Teodoro Petkoff comes undone in his letter to Hugo Chavez
By Aleksander Boyd
London 24.04.07 | Miguel has posted a translation of a letter that 'rational opposition' guru Teodoro Petkoff has written to Hugo Chavez. To be brutally honest it is a relief to know that Petkoff's letter won't trespass the confines of Caracas' 'intellectual circle,' represented by a rather pathetic claque of adulators and sycophants convinced that the erstwhile guerrillero can't err. The letter in itself is worthy of comment, although for all the wrong reasons.
It starts thus:
"In my condition as citizen of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in full use of my political rights and precisely because of the duties that they impose on me as a citizen, I address you publicly to get to you some considerations about some recent acts of yours in relations to the National Armed Forces."
Petkoff is meant to be a shrewd political operator and has gained a reputation as a sharp analyst. Apart from that he was heavily involved, and continues to be, with Manuel Rosales, the opposition candidate of choice. I remember having heard from respected foes of Chavez that the candidacy of Rosales and his success -this was before election day last year- was but the result of Petkoff's brilliant strategy. One must wonder what they're thinking nowadays... A sharp analyst nonetheless it is simply unbelievable that someone who has had his moments of geniality in the past, at the time of reading the country's political landscape, could expect, so late in the game, that a non entity, such as himself, will be afforded some sort of consideration by a fellow as deranged as Hugo Chavez. To have stated "... in full use of my political rights and precisely because of the duties that they impose on me as a citizen..." indicates that Petkoff is what one could call a citizen compromised with its duties. Among the constitutional duties imposed on him are those contained on articles 333, which, in no uncertain terms, establish that all citizens have a duty in assisting to bring the constitution back into actual effect. Perhaps Petkoff reached the conclusion last night that publishing a letter was indeed part of his duty. However I remember vividly that on 3 December 2006, Petkoff informed the hysteric crowd present in La Quinta Esmeralda that until all paper receipts in every polling station nationwide had been counted no statements were to be made by any opposition leaders and therefore no position were to be taken with regards to results. At 11:37pm that day, when Manuel Rosales announced that he was accepting defeat, much before counting procedures around the country had finished, Petkoff appeared to have completely forgotten about the announcement he had made nearly 4 hours before and seemed forgetful of his constitutional duties.
The letter then proceeds to give an account of the violations to the constitution that Chavez has incurred into, as if it were something new to seasoned analysts, and near its end includes the following:
When you pretend to destroy institutionalism, in truth what you are aspiring to is to make it obey again as a praetorian guard, this time at your personal service, in clear negation of constitutional postulates. Surely you have in mind to reform the Constitution in these aspects, to consecrate the condition of political armed forces and ideologically compromised with your project, but for now, the 1999 Constitution is valid and you are fragrantly violating that which is one of its more substantive norms for obvious reasons, that one which establishes with all precision the attributions of military power and its relation with national powers.
When you pretend to destroy institutionalism... I mean, give me a fucking break, is this guy a sharp analyst? Chavez has been destroying institutionalism since the late 70ies, what is Petkoff smoking for crying out loud? To make Venezuela's armed forces obey him as a praetorian guard, this time at his personal service... But what else could be expected from a man that has repeatedly equated himself with the State? The 1999 constitution is valid... It may be in the editorial desk of Petkoff and in those circles where he's so revered, in the rest of Venezuela the militaristic caudillo and his minions have been pretty much wiping their asses with it for Venepal's output of toilet paper is at an all time low since the revolutionary workers took over.
An opposition that regards Petkoff as a brilliant mind deserves to have Chavez until 2021 and beyond.
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