King Juan Carlos: "¿Por que no te callas?" a Hugo Chaves

Diplomacy is difficult, even for kings. South American summit in Santiago de Chile took an abrupt turn last Saturday when Spains King Juan Carlos had enough of Hugo Chávez endlessly asking why former Spanish prime minister José María Aznár the previous week on a visit to Venezuela had bothered him with critical questions about the constitutional reform which will give Chávez more power than ever and most likely ten more years (or more?) as president in Venezuela.

The Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, propably a republican himself, awkwardly had to defend his adversary and political opponent Aznár. The king had enough and simply told Chávez to shut up: "¿Por que no te callas?" So much for diplomacy.

King Juan Carlos was present in the summint on the sole purpose of negotiating the tense situation the Finish celluloid company Botnia had created between Argentina and Uruguay. Operating in Uruguay and polluting (stinking) in Argentina, the economic and environmental interestest are incompatable. The Argentinian president Nestór Kirshner begged the Spanish king to negotiate the conflict between the neighbouring countries more than a year ago. And he agreed to do so. Funny thing for a king to do. And the negotiation drowned in the "(in)famous five words". The whole incident has triggered humorous repercussions, paroding theatre and ringtones (!) both in Venezuela and Spain. My personal favorite is a Viva España-version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9X8DYOA5DE

Last week the border between Gualeguaychú in Argentina and Fray Bentos in Uruguay (where Botnia is situated) was closed on the Uruguayan side. Thousands of demonstrators marched the bridge across Río Uruguay and swam the river in boats to protest the foul smell from the celluloid plant. In Buenos Aires demonstrators cooked huge amounts of coliflower in front of the Uruguayan embassy to simulate the stench. Anyone who has known mossalukta or sildalukta will sympatize. I hope the border is open tomorrow when I go on a weekend trip to Colonia and Montevideo...

Anyway, a couple of days after he was told to shut up, Chávez claimed he hadn´t noticed the kings outburst, otherwise he would have given him a harsh reply. What the fuck is a king these days, anyway. After 300 years of imperialized colonization it is time for the people to speak back. Says Chávez. In a sense he is right. But as the greatest superego in the Western hemisphere at the moment, he has lost his sense of proportion. Even Chávez' comrade Fidel Castro made public that he thought someone must be on the verge of putting a bullet through his head, Chávez is now on a dead end, en una callejon sin salida. Recently he was acclaimed the most sexy man in Venezuela (by his own TV channel)... Wonder how many votes he posted himself. On the other hand, power always was sexy.

Now Chávez is expecting an apology from Spain, and has decleared a revision of all Spanish
interests in Venzuela. Propably throwing out the ones who are not in sole Venezuelan interest.

Now, play the 7 differences:
Compare the pictures from the Latin American Presidential Summit in Chile an find the differences (answers at the bottom)






1. Zapatero brakes Chavéz for criticizing Aznar. Kirschner applaudes Chávez for criticizing Carlos Menem.
2. Zapatero and Kirschner detest former presidents Aznar and Menem, but the former never publicly criticize Aznar outside Spain.
3. Outside Spain, Aznar is careful not to criticize Zapatero. Menem made an official, international statement against Kirschner.
4. Spain have king. Argentina, queen.
5. King Juan Carlos told Chávez to shut up. Queen Cristina told him not to miss her assumption.
6. Bachelet intended to reconcile Juan Carlos with Chávez. Kirchner wants to reconcile Chavéz with Bush.
7. Spain has hereditary morarchy. Argentina, too..