'I am the people,' Chavez tells followers ahead of polls

[naaman fletcher]

"I demand absolute loyalty to my leadership... anything else is betrayal," the firebrand leftist president warned.
"I am not an individual, I am the people," Chavez said. "It's my duty to demand respect for the people.
"If you cherish the fatherland, join Chavez," he urged, asking for votes to renew the ruling party's control of both National Assembly houses in the next election.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hM9eI-B3hG9pe5Puqoq1jbm3RNMw

[cali]

1. I'm not a chavista (or an anti-chavista) but what is the context

and is the translation accurate?

[dipsydoodle]

2. Yup - that's the sort of shit you get

from AFP. So what's new ?

[naaman fletcher]

6. Is it not true? nt.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Impossible to tell that with lot

Translation is probably suspect too.

[panzerfaust]

3. l'État, c'est Moi!

[Enrique]

4. we should coup his ass again

show him what democracy is all about. :sarcasm:

[jefferson_dem]

5. "I demand absolute loyalty to my leadership... anything else is betrayal,"

Did he really say this? Waiting for the Chavez-excuse-mongers to verify that the meaning was actually "Lost-in-Translation".

[LARED]

8. Assuming this is correct it seems we have reached

the stage in Chavez's brief historical entry where he soon starts babbling about having divine powers.