While In Cuba, Venezuelan President Supposedly Rules Via Twitter

from the #140charactergoverning dept

Wed, Jul 27th 2011 1:09am — Bas Grasmayer

While Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was recently in Cuba to undergo cancer treatment, several media outlets reported on Chavez using Twitter to run Venezuela. Tweets included an approval of a million dollar garbage collection program and the announcement of a new park in Caracas. As fantastic as the headlines dealing with this news sound, a little nuance is probably needed. Any of the actual decision-making was obviously done in more than 140 characters, and only the actual announcements of decisions were made by Chavez on Twitter. Instead of using it to 'run Venezuela', it would be more accurate to say that Twitter has allowed Chavez to retain a strong image in the run up to upcoming presidential elections. Probably a better strategy than censoring the internet.

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Filed Under: communications, government, hugo chavez, twitter

11 Comments

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Nicedoggy, 27 Jul 2011 @ 3:27am

Now there is a rare person that is dumber than Bush.
Although he does understand that he can't get out of sight or he will be out of mind.
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James, 27 Jul 2011 @ 4:23am

Cancer FTW !!
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abc gum, 27 Jul 2011 @ 4:33am

1) hack twitter
2) rule Venezuela
3) ????
4) profit !!!
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Chargone (profile), 27 Jul 2011 @ 4:38am

??? in this case being:
don't run the economy into the ground in such a way that you can't bail with your takings, or piss off enough of the wrong people badly enough that you get assassinated. (or thrown in jail, i suppose.)
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Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased) (profile), 27 Jul 2011 @ 6:12am

Re:
Neither of these guys are dumb...they must be quite cunning to get to where they are. The majority of the populace is dumb for not seeing through the farce.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jul 2011 @ 6:14am

Re:
That's what I was thinking. If I had the skill (or time, or gave a flying crap) I'd hack his twitter account and start making all sorts of ridiculous announcements. Then I'd PM someone important with a bank account number in Switzerland to drop off some funds 'just in case I need them....this is my new account'.
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aeortiz (profile), 27 Jul 2011 @ 7:30am

Re:
Au Contraire, Chavez is very smart. He is a skilled strategist and orator. He has millions of followers, made mostly through promises of money and power disguised as concern for the poor and socialism.

He is, in the words of Tolkien, a "wise fool". That's what makes dangerous. He is a traitor to the poor in whose name he governs, and an enemy of democracy in Latin America. But he hides it very well.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jul 2011 @ 8:03am

Re:
I'd be the first in line to spit on Bush but I recognize he and neither this guy is an idiot by any stretch of the imagination.
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The Devil's Coachman (profile), 27 Jul 2011 @ 2:40pm

Wonder who taught that fat little pig to tweet?
Now that's a crime against humanity!
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jul 2011 @ 5:25pm

If USA gov doesn't like Hugo Chavez then he must doing something positive for his country.
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abc gum, 27 Jul 2011 @ 5:57pm

Re:
Surprisingly not
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