Not exactly your first thoughts, but quite interesting:

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/br...12299486.shtml


A U.S. scientist is supporting a theory that has been widely dismissed as a personal obsession of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez: that his hero Simon Bolivar might have died from arsenic poisoning.


Venezuela's leftist president rejects the traditional account that Bolivar, a brilliant Venezuelan military tactician who liberated much of South America from centuries of Spanish rule, died of tuberculosis in Colombia in 1830.

Now, Paul Auwaerter of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine says his death was most likely caused by arsenic -- either from drinking contaminated water or using the naturally occurring poison to try to cure headaches and hemorrhoids.

At a medical conference in Maryland last week, Auwaerter said he did not rule out murder but thought it was unlikely.

The scientist's caution, however, did not stop Chavez -- who has dedicated his "socialist revolution" to the memory of Bolivar -- from interpreting the findings as proof of murder.

"For years I have had the conviction in my heart that Bolivar did not die from tuberculosis," he said over the weekend.

"And now a scientist from the United States comes out saying he has proof ... that Bolivar died by murder," Chavez added, ordering his foreign minister to contact Auwaerter.

The doctor told Reuters the Venezuelan government had not yet been in touch, and he was worried his research was being misconstrued.

"What I said has been taken and used for their own political means," Auwaerter said in a telephone interview.

In his fight against "Yankee imperialism" by Washington, Chavez often invokes Bolivar -- who is second only to Jesus as a figure of reverence in much of South America.
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Moses, from your title, I thought you had done another review on the Short Bolivars :-)
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Are they that bad? Have not had one yet.
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Having a nutjob like chavez holding Bolivar in high esteem does not bode well for the Cigar brand in my book.
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There's something wrong with that painting.

Shouldn't the sky be yellow?
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Good. More for me.
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No, they are not that bad, they are coming around.

LOL

:-)

Lets see if we can have Chavez endorse the Especiale #2... hopefully the price will drop :-)
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Stay away from my Especiales #2s Moe.:-)
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There is nothing wrong with Chavez endorsing or loving Simon Bolivar; it is expected.

Did you know Simon Bolivar is so loved, they named a country and cigar after him?

He is a hero to millions of Latinos.
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Argentina, right?
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Don't sign up for Jepordy :-)
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sorry... "what is Argentina?"
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A place that has a lot of silver.
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Oh, Oh, Oh.... I'm good at this game...
What is the bank?
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Banco de la Nación Argentina or Maradona's safe.
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everybody knows Maradona's safe is filled with coke, and young prostitutes!
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Don't forget the Arepas and Chicharrón! :-)
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Just about every square in every town I have visited in South America has a statue or tribute to Bolivar.

In Cartagena, we used it as a meet up spot if we got seperated in one of the bars.

While there's plenty wrong with Chavez, there's plenty more to admire Bolivar for.

The cigars aren't bad either, but not as worthy of praise as Simon Bolivar, the great liberator.

I put him on the same level as a general as George Washington was to the USA, although Washington never became a dictator.
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