Graffiti artists face wrath of image-conscious leader

Trouble lies ahead for graffiti artists in Caracas and other cities and towns across Venezuela whose sole professional mission is to plaster every available facade, fence or broken-down bus with brightly painted portraits of the man they call Comandante.

President Hugo Chavez is no longer flattered and wants control of his image rights.

Chavez's Government issued an unusual decree to that effect yesterday.

From now on, anyone who is planning to display the President's features on any outdoor structure must first get permission directly from the man himself.

Likewise, his image can no longer be used by social groups or other organisations.

Officially, this is about ensuring the image of Chavez henceforth "should be employed under controls which permit his identification as such, in the honourable role of first leader".

But it may be a little late if the goal is to reclaim the Chavez brand and return dignity to it.

As any visitor to Caracas will attest, that horse bolted from the stable long ago.

Peeling away all those paintings of the President around the capital city would be a mammoth undertaking.

The order is clearly serious, though. It bans the use of the "name, image or figure" of Chavez, the former army officer, from "infrastructure projects, constructions, educational establishments or public buildings of any kind" unless express permission has been granted.

Protecting his retail value may not, however, be the first priority of Chavez, who this week renewed his threat to close Globovision, the last independent television network in his country that is openly critical of him.

Its main shareholder, Guillermo Zuloaga, is in the United States, unable to return home because of serial criminal charges lodged against him.

Chavez said at the weekend that his opponents had offered US$100 million ($131 million) for someone to assassinate him, claiming Zuloaga was involved in the plot.

- INDEPENDENT