TIMES ONLINE: For decades, wealthy Venezuelans have luxuriated in the vistas of the Caribbean from the terrace of the Caraballeda Golf Club, relaxing with a whisky before teeing off amid tropical palms, above a marina filled with gleaming yachts. It is a way of life that is under threat, however, with President Chávez deriding the game as lazy, bourgeois and the antithesis of his Bolivarian Revolution.
Thick with Louis Vuitton handbags and luxury vehicles, Caraballeda, north of Caracas, is a symbol of everything Mr Chávez detests. He launched his attack on the sport on his weekly TV show, Hello Mr President, branding players selfish elitists who annexed acres of prime land while the poor suffered in slums.
“Golf is a bourgeois sport,” he spat, citing the use of golf carts as evidence of the laziness of the “little Yankees”.
Officials have moved to seize two of Venezuela’s prime courses, at Caraballeda and Maracay. However, the move has divided local supporters of the President, with many warning of a detrimental impact on surrounding communities. >>> | Saturday, October 17, 2009
