Our friend Daniel Lansberg-Rodríguez took the issue of Maduro’s stunt double in Panama, and ran with it – all the way to the end zone. He weaves a masterful put-down over at Foreign Policy’s Transitions blog.
The whole piece is well worth your time, but here is the highlight for me:
The act of picking out one’s own body double must be greatly discomfiting: Every unconscious mannerism, each nagging bodily insecurity must be spotlighted, and considered objectively, if the ruse is to be a success. And while wrestling with one’s own inner demons is one thing, picking out a body double for your wife seems a particularly dangerous game — particularly for a man so clearly concerned with his own mortality.
Ridicule is not an easy thing to pull off – try too much and you sound petty, go for too little and it’s boring. Daniel struck a terrific tone, and he got it juuuuust right. Great job.
PS.- I apologize for not writing much the last few days – traveling takes a lot out of my schedule, and I’ve spent the past few days playing catch-up. I’ll have something new tomorrow.
Caracas Chronicles 
After watching the original video of the double & his female leaving the hotel & then, seconds later, our great cowardly pretend president sneaking out the door into a waiting car with blacked out windows I just laughed.
That fits my image of him exactly.
100% paranoid! & confirms my belief that he is a chronic marijuana user.
I have no proof other than the photos from Cuba when he was younger & his rambling often incoherent speech today.
What a huge coward.
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Branding is important. Chavez’ great legacy is his brand.
For example, an Apple product is immediately recognisable. Same with chavismo: this mixture of ridicule, paranoia, distaste, vulgarity, needlessness and failure is inimitably XXI century Venezuela.
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High praise from the best in the business. Honored.
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Oh my God! Eric Clapton is American!
HAHAHAHAH
Man, who writes Maduro’s speeches????
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Himself, because that brand of stupidity is his.
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It’s like saying “I totally love Venezuelans: I asked La Tigresa de Oriente for a selfie!”
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El peo que le debe haber parado cilia al idiota de maburro con el doble: “¿Y tú escogiste a ESA VIEJA para que fuera mi doble, tú eres pendejo??”
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Y su respuesta? “Mirete en el espejo viuda!”
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de noche en la cama matrimonial …
— Si supieras, Cilita, la escogí porque fue la mejorcita de quienes se presentaron.Y además, qué esperabas? Acaso tu belleza tiene par?
— De veras que me encuentras bella?
— Zzzzz …. (uuuf me escapé de esa contestación)
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Good point. It is not difficult to imagine the double being a big improvement. Selflessness is not a trait characteristic of this regime, por ejemplo…
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Big Daddy Castro does it , and he is so important , very likely his entourage of Cuban security details flattered him with the suggestion , Your are so important , you should do the same as Big Daddy Castro , the notion of a double is so Romantic , so Operatically enthralling , so theatrically cloak and dagger that the notion must have been irresisitible to little boy Nicolasito living his high romance moment,
Saw the video from Panama where Nicolasito tries desperately to reach close to big daddy castro surrounded by a group of people , the star of the hour , to feetingly touch his sleeve and recieve a slight nod from him , a little boy fascinated by receiving his heroes dismissive salute.
Thats why he needed to go to Cuba and spend some hours slurping on his warm milk bottle of fatherly recognition from the old man , maybe he felt neglected in Panama and needed to compensate !!, He was so delighted to tell the world on arriving at Venezuela , I spent FOUR WHOLE HOURS WITH THE BIG MAN , insignificant little Nicolasito showing off , THE BIG MAN LOVES ME !!
I can imagine it so clearly !!
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Surely, he knows more than anyone how much of a mediocrity he really is, and how he’s in a position many many places above where he would ever achieve in any normal society. He tries to put on a presidential (chavista version of presidential) front but is not always successful. He can look painfully uncomfortable in some diplomatic gatherings, like the one you described above.
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“, I spent FOUR WHOLE HOURS WITH THE BIG MAN”
…And everybody knows how those “many hour meetings with the big man” ended…
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If the the real Maduro is hospitalized or dies, Maduro’s double can take over. He would lip sync to recorded Maduro and Chavez speeches and never say anything new..
The Castros would have substituted a fake Chavez if they had known Chavez would die. Oh! sorry. excuse me–the Cubans did place a fake Chavez in power; his name is Maduro.
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Da verguenza ajena ese chofer de autobus
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What Masburro doesn’t even realize, is that he’s Diosdado’s clown and puppet.
Cabello, the devil with real power along with the corrupt military, must be the one laughing all the way to Andorra, safe and sound.
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Well written, Daniel. Glad you framed the doppelganger as the Budget Maduro, as was my early impression of niche-dom from CentroCasting. Though Budget Cilia took the cake!
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I have the strong impression that DD in his innermost mind ( and maybe with people in his confidence) really despises Maduro for being so awkward and gauche and clownish . that despite all his loud noises in support of Maduro he really thinks himself much more intelligent that Maduro , and that he probably believes that Maduro will do himself in without any outside help.
I have no doubt that DD however much he enjoys playing the brutal spokesman for the most savage form of Chavismo , is really much more intelligent than Maduro , but knows to bid his time and wait for the opportunity to make himself not the figure head of Chavismo but the guy at the center who calls the shots. Maybe as part of a triunvirate .
If I were Maduro he is the guy I would be most frightened of !! dont know how this idea came into my mind!!
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Great writing Daniel. I actually saw a tweet begging Panama to keep the original and send back the copy to Venezuela. An idea well worthy of considerations :-)
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Thanks Syd, Per, everyone. Much appreciated!
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Article is fine but please: stop saying Maduro was a bus driver. He never had a job apart from being a plant of the extreme left in the Metro. Bus drivers deserve better.
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Why did Chávez pick Maduro. You would think that he would have selected a more sustainable replacement.
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