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Carlos Garcia Rawlins / Reuters
A figurine of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, third from left, is seen in a recreation of a Nativity scene in Caracas on Thursday.
CARACAS -- In the Bible, shepherds and wise men paid homage to the newborn baby Jesus. In Venezuela, it seems Hugo Chavez turned up in the manger, too.
A Nativity scene in Caracas showing the socialist president standing before the traditional crib-in-a-manger has stirred up a pre-Christmas controversy in the politically polarized country.
"It has nothing to do with the real Nativity, with religion. I don't like it," said passerby Arnaldo Amundaray, tutting as he took a close look at the model.
For Chavez supporters and the Nativity's creators, it is a legitimate and innocent tribute to their man.
Carlos Garcia Rawlins / Reuters
A child looks at the nativity scene Thursday.
"The intention is to show off all the revolution's achievements because the media silence the good things President Chavez has done," said Maria Alejandra Mijares, a Women's Ministry employee who helped make the Nativity.
The lovingly constructed model, which stands in a concourse of residential and business towers in central Caracas, has the traditional Christian scene at its heart. But it also politicizes the Nativity by paying tribute to some of Chavez's most popular policies during his 13-year rule.
To symbolize his infrastructure achievements there is a miniature cable car reaching up to a replica shantytown. The flagship social projects of the Chavez government, including his Barrio Adentro (Inside the Slum) clinics, also are painstakingly represented.
In the middle -- in front of and below Jesus's crib -- stands Chavez next to a model of his hero, South America's 18th century independence fighter Simon Bolivar.
Elsewhere, there is a photo of Chavez hugging a child.
"Like Christianity, the revolution is all about love," said another Women's Ministry worker, Yasmina Ereu. "Some people are fascinated. Others don't like it. But this is a democratic country. Everyone is welcome to their opinion."
Chavez, 57, has long had a syncretic philosophy of life, hailing both Marx and Jesus -- sometimes in the same speeches -- while also constantly appealing to the spirit of Bolivar.
He inspires visceral hatred in foes, who see him as a crazy, dictatorial upstart who has set their nation back years with his radical policies and authoritarian style.
Supporters, especially in Venezuela's poorest areas, often display a near-religious love and fanaticism. Both sides have the presidential election next October firmly in their sights.
Just around the corner from the Nativity, at a shop in the old Hilton Hotel that was nationalized by Chavez a few years ago, there is a brisk pre-Christmas sale in dolls, T-shirts, mugs and other paraphernalia adorned with his image.
"Eighty percent of Venezuelans are with him. This process is not going to stop," said seller Carlos Bonilla, parting with a Chavez coffee mug for 40 bolivars ($9.30).
Asked if sales will still be strong after Chavez's re-election bid next year, he and a couple of friends laugh confidently and press a button on a Chinese-made doll to let a plastic 'Comandante' give the answer for himself:
"There's no doubt who are the majority in Venezuela!"
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Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
Venezuela is on "FAST TRACK" to join a few African Nations in "THIRD WORLD SCHITT HOLE" ststus.
I quess when you are battling cancer, religion is something to start thinking about.
I hope it is Throat Cancer and it is painfull and fatal
Actually Venezuela's economy is growing the fastest after China and India, it is rich in oil - has a leader that can get things done and the people are united.
Viva Chavez - Venezuela - the only country in the History of the world where the rich people riot.
REALLY....?....REALLY....?
As an American that lived in Caracas, reads El Universal and watches VENEVISION EVERY DAY, I need to enlighten you on something called F-A-C-T-S and T-R-U-T-H.
F-A-C-T-S :
1. Venezuela enjoys the HIGHEST INFLATION RATE in the WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
2. The Venezuel enjoyed Economic CONTRACTION (-3.5%) in 2010. (VANCAM/Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce)
3. Venezuela will see anemic growth of LESS THAN 2% IN 2011 (VENCAM/Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce)
NOW....
T-R-U-T-H
The Venezuelan Government has manipulated basic statistics to show growth, so "Geniouses" like the uneducated person Im responding to believe. Here's how it works.
