I never thought I’d have a good word for a monarch, but at least Spain’s King Juan Carlos is a constitutional monarch, with no real political power except the power of his words.
The king’s Nov. 10 public humiliation of Hugo Chavez appears to have saved democracy in Venezuela.
As you recall, after Chavez repeatedly interrupted other speakers at a conference in Chile, Juan Carlos said to Chavez, “Why don’t you shut up?”
Minds that changed. That was enough to make Venezuelans think twice. Some who had planned to vote for Chavez as permanent dictator instead realized something was wrong. Others who had planned to stay home yesterday decided to vote.
Yesterday, by their votes, the Venezuelans repeated what the king said.
Frank Warner
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