As I have mentioned before, Chile's opposition is suffering a schism between the two main parties. Larry Rohter (back out of Brazil again) has an article on this in today's New York Times, but read it carefully as this is one of the weirdest things I have seen:
Mr. [Pablo] Longueira has denounced the accusations against party members as a "political montage." But he weakened his case and drew popular scorn by saying he had reached that conclusion as the result of prayer sessions in which he was communicating with the spirit of the founder of the party, his friend Jaime Guzmán, who was assassinated by anti-Pinochet guerrillas in 1991 and is no relation to Ms. Guzmán."I know that they are mocking and laughing," Mr. Longueira said of the reaction to his remarks. In fact, Sebastián Piñera, leader of Ms. Guzmán's party had joked that "the only thing lacking here is Donald Duck."
But "in the UDI, this happens all the time," Mr. Longueira added. "Many times we make decisions thinking of what Jaime would have done."
I can't imagine what they'll be doing when Pinochet dies. Perhaps Joaquin Lavin will be channeling Pinochet. Maybe they'll make a shrine to their St. Augusto of Valparaíso.



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