Venezuelan publicity drive spreads wide:

After a hard day’s work, Raúl switches on the television: Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez is expounding enthusiastically on the finer points of his so-called “Bolivarian Revolution”.

Although a government supporter, Raul is in no mood for politics right now, so changes the channel in search of lighter entertainment.

Zapping through the stations one by one, the unmistakable face of Mr Chávez leaps back into view each time, and it quickly dawns on Raúl that this is an official broadcast that all terrestrial channels are obliged to air.

If that is not bad enough. He is buying up all the advertizing space.

How long will it take Venezuelans to get real sick of him?