With only twelve days left before the December 3 Venezuelan presidential elections, the newspaper with the largest national circulation had as its major front page story: fat women have a hard time finding clothes that fit them. Two days later, the principal headline informed the nation that the “hallaca,” a traditional Venezuelan Christmas meal, would be more expensive this year than last year in the government sponsored markets.

It is easy to see that the election campaigns are not the only item on people’s minds today and maybe not even the most important. Christmas is coming, a time for clothes and food, and, in addition, everyone already knows what the final result of the elections will be.

Elections in Venezuela have always been colorful. Through the years, political parties in Venezuela have been identified by colors. White belongs to the Accion Democratica party (the Social Democrats) and green to the COPEI party (the Christian Democrats). I understand that in parts of Africa the political parties distribute cloth covered with their party emblems. The women make clothing from the cloth and thus advertise the political party. In Venezuela the parties gave away paint and thus neighborhoods would become immaculately white around election time if there were sufficient ADecos (members of Accion Democratica) in the area.

However, this year’s presidential election on December 3 promises to be one of the most colorful ever. As I started to write this, a fight was under way to decide who had the right to use the color blue.

But before we get to blue, think black.

I read a few days ago that when Ramsey Clark presented a paper to Saddam Hussein’s judge, the judge said to Ramsey: “Get out.” I wonder if the judge is fluent in English or if the U.S. government had him practice those words in anticipation of the appropriate moment.

Bill Ryan died a few weeks ago. I’m sure his death didn’t make the New York Times. I doubt that it was chosen by USA Today to be among the few lines they publish each day about Wyoming.

But I am told that Saint Mary's Cathedral in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was full; that the fire department had many of its units outside the church; and, that the police department stopped all the traffic en route to the cemetery from the church.

During a recent visit to the United States, I heard a woman say that she felt Vice President Dick Cheney was an evil man. Her sister, with a different view of the world situation, said she felt all Arabs were evil. For the past few years President George W. Bush has been speaking of an axis of evil in the world. And, just a few days ago, President Chávez of Venezuela said President Bush is a devil.

“I cannot tell a lie, Mommy, I cut down the cherry tree.” George Washington(?)

It is now near the end of July. But a month ago we celebrated the longest day of the year in Venezuela. Drums were beating and dancing filled the streets in the region of Barlovento and in other parts of Venezuela. It was the celebration of the feast of Saint John.

However, south of the equator it was the shortest day of the year. In Cochabamba, Bolivia, people were burning bonfires in the street to warm themselves. I was once told that in the past the sky was sometimes so filled with smoke that airplanes couldn’t land the following day. Pilots couldn’t find the airport.

I don’t want to dwell on the climatic differences in Latin America to draw a comparison with trade negotiations, but they come to mind this morning as the leaders of MERCOSUR are meeting once again and I reflect on the ups and downs the region has experienced recently.

My country, ‘tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I . . .

I understand that Lou Dobbs and CNN will have a special tonight (October 29) on voting machines. It might be helpful to read this item that I published four months ago when Dobbs had a smiliar report.

Four years ago a Catholic priest in Venezuela said that if the press were the lifeblood of democracy, then Venezuela needed a transfusion.

Today I saw a segment of the June 7 edition of Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN. If this program is representative of news reporting in the U.S., I would have to say the same about the state of democracy in the United States.

This morning when I stopped at the newsstand to buy the daily newspaper, I realized immediately that it was much heavier than usual. Opening to an insert, I saw ninety-five pages filled in relatively small print with numbers—only numbers! They started with 1,104 and ended with 3,320,938.

I was ready to ask the owner of the newsstand to throw the section away so I wouldn’t have to carry it home. But then I saw the front page of the section and decided to study it further.