Politicians praising themselves and their own government is nothing new in any country in the world. Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, however, went further and launched himself as a superhero — literally.
The country’s state TV last week aired the first chapter of the animation “Super Bigote” (super mustache), a character based on the dictator. With a worker’s cape and helmet —which automatically ascends like Iron Man, from the Avengers—, the hero fights the American empire and other enemies, including opponents represented as chickens.
In the debut, just over 1 minute, Super Bigote saves the Venezuelans from the leader of the United States, acting as a blonde-haired character who resembles former president Donald Trump. The villain presses a red button that sends a plane to the South American country, causing an electrical blackout.
The episode is likely a reference to a widespread power outage that occurred in March 2019, leaving 23 of Venezuela’s 24 states in the dark. While the opposition blamed the government’s lack of investment in hydroelectric dams, which generates constant failures, Maduro said at the time that it was sabotage brought about by the US government, in collusion with its political opponents.
Two of those opponents, Julio Borges and Henry Ramos, are depicted in the animation as chickens, who tell the US leader they have tried everything to bring down Super Bigote — “traps, lies, fraud, the OAS [Organização dos Estados Americanos]”.
The animation was shown by the Venezolana network, VTV.
Analysts interviewed by independent media have criticized the cartoon, saying it is a propaganda piece to manipulate the population’s mind, in a manifestation of the totalitarian vocation of the regime.
In 2019, Maduro publicly mentioned the name “Super Bigote” for the first time, at a press conference. After being accused by then President of Ecuador Lenín Moreno of being behind protests in his country, he joked that he is not Superman. “Now I’m thinking about which government I’m going to overthrow with my mustache. I’m Super Mustache,” he said, in a mocking tone.
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