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Oliver Stone calls Hugo Chavez's movie bluff

By Aleksander Boyd

London 23.05.06 | It may be that The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is loosing its appeal, given the demonstrably fake chronology of events featured in it. Or it may be that Oxfordians have wisen up and do not fancy the dubious honour of confering Honorary Degrees to Venezuela's Mugabe. Either way the blunders of Hugo Chavez in the international arena are piling up. Sometime last year I wrote:

In modern times the Midas touch is known to be a condition intrinsic to very successful individuals that have the capacity to turn into gold, profit, gains, dividends, or however else one may describe or perceive success, whatever they become involved with. However what term/s can one use to describe the antithesis of the Midas touch? Since I have not been able to find anything in the Greek mythology I have taken the liberty to coin the term the "Chavez touch" for every single thing in which the Venezuelan pariah becomes involved turns into dust. Take for instance PDVSA. By all accounts a success story until Chavez decided that he had to take control of a business of which he lacked the most basic knowledge. The result? Loss of: output, qualified staff, accountability, profitability, international leverage, income, market share, market value, etc. One can also use Venezuela's incipient democracy as an example but that is not the purpose of this article.

The latest example came from last Sunday's Hello President, Venezuela's best known reality TV show, source of unending prevarications from whose locations Chavez 'governs' the country and dictates policy. Presumably upset for the recent PR disaster in Europe, Chavez announced with great fanfare that Oliver Stone had asked him permission to produce a movie about the April 11 2002 events. Would Stone have included in the movie the bit about his resignation? I guess we will never know, but what we do know is this, as reported by Reuters: "rumors that I am directing a film about the 2002 coup in Venezuela are untrue and unfounded," Stone said in a statement released by his publicist.

Did it occur to the international journalists covering the inanity stream coming out Chavez's providential mouth to call Stone to confirm the former's allegations? Nah, if the caudillo says so it must be true, isn't that right Ken?

Ergo we now have examples, all readily verifiable with information in the public domain, of his Minister of Information lying, his Ambassadors lying -especial mention to Alfredo Toro Hardy and Bernardo Alvarez Herrera, his oil Minister lying, his Attorney General lying, his electoral Minister lying, his legislative minions lying, his Vice President lying, his statistics' office lying, his generals lying, His Excellency -the supreme caudillo saviour of the world for the love of god!!- lying... Hence the question is; why would anyone be stupid enough to take anything coming out of Venezuela's politburo seriously? As I wrote yesterday, the world would be a much better place had this bunch of crooks be sharing accomodation with Manuel "pineapple face" Noriega.

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