Bloodless Coup

Una vez más, Hugo Chavez

This is the kind of thing that made me kiss the hard sciences goodbye. See Hugo sing.

Wearing a broad-rimmed sombrero, Chavez sang Mexican ballads with a mariachi band before thousands of his supporters at the end of a march to back him days after Venezuela and Mexico withdrew their ambassadors in a diplomatic standoff.

"How great the people of Mexico even though they are alongside the most powerful empire," Chavez roared from a stage outside his presidential palace. "That's why we say, 'Long live the people of Mexico, we are with you.'"

The dispute broke out after Mexican President Vicente Fox criticized Chavez, and the Venezuelan leader countered by calling him a "lap dog" of U.S. imperialism for his close ties to Washington and said, "Don't mess with me, mister, or you'll get stung."

"The one to blame for all this lamentable conflict is none other than Mr Danger," Chavez said using his usual reference to President Bush. "We hope things cool down... but that depends on the Mexican government," he told the crowd.