Article: Inside the Venezuelan revolution: David Ransom inhales the heated atmosphere of a changing political climate.

Hugo Chavez, wearing his 'trademark' red beret and shirt, stands beneath a giant portrait of himself. He sings, quite tunefully, a patriotic song. Picking up a pair of binoculars, he scans the audience. 'What an immense crowd!' he mutters, as if to himself, feigning surprise. He recites from a volume of poetry by Venezuelan women, then from the sparse writings of Simon Bolivar, the Liberator from Spanish colonial rule. He launches into a familiar assault on Mr Danger, The Donkey--President Bush. He announces the formation of a reserve force of a million Venezuelans against the threat of invasion from the Evil Empire of the North.

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