Venezuelans choose this Sunday

We cannot predict the weather. Metereologists can only make very educated guesses to do so. That’s my take, anyway. I think there can’t be anything more chaotic than the weather. Point in case: what happened yesterday down here in Venezuela wasn’t told in any weather forecast I had read recently. Heavy rains fell for over six hours causing major landslides in many parts of Caracas, the capital city. The suburb where I live was blocked for more than 24 hours since all its access routes were covered in mud; I didn’t even try to come home, staying at my girlfriend’s family’s house. Some people I know took more than six hours to get here. In a shantytown nearby, three people were buried alive, but two were rescued.

All this 48 hours before we have state and city elections on Sunday.

 

I love this!

This is absolutely priceless. Like Time put it, an African American guy with a “dangerous-sounding foreign name” won in an overwhelmingly white-populated state in the US. Simply… cool.

It’s too early to start really making a party, since the Iowa caucus is only the first. And as I understand it, the real important ones are New Hampshire, California and New York. But it calls to attention that particpation skyrocketed, especially among Dems, as did the youth vote. And on the GOP side, I profoundly lament that Ron paul didn’t even make the top three, though I am glad that neither Giulani (what the hell happened to this guy?) or Romney made it –they seem just too much of the same ol’ thing. I really don’t know too much about Mike Huckabee to make a clear comment, other than what I will say at the end.

 

What is happening in Venezuela

You might have heard of Venezuela. You know, the country whose President (Hugo Chávez) called George Bush “the Devil” at the United Nations last year. The one who, depending on who you ask, closed a TV station that opposed him openly or refused to renew the licnese of a channel that openly ionvited to rebelion. The country of beautiful women and beaches, the country of Bourne:Ultimatum villain Edgar Ramírez, the land of this humble blogger.

Since last August, my country has been in a “debate” centering around a proposed reform to its Constitution, approved by this same government in 1999, who then called it “the best Constituiton in the world”, that would last “a hundred years”. Well, apparently time flows differentlydown here, who knew. Chávez proposed modifications to 33 articles, which introduced changes in political life that immediately caused a stir.

 

Sean Penn said it

In case you don’t know, Sean Penn was on David Letterman’s show last Monday plugging the movie he directed, Into The Wild. Penn had been in my country, Venezuela, a couple of weeks back, touring the country with President Hugo Chávez. So naturally Letterman asked about it.

 

Sunday critical sunday

People of the blogosphere, I salute thee. As they say in my country, I wasn’t dead, I was on the town. Hey, I’m Latin American, so it’s kinda expected that I don’t write in English all that much. But hey, here I am.And with good reason.

If you’re one of those that always follows what happens in the world, you know that this Sunday, there are presidential elections in my country, Venezuela. That would just be news to you guys, but it’s critical –REAL critical– for us.