José Alberto López Rafaschieri and Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net
Chavez brings a set of electoral strategies to address the 2012 presidential election. Of these, the hypothetical "cancer", briefly defeated by the Lieutenant Colonel, leads the repertoire displayed by the Venezuelan government, dish served with several adjustments to the worn image of the Bolivarian Revolution leader.
Unlike most analysts and journalists, we have never believed that President Chavez suffers from a cancer, as we settled in other publications and interviews, and we will hold this position unless a Venezuelan medical board, not politicized, certifies otherwise. It will not convince us to see the president affected (hairless) by a supposed chemotherapy treatment, or ingesting pills on television, or looking gaunt and losing weight, because that may be part of the show; in fact, it is known the use of this kind of illusions in the entertainment industry. Again, we will just believe in the objective evaluation of a Venezuelan medical board, not politicized.
In our view, those who have decided to believe the government's version are relying at the fourth official truth given regarding the disappearance of the Venezuelan president weeks ago. We still suspect that the whole subject of Chavez's cancer is a big electoral ploy in order to soften his image and help him focus all his public appearances in this matter, rather than face the main problems of the country, like housing, insecurity and corruption.
It is much easier for Chavez to appear on TV talking about the chemotherapy, and his miraculous recovery, than of the Venezuelan prison crisis or the failure of the government's policies. It is surprising how the president has had time to train with the military and give long speeches, but has not even had a few words to the families of the victims of the massacre inside El Rodeo. "It hurts here", "I will go to Cuba to continue my treatment. I let the vice-president in charge of this and that". These will be the positions of the Venezuelan Head of State before each situation that may affect his popularity in the next year's elections.
President Chavez has also taken advantage of the confusion and turmoil caused by his alleged cancer to reformulate various aspects of the government propaganda that have great reluctance in the population. The slogan of the Chavez administration will no longer be "Fatherland, socialism or death", as it was for years; now it will be "Independence and Socialist Fatherland! We will live and overcome!". Similarly, the excessive presence of the red color and the word "socialist" will be lessened, following the Chavez's orders, and the regime has shown mercy with some ailing political prisoners. In our view, these movements have nothing to do with Chavez' fear of death because of the cancer, as has been believed. They are strategies that aim to separate the Chavista government from extremist or negative messages.
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