RESPONSE #16. Smiling clown seen in Trinidad.
Recently, we all saw when Obama ran into Hugo Chavez, the Venezuela’s President, at the Summit of the Americas in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, before leaders were ushered in for remarks. They apparently overcame some differences between them but lamentably it was just a formal act. From my viewpoint, I am quite convinced that Obama’s gesture was natural and genuine while Chavez’s was not. I affirm this based on many antecedents.
For many years, Colombians have received several attacks from the Venezuela’s President. Not only has he labeled our President Uribe as a rightist dictator but also has he accused him of violating human rights when defending our country from the FARC. Colombians know Uribe has acted according to the international agreements as well as we know Chavez uses to lie and to exaggerate anything. Additionally, he has generated tensions up to the point of freezing our commercial relationship and driving the Colombian Ambassador out of Caracas. Such decisions are usually made them when Colombia imposes its democracy over the communist system that both Venezuela and the FARC are intending to evangelize throughout Latinamerica. We ultimately fed up with Chavez.
Fortunately, this particular behavior is not unknown for Obama. He is representing democracy in such a way that he ignored the Chavez’s disguise to improve the relationship between them as Uribe also wanted some time. Colombia once procured to remedy a conflict cordially but Chavez let us down when he hypocritically shook the hands with our government, and two days after Chavez cowardly insult it again.
When a conflict has a pathological character such as Hugo Chavez, his opponent is at disadvantage because there is no objectivity to find common ground for negotiations. Obama administration will have to deal with several attacks and maybe threats from Venezuela. I do not pretend to put a damper on Americans diplomacy today’s results, I just want to warn them about this clown capable of lying at all of those who love democracy.