Venezuelans were given over the course of 2 years 30% pay increases...30%. that's GREAT!!! Oh, here's the catch....The currency Inflation rose 68% in that same time. So.... if the "Savant" Im responding to would do his/her math, they would see CONTRACTION....NOT GROWTH. You had 30% more in your pay check....BUT the price of Goods (Milk, Bread...) went up almost 70%
In closing, Venezuela's ONLY REAL Contributor to the Economy are OIL EXPORTS. The Socialist Method has been SO INEFFICIENT that they have fallen from 89% output to LESS THAN 62% By 2014, Colombia will export MORE oil than Venezuela. "DAT DONT SEEMS LIKE GROTH TA ME"
I'm surprised Oballah isn't in one here. He definitely read that book Hugo gave him. We are headed in the same direction as Venezuela, right doen the third world toilet.
Backfire out your a$$, his name is Obama and this story has nothing to do with him. I was wondering who would be the first idiot to mention him. I guess you won. Congradulations!
at least its not Sandusky standing in front of the manger!
Hey Disc Golfer...
That comment was CLASSIC.
You made my A list.
I do not like Chavez, but I am glad he took control of his countries natural resources. I am happy to see the corporate giants kick out and forced to stop raping the country and its people. Here in the US, we are sold down the @!$%# hole by corporate GREED. All the foreign oil companies drill our oil and it gets sold overseas. we are being raped on our public utilities and the price of gas and fuel oil. All to line the vaults of the chosen few,
Why didn't Hugo produce a huge positive economy for his people? He has oil like crazy so he could be like Norway. The answer is that he is a negitive force of foolish nonsense. Hugo along with the guy in Iran, Hamas, Syria, and other terrorist are the bad people of the world. They spent decades talking about how evil the US or Israel is.....but guess what, they are horrible evil......and they love hollywood......but hollywood is evil too.
usa1998.com
Maybe Chavez is saying to his people that he will not allow any child to be born and then nailed to a cross for the sins of others. Maybe Chavez is saying that he will stand in front of the children of his country as their protector from those who use them as slaves and not allow them to be free.
Sometimes you have to look behind the image to find the real meaning. Chavez is saying that he will put himself before those who harm a child.
This picture of him in the nativity scene is propaganda. Just like North Korean leader's Kim Jong Il, where every picture of their capital is designed to make him look like he's some sort of God. Chavez is trying to rally the support of "his people" by 1) making himself look divine like Jesus 2) make "his people" think about where Venezuela would be right now if not for him (the cable cars and clinics) yet he takes too much credit for what little good it actually did. Did he improve the lives of "his people"? Or was he self-motivated in all that he did? I believe it was the latter. That's the problem with socialism. All too often, the people who put it to use say it's for it's beneficial qualities "for the people" but they only wind up using it to serve themselves, like China, North Korea, and Soviet Russia. Other countries who employ it have a tough time keeping it going without having to heavily tax "their people" or they face bankruptcy as a nation (Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy)...
Are the OBAMA BIN LADEN SUPPORTER REALLY SO BLIND? Not a word on Eric Holder and his murdering of Americans now Corzine and his stealing of Billions from now starving Americans. This is MSNBC, NBC and HUFF POST worried about the environment and not a worry about the president that allows such people to thrive in it. Must go tell our children it is ok? These Liberal news are scum
And this separates them from GOP how? Yeah, you are right, makes them about even except Repub presidents have more blood on their hands than Dems...
Hey short bus, you know his name is Barack Obama don't you.
fox spin is a murdoch toilet hole of lies for the gop
chavez being the son of god has just as much chance as jesus being the son of god....equal evidence for both.
Let us know when he appears in a coffin, that will be some good news.
Emil
This man is beyond any moral fiber in his body, let alone his mind.
Castro, Chavez, Obama, Gaddafi,Hitler ,Idi Amin, Mussolini, Diem,Mao,Stalin, Pol Pot, Sukarno, Et Al, all of these Despots had one thing in Common ! They all let the power of their leadership go to their HEADS. Egomaniacs the whole lot of them. Rather to put their power and influence to the positive good of mankind, they turned to their dark side and completely screwed things up for the rest of mankind to the make worst times in History. Too bad that they don't get eliminated as soon as their evil heads reared up out of the muk and mire of their lies and insanity !
My comment: to many right wing uneducated idiots on here.
I suspect the picture was taken in New York and the article written by one of msn's pool of propoganda interns.
" And it came to pass...that three wise men from the east (and one from Venezuela) came to Bethlehem bearing gifts for the new born King of the Jews. They bowed and worshiped him, offering treasures of gold,incense, myrh and a copy of Hugo's book".
Chavez is doing the same thing that Nike does. Nike connects themselves with Michael Jordan so people will buy their message while Chavez links with Jesus so people will buy his. It is up to the people to separate the nonsense from the truth.