Translation mine.Better listen and do what the good man says, dude…otherwise, Chile could find itself more isolated in the region than mere geography would dictate, and even before you take office.The Chilean minister of exterior relations, Mariano Fernández, recommended on Thursday that the president-elect, Sebastián Piñera, not give any opinions on international matters as long as his government is not yet installed. This after his exchange of harsh words with the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez.“I have the impression that it is recommendable that the new government begin to give opinions on international subjects only once it is installed,” said Fernández to journalists.“Don’t meddle with us…go govern Chile, do what you have to do there,” said Chávez after Piñera criticized “the way in which he practices democracy and the economic model” which Chávez applies.“I believe we should not expect judgments over the relations of the country in the period between the end of one government and the beginning of the next,” Mariano Fernández said.The minister emphasized that in this transition period, in which an executive will be chosen by the 10th of March, “it is better that the coming government hold off on giving opinions about international matters which are extremely sensitive until it is installed.”
Just an unrelated note: isn´t it interesting that the folks that approve of the lame healthcare reform bill, that gives more power to insurance companies, are also the same folks that spew venom at Hugo Chavez.
As far as Pinochet Jr. is concerned, I guess he simply couldn´t contain himself from lobbing a few missles at Chavez. In his circles, god knows that they spend a huge amount of time hating-on Chavez. This was throwing some red-meat to the Latin American rightwing.
You can bet that this guy will make hating on Chavez akin to Chilean patriotism.
Met some young Chileans on the bus yesterday. They were by no means rich, but the kind of like Pinera. They definately don´t like Morales, Chavez, Castro, or Correa.
Bachelett failed to draw distinct differences between Concertation and the rightwing business elites. She projected an image of being above the fray and ´moderate´in the face of sucessive leftwing, socialist advances in the region.
Chavez and others have been sucessful because they have clear ideas and convictions–they allow the rightwing to distinguish themselves as being fundamentally against equality of opprotunity and social progress.
Here, in the US, the more priviledged sectors of the liberal-progressive elite are frightened to death of being identified as distinctly pro-union, or egalitarian. Everyone with power is bought-off, enjoying perks, an upper middle class life-style, private education and healthcare.
Even if the Dems lose control of both houses and the executive, the elites in the party still ejoy a priviledged life-style.
If the left loses in any of the ALBA countries, the fate of the politicians and the millions of little people that put them in power is in question. In the worse cases, the right will use the military to terrorize the population into total submission.
The Liberals play politics like it is a mere game–but the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands, and broad social retardation are definately real.
Yep…in that sense, they’re just like people who play the stock market. They don’t care what the consequences are for others, as long as they get what they see as “theirs”. The fact that it isn’t rightfully theirs is something that utterly escapes, them, along with all the rest. Maybe if they WERE directly and adversely affected by this kind of highway robbery…
Oh, but don’t mind me. I’m just dreaming out loud again. I’m a writer. I do that a lot.