Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Venezuela's laziest people or just populism at a different level?

Aristóbulo Istúriz, governor of the Northeastern state of Anzoátegui, declared today is a holiday because the regional basketball team won the national basketball championship. It doesn't matter Venezuela is getting into recession, the country is lagging behind most other South American countries in spite of its oil and people have to spend endless hours queuing up for food. Or perhaps it does matter and that's why he does it.

Istúriz is one of those "revolutionaries" who was actually integral part of the IV Republic: before he became Chavista, he was an active politician of Acción Democrática, social democrats, and then of Causa R, left-left, both now opposition parties.

Declaring a compulsory holiday for everyone not working in emergency services or the like is not new in Anzoátegui. Back in January 2011 the previous governor, Tareq Saab (of Syrian and pro-al-Assad family, as many Chavista apparatchiks), declared a holiday also for a basketball victory at the national championship. In  July 2011 Saab did the same for another victory. The governor also declared another holiday in June of the same year because the Spanish soccer team was playing a friendly match with the Venezuelan team.

The state is called after a military caudillo.  Saab also declared a holiday on General Anzoátegui's birthday. Of course, you should add all the national holidays Venezuelans have.

Our country can go to hell but we won't work

No comments:

Post a Comment

1) Try to be constructive and creative. The main goal of this blog is not to bash but to propose ideas and, when needed, to denounce
2) Do not use offensive language
3) Bear in mind that your comments can be edited or deleted at the blogger's sole discretion
4) If your comment would link back to a site promoting hatred of ethnic groups, nations, religions or the like, don't bother commenting here.
5) Read point 4 again