Chavez Status Update

Today, we find the Chateau's favorite South American dictator rehearsing for the inevitable. Dateline San Juan de las Galdonas, Venezuela:

Camouflaged soldiers jumped from boats into the surf and waded ashore in a mock assault Thursday, the latest in a series of Venezuelan military exercises preparing for a U.S. invasion that President Hugo Chavez warns could come.

Hundreds of men, women and children met the troops on the beach, some shouting "Gringos go home!" and "Freedom!" The soldiers ignored them and hiked into their small fishing town, stone-faced as they spread out and took control.

Chavez Status
(12:27am/11.05.05)

Prepared!

Wolfie discounts imminent invasion. Moshi, doubts Chavez's sincerity and thinks he just trying to scare Venezuelans. But why? Timeoday, on the other hand, asks a deeply provocative question -- and provides a nuanced and insightful answer -- about the real reasons for today's hugely successful fishing town operation:

if you were a Venezuelan sitting on huge amounts of oil coveted by the U.S. would you believe such denials [of imminent American invasion]? We have already invaded one country for its oil!

But surely that's two countries? Yeah. And what about that threatening Operation Balboa? Better safe than sorry, eh? Next week, Chavez plans to resume previously-scheduled invasions of so-called idle farms.

Previous Updates: 10:30am/10.22.05; 7:19pm/08.30.05; 1:46pm/08.28.05; 10:00am/08.24.05 and 8:02pm/10.31.05.

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