on WAll Street have sucked the life's blood out of the world's economic system ... just how long is it going to take for 'pretty boy' Izarra to cue in to the fact that there's a new breed of democratic opposition that perhaps he doesn't understand since for him "democratic" is synonymous with blind and unquestioning homage to the governmental administration, headed by Chavez, but clearly very much beyond his or any other human control.
Paranoia has gripped Izarra to the nth degree. He sees spooks round every corner, where none exist!
He simply cannot accept that there are indeed those in Venezuelan politics who disagree, NOT with Chavez, but with the wholesale corruption that, through negligence or criminal design, the governance of Venezuela has been plunged.
How do we fathom that Izarra actually uses words like "democratic" to qualify the actions of his own department, never mind the 20+ other ministries in Venezuelan government that are staggering under the overload of graft and porcines squabbling over the public trough ... and, proving truth in the old adage, that the pigs are squealing when they're cornered on their way to slaughter at the November 23 polls.
In an earlier lifetime, Izarra was appreciative of democratic debate. He applauded divergent opinions as being essential in progression towards concensus ... but somewhere along the way he lost the plot!
NOW he's accusing individuals brave enough to put their heads above the parapet to challenge the 'born again' rantings and insults of the President and his PSUV groupies, of being traitors, seditionists, gangsters, whatever ... without nary a glance over his own shoulder to see which pot is calling the kettle black.
Significantly -- and mark the words --Izarra says the opposition is NOT loyal to the country ... "what WE call for is a loyal opposition, a democratic opposition, loyal to the country, with institutions that do NOT seek anti-democratic departures ... to respect democracy! What we have is an opposition that is looking for other outlets."
Sure as hell, yes! The current opposition is looking for other outlets from the incredible mess that a succession of incompetent ministers and government officials have plunged Venezuela into! And well they should, for the corruption and malfeasances that are polluting President Hugo Chavez Frias' original dream of an egalitarian Venezuela for all of its citizens to enjoy, is taking the country well and truly up the creek without a paddle.
- Izarra says that the current administration has made all sorts of efforts to achieve dialogue (?) with the opposition, it has attempted to build bridges (?) towards democratic dialogue, a willingness to meet, to created the right conditions for dialogue ... but he says it's been done without getting a positive response from the opposition.
To top it all, Izarra has the supreme arrogance to then clarify that "consensus is a matter that involves two parties ... there must be the willingness of both sides and there must be opportunity to do so!"
And without cracking the mirror, mirror on the wall to infinitesmal smithereens, he then has the gall to say that the opposition is "NOT a political group that has any willingness to talk, to find common solutions, to respect the will of the majority!"
It's enough to make us all weep that a Minister of Communication & Information should be so much in disconnect with even the basic concept of democracy .... and, for that, perhaps Chavez should shed a tear or two too!
Roy S. Carson
vheadline@gmail.com
