“Politics is like show business, but for ugly people,” Ronald Reagan, film actor and 40th president of the United States.
Maduro is experiencing the worst moment in his history. A reward of 50 million for his capture, nuclear ships, F-35 aircraft, Reaper drones and the largest warship in the world have him in their sights. In the face of the crisis, he turns to theater to gain sympathy and connect with people.
Ridendo dicere verum. Since ancient times the Romans knew the humor of power and the power of humor. His theaters were more famous than his theorists. Politicians knew that paying comedians was useful even to change the narrative and reach people.
No war yes peace. Maduro uses politainment or politics as entertainment, to sell himself as a man of the people, an occasional Cantinflas who mocks the powerful. A viral video that aims to bury his crimes and bloody record.
The politician and the clown. Jeffrey Jones said that in the modern world, politics has become another branch of popular entertainment. The borders between informing, entertaining and doing politics have been erased. They have disappeared. That explains why Maduro is burning with fury because YouTube gave him a dishonorable discharge.
Chávez reincarnated as a little bird. “The little bird flew and I felt that the spirit and blessings of Chávez were there,” said Maduro in April 2013. The video went viral. There he discovered that people prefer a clown and not a politician.
An old but successful trick. Juan Domingo Perón said that “Sometimes the politician has to do a bit of a circus so that the people listen to him, but he must not forget that he is not a clown, but a conductor.” Maduro has discovered a gold mine and is exploiting it.
The power of comedy. Although Maduro is a trashy tyrant, he knows the power of comedy. Let us remember that the actor Volodymyr Zelensky won the elections in Ukraine with an overwhelming 72% thanks to his charisma and skillful use of humor.
Nicolas Maduro is not a comedian, he is a criminal. Venezuela is not experiencing a story with a happy ending but rather a tragedy. Chavismo is a 26-year-old narco regime that has committed crimes against humanity and has forced more than 8 million people into exile.
The dangers of politeness.
Trivialization of serious topics. There is a risk of abandoning real debate, the search for truth and making informed decisions. Let’s laugh now to cry later. Let’s not forget that Maduro doesn’t take you to the theater, he takes you to the Helicoide. He’s not a comedian, he’s a criminal. It doesn’t kill you laughing, it kills you, kidnaps you or disappears you.
Charisma over character. Dictators seek to gain audiences, make people laugh, and divert attention from serious issues. Screaming louder or crying draws a lot of attention. A lot of circus and less bread. The sad thing is that this strategy is usually successful if it is not reported in time. Although in recent days we have laughed out loud at Maduro’s English skills, we should not fall into the trap. His sketches do not seek to entertain but to deceive. All the humor is well staged and with a defined purpose: to win the media battle because the other battle was lost a long time ago.
*The author is an exiled journalist, former ambassador to the OAS and former member of the Norwegian Peace Corps (FK). He is an alumnus of the National Defense University Security and Defense Seminar and the Harvard Leadership course.
