Often,
at major events such as football games and graduation exercises, before the program starts, the crowd
sings the national anthem. Someone, pass me the peanuts and Cracker Jacks. This is commonplace throughout the world. Today, in the state of Zulia in
Venezuela, there were graduation ceremonies for the award of medical degrees to
675 new community doctors.
Nicolás
Maduro, Acting President, was in attendance, and the ceremonies preempted TV programming throughout Venezuela. It's not too surprising that to kick things
off, the national anthem was played. However, the particular anthem that was
chosen, was not “Gloria al Bravo Pueblo,” the national anthem of Venezuela, but
“La Bayamesa,” the national anthem of Cuba. Hanging overhead was a banner
depicting Fidel Castro and Chávez. Here is a video link:
What
was most amazing is the fact that the Venezuelan graduates knew the words and sang the song passionately. Maduro
called on the new graduates to practice preventative health care and not the
type of corrupt medicine that capitalism had brought, which “made our children
sick.”
It’s
no wonder that Venezuelans have taken to calling their country Cubazuela. Can
you imagine if the University of Michigan School of Medicine played “Oh Canada”
at commencement exercises, under a banner showing Stephen Harper, the prime minister of
our northern neighbor?
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