Amidst his repeated attempts to interrupt the Spanish PM, President Chavez's microphone was promptly switched off.
It was at this point that, seated alongside Spain's Prime Minister, King Juan Carlos became angry with Hugo Chavez,
snapping at him: "Why don't you shut up?".
Considering, amongst many other factors, the Venezuelan President's personal
and political alliance with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, it is a wholly undiplomatic message which is likely to elicit a few
cheers from Washington to Whitehall and beyond.
This is one more argument for the monarchy; no elected politician or diplomat could do this but a King may.
Name: Monika
Comment: vreston, my family left Prague in 1968 for political reasons. I can more than appreciate what you are saying.
Name: vreston
Comment: Anycat, while this is not a forum for a political discussion, I may only assume that you speak from the positive personal experience of living with the 'elected' freedoms of Cubans and the fortunate electorate of Venezuela.... and not from a safety of a neighborhood Starbucks. My family and I were the lucky beneficiaries of just this type of a political regime and spent the last three decades recovering from it. One nifty side effect, however, is the freedom of speech which we get to enjoy as well an option to buy one's ticket and move to a place which meets our political needs - neither of these are viable options to the general populaton of Cuba or Venezuela. As for this particular incident, you may have missed the key point - Chavez exercised his 'freedom' to show that he does not belive in the basic rules of diplomatic civility to other heads of state. If he behaves this way in a place where he's under pressure to be civil, one may only imagine (or rather not) how he treats those over whom he's got total control, aka, those who 'elected' him. I, for one, know exactly where I would love to plant my well worn Doc Martens 20 gage boot, and it's not a continent. Once more, kudos to King JC for calling Chavez on it. Alas, it fell on deaf ears.
Name: anyacat
Comment: Well, Chaves was elected--which is pretty much what happens when the US puts its boot on the neck of an entire continent. But then as Salvador Allende found out, it doesn't matter if you are duly elected. Having failed in one coup, the US might continue to press its message that the US and not the Venezuelan people, much less their elected government, knows what's best for Venezuela.
Name: Trudie
Comment: Washington and Whitehall should appauld the King. Chavez needs to learn some common manners.To King Juan Carlos.
Name: Monika
Comment: vreston, excellent post! I totally agree with you about Sean Penn. These Hollywood 'scholars' should be forced to live in the countries/under the governments they support so openly and foolishly. Let them see how far their freedom of speech would go there! It would be a rude, and much needed, awakening.
Name: Muriel
Comment: Three cheers for King Juan Carlos!!!!!!! It's time someone told that little creep off.
Name: vreston
Comment: BRAVO!!!!
Chavez and his political cronies are allowed to run amok and have no respect for boundaries while the rest of the civilized world sits around and politely holds its tongue.
The possible cheers from Washington are not the issue here. Anyone with the common courtesy and respect for a diplomatic forum should mind their manners and 'politicians' (translation: tyrants/demagogs/dictators) are only too happy to manipulate the system against itself.
Let us just hope that Sean Penn does not call King Juan Carlos to demand an apology to his friend for being rude.
I, for one, know exactly where I would love to plant my well worn Doc Martens 20 gage boot, and it's not a continent. Once more, kudos to King JC for calling Chavez on it. Alas, it fell on deaf ears.
