Article

2011-09-12 Caribbean-Latin America

Shamans from tribes in Venezuela's Amazon jungle held a ceremony at the Miraflores presidential palace Saturday to help Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recover from his cancer treatment.

Translation: he's dying...

Chavez, who insists that he was "not sick but recovering" from cancer, greeted the shamans wearing a track suit in the colors of the Venezuelan national flag and wore a crown of feathers the visitors gave him.

Members of the Yekuana, Jivi and Wayuu communities danced, sang and prayed as they invoked their ancestors to protect the Venezuelan leader. The ritual was aimed at protecting Chavez "against enemies and bad health," said Miguel Morales, a shaman from the Jivi community.

Chavez thanked the shamans for the crown of feathers. "I consider it sacred and will keep it for my whole life," Chavez told them.

"The cancer was removed, and with the power of god and all the gods it has gone and will never return," said Chavez, 57.

Posted by Steve White 2011-09-12 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 Oh, wow, that is good news. If he's turned to witch doctors, that means the real doctors can't help him.

Posted by gromky 2011-09-12 00:36|| 2011-09-12 00:36|| Front Page Top

#2 Six Months, or less.
probably less.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2011-09-12 03:11|| 2011-09-12 03:11|| Front Page Top

#3 Carrion bird feathers?

Posted by Skidmark 2011-09-12 07:40|| 2011-09-12 07:40|| Front Page Top

#4 If the ceremony was in the native languages, how does he know it was for his recovery? Could have been "die, b*tch" in Yekuana, Jivi or Wayuu.

Posted by Spot 2011-09-12 07:47|| 2011-09-12 07:47|| Front Page Top

#5 Is it too late to change my pick in the death pool?

Posted by Raj 2011-09-12 09:28|| 2011-09-12 09:28|| Front Page Top

#6 "probably less"

Hopefully less, RJ.

Posted by Barbara 2011-09-12 09:34|| 2011-09-12 09:34|| Front Page Top

#7 It's done wonders for his foreign policy. Why not his health...

Posted by DragonFly 2011-09-12 09:36|| 2011-09-12 09:36|| Front Page Top

#8 There is a lot more to this than meets the eye.

Traditional Shaman are a very interesting group of people, because before the arrival of European medicine, they held the same position in society that today we hold doctors and similar professionals. So often the same degree of intellect and group cultural rules apply to both groups.

At some point, for example, in the 1950s or '60s, someone of influence persuaded them as a group as to the value of antibiotics, which they have seamlessly integrated into their practices in a pragmatic way. This also meant that they had to learn to recognize bacterial disease, as such. Again, no problem.

Now, such people also understand the importance of politics, and know that Chavez probably doesn't believe in what they do, and is doing this just to court the opinion of those Venezuelans that do. They also know that if they don't play ball, he could come down on their people like a ton of bricks.

So they will give him his little dog & pony show. And if he demands that they use magic so that he will be able to eat candy and poop emeralds, they will play along with that, too.

What he won't get, however, is what they really do, and why even with the advent of modern medicine they are still popular.

It is also why Shaman deserve some respect, because if you think about it, if you get a group of highly intelligent people working on finding solutions for 500 or more years, you are going to get something out of the deal. What it is may not be exactly clear, but you are going to get something.

Posted by Anonymoose 2011-09-12 09:42|| 2011-09-12 09:42|| Front Page Top

#9 if you get a group of highly intelligent people working on finding solutions for 500 or more years, you are going to get something out of the deal.

A bill.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2011-09-12 09:52|| 2011-09-12 09:52|| Front Page Top

#10 "not sick but recovering"

Pining for the fjords?

Posted by European Conservative 2011-09-12 10:41|| 2011-09-12 10:41|| Front Page Top

#11

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2011-09-12 11:23|| 2011-09-12 11:23|| Front Page Top

#12 The forefront of modern, 21st century medicine brought to you by Obamacare. Soon at an "MD" near you.

This is the kind of culture valued by all of the progressive left.

Posted by AlanC 2011-09-12 11:23|| 2011-09-12 11:23|| Front Page Top

#13 And all this time I thought Venezuela had Paladins instead of Shamans.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-09-12 18:40|| 2011-09-12 18:40|| Front Page Top

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