Several hours after Hugo Chavez won a new six-year term as president of Venezuela, Mexico's secretariat of foreign relations sent a short, proper note wishing him well. It said:
The Government of Mexico, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), congratulates President Hugo Chavez for his victory in the presidential elections in Venezuela today.
The Government of Mexico reiterates its full readiness to further strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation between Mexico and Venezuela.
While several other hemispheric leaders took to Twitter to wish Chavez well, President Felipe Calderon here in Mexico remained silent. Perhaps it is not a surprise. Calderon and Chavez have notably chilly relations that date back several years. Blame the Wikileaks scandal over the leaked U.S. diplomatic cables. One 2009 cable in particular revealed that Calderon believes that Chavez helped finance his rival in 2006 elections, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and wanted US help in pressuring Brazil to restrain Chavez.
Gee! A foreign nation helping finance candidates in a national election! How terrible! Is that like the US funding Calderon? Or like the US funding Capriles in Venezuela? Or the US funding opposition parties in Russia?
Posted by: Charles D | 10/09/2012 at 02:12 PM