Fausta's Blog

American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

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Por Que No Te Callas?

King Juan Carlos of Spain has started a wave:

Via Babalu:

A banner goes up in downtown Caracas

Spanish Smack-Down at Investor’s Business Daily explains,

Spain’s King Juan Carlos delivered the repartee heard ’round the world Saturday by ordering Venezuela’s abusive dictator to “shut up” at a summit. Drawing the line there may mark a turning point.

That’s because Spain isn’t just any country, and its monarch isn’t just any figurehead. In asking “why don’t you shut up” to Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Juan Carlos signaled that time has run out on democracies’ tolerance of anything a boorish dictator seeking to dominate the region can dish out.

That’s no small thing. Chavez’s manners reflect his leadership. At the Ibero-American summit of Spain, Portugal and their former colonies in the Americas in Santiago, Chile, he unloaded a raft of loutish insults. Meanwhile, Venezuelans rioted in the streets back home over his ongoing domestic power grab.

And now they put up the banner, too.

There’s even a Facebook group: ¿Por qué no te callas? and a new domain name.

The Beeb’s inagurated a page of
Chavez’s colourful quotations. ’twas about time someone told him to shut up.

Daniel and Andres Oppenheimer both wonder if the Chavez-King fight might be a distraction maneuver by Chavez so we do not discuss anymore the repression in Venezuela.

UPDATE, Wednesday 14 November:
Via Pajamas Media, Chavez Demands Spanish King Juan Carlos Apologize for Verbal Slap, Hints Investments Could Be at Risk
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Comments

  2. Frankly, and with all my respect, I think you’re full of cookies! (see, this is “libertad de expression”)
    Twist “la verdad” as much as you want, there’s no excuse for those that oppressed their people blaming it on “neocolonialism”. Whether, you’re out of touch, or you’re using the suffering of people to justify the injustice of your leaders. The poverty and misery of your people (at home, or those forced to migrate abroad) are not the fault of the Spanish people or their King, but the corruption of oligarchs and “pseudo socialists” that under false pretenses and promises are seeking long terms as rulers to empower themselves and their cronies, eventually, neglecting the long term prosperity of their people. I used to think that Mr. President Chavez social and political program could help the oppressed and poor people of Venezuela. However, Mr. President Chavez is starting to have too much taste for power, and power corrupts. He’s starting to show signs of it, by treating everybody that disagrees with him like “mierda”. Although he may have been elected by the Venezuelans, let’s not forget that he (himself) controls the state media of the country and he is now seeking to change the constitution to stay in power for ever. Good luck!
    Meanwhile, let’s not get him or your “demagogia” to spoil the brotherhood that has existed for so many years between Spanish speaking nations. If you don’t like Spanish business, then don’t have them, and explain that to the people in your country that could benefit otherwise from them.