VHeadline commentarist Carlos Herrera writes: Do you remember when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice classified President Chavez as “a negative force in the region” earlier this year? The reaction of the desperate Venezuelan opposition was to hang on to these words as if they had announced the Second Coming.

• At the end of that chapter, Condo’s comments fell on to stony ground.

First stop -­ Brazil.

She was told in no uncertain terms by the Foreign Minister that “Venezuela is a sovereign country” ... that Brazil respects this and that the 100,000 AK 47s are Venezuela’s business and no one else’s.

Next stop -- Colombia.

Condoleezza was greeted by huge city stopping demonstrations in Bogota which not even the oligarch-controlled, biased Colombian mass media could cover up. It certainly was proof that the Colombians support Plan Colombia ... n’est-ce pas?

Next stop -­ Chile.

At the final joint press conference, Senorita Arroz was told in public by President Lagos that she should lower her tone when criticizing Venezuela. All in all, a disaster for Condoleezza Rice ... with no objectives achieved.

The rejoicing opposition with egg on its face.

So much for the Second Coming!

Now, that smart, well-spoken, well-dressed, 'democratic doyenne' of Venezuelan womanhood, Maria Corina Machado, was photographed with the “leader of the free world”... “Bush opens his arms to Sumate,” yelled the headlines.

The usual crowd of right-wing Internet loonies were drooling self-congratulations in a sickening show of sycophantic verborrea, supporting a woman indicted for “high treason” against her fellow Venezuelans, and due to go to trial next month.

• This indicates to even the least perspicacious of our VHeadline.com readers just how mentally-debilitated the Venezuelan opposition is ... or rather what dregs are left of it.

In one of the opposition web logs, the following absurdity is published:

Or it could be used to send Eva Golinger to jail under the Patriot Act (for betrayal to the fatherland) as Ms. Golinger dealings are certainly not any less guilt free as the alleged ones of SUMATE that she so eagerly denounces

Efforts were made to equate Machado’s actions in Sumate with Eva Golinger’s actions in the US, when working to release documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ... proving the involvement of the Bush administration in events leading up to the 2002 coup and the funds given to Sumate, political parties and other NGO’s opposed to the Chavez government ... all illegal under Venezuelan Law.

What a completely absurd comparison!

Golinger is working within the US law in the context of the FOIA. Machado was working to contribute to the overthrow of a democratically-elected government using electoral fraud and endorsing the fascist Carmona decree, abolishing the constitution and all institutions. All outside the law in Venezuela.

There is no similarity ... this woman is no better than a common criminal.

The joy sparked by the Bush-Machado photos is so twisted in some quarters of the Venezuelan opposition that there is talk of Maroa Corina being a presidential candidate for 2006. A bit difficult as she will have been banged up in the Los Teques women's prison for 16 years or more.

The opposition ... for its own good and that of the country ... has to take a step back and look at itself. Knee-jerk reactions such as when the photos of Bush and Machado were published are not going to win votes. The vast majority of Venezuelans despise people like Machado for what they have tried to do to the country.  Anyone with her credentials, if she were to stand as a candidate in 2006, would stand less than a snowballs chance in hell of even getting near to occupying the Miraflores Palace.

In effect, the opposition continues to waste its time with “media shows,” making noise in an effort to influence public opinion. The opposition is no better than a political eunuch -­ no 'cojones' and a shrill voice -- and is making no effort whatsoever to present a national plan to challenge Chavez and his policies with 18 months to go before the presidential elections.

In a few weeks, the opposition will be wiping more egg off its face as the Machado trial gets underway.

End of the “second Second Coming” ... oh, ye of little faith!

These people are like naughty children ... learn the hard way and then go back for more punishment. Simply a disgrace to themselves, the political establishment and the country as a whole. Their tactics have not worked in more than seven years and they cannot accept it and refuse to change. All the better for the Revolution. Keep it up, as you are directly supporting Chavez using these tactics and if you continue to be:

Mediocre, self-centered, individualistic, short term thinkers, racists, blind to the needs of the majority and poisoned by a feeling of misplaced superiority due to you “education,” social standing, materialistic trappings, where you live, your gourmet tastes and the money in your bank accounts ... and all rounded off by an irrational, personalized hatred of President Hugo Chavez Frias.

These qualities and attitudes will ensure that you never get back into power ˇNo volverán!

ˇMaria Corina ­ Presidenta!

I’m already rolling on the floor laughing!

Carlos Herrera
Carlos.Herrera@VHeadline.com