Life imitates art far more than art imitates life. Hugo Chavez creating his own time zone reminds me of this scene from the classic Woody Allen film “Bananas.”
Venezuelans Reset Clocks With Chavez’s New Time Zone
Venezuelans began their work week at a new hour after President Hugo Chavez ordered clocks set back, creating a time zone unique to the South American country.
Chavez says setting clocks back half an hour will allow school children to wake up with the sun and ease poor Venezuelans’ pre-dawn commute. Since the decree’s publication on Nov. 27, businesses have struggled to update time-sensitive computer systems.
Chavez, who says time zones were created by “imperialists,” has also changed the country’s name to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and redesigned its coat of arms and national flag in his bid to create a “21st century socialist” society. Some Venezuelans say the time change is part of Chavez’s drive to put his mark on every aspect of the country’s national identity.
“It’s a political whim,” said Yanitza Lopez, 27, an accountant for a cosmetics company in Caracas. “It’s not going to make any difference for any kids.”
Airlines and travel agencies were still calling and e- mailed passengers last week to notify them about flight changes, and the Caracas stock exchange had to update its software to ensure trades ran smoothly today.
“The time change is going to affect many flights, and lots of airlines still haven’t changed their timetables,” said Roberto Pulido, country manager for Copa Airlines and president of Venezuela’s airline association. “This is an additional cost, because we’ve had to update all of our reservation systems.”
Authority
Venezuela joins a handful of countries, including India, Iran, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka that don’t set their time in increments of one hour from Greenwich Mean Time.
“This affects even the biological functioning of the body,” the president said yesterday, according to the state news wire. “It’s scientifically proven.
Local media spent the past week focusing on the aftermath of a Dec. 2 national referendum, in which voters rejected the president’s plan to overhaul the constitution to allow him to run for re-election indefinitely, contributing to confusion about yesterday’s change.
Chavez has changed the start date for the new time zone at least once, and in a national address he mistakenly said the plan was to turn clocks forward by half an hour.
“I don’t really understand the point, but nothing with this president surprises me,” said Rafael Sucre, 39, a doctor, as he exited a subway station last week in the Chacao commercial district of the nation’s capital, Caracas.
