Magnicide?

Not a real word, I know. At least not in English...

magnicidio

m. Asesinato de una persona muy importante por su cargo o poder:
"magnicidio de un presidente."

In Spanish, however, it sounds cool (at least to me). It sounds important. It sounds regal. It sounds serious. Like deicide, or regicide. Killing someone important or kingly or god-like. Perhaps it is the nature of the language to dramatize certain acts with words of that magnitude. Hell, maybe we used "magnicide" in the English language at some point to describe assassination, but I certainly found no evidence (at least in a 2 minute Google search!) that anyone uses it today.

There is one person that likes to use it...a lot. His name is Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias and he is the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. And he thinks people are constantly trying to commit magnicide on him.

Yesterday was the latest in a long list of government accusations/announcements of having foiled assassination attempts. Police in Zulia state confiscated 4 Carl-Gustav 84mm anti-tank grenade launchers that were ostensibly going to blow up Huguito's plane/car/tank/dirigible...

Maybe it was a legit plot uncovered. Maybe it wasn't. In any case, here is a sampling of instances where Chavez has accused just the United States of trying to kill him:

• June 4, 2005 - Then vice-president Jose Vicente Rangel claims that the Bush administration wants Chavez dead and lays blame for his "eventual" assassination saying that Bush will ultimately probably succeed. What an optimist, eh?
  

• October 17, 2003 - Chavez cancels plans to visit the UN, claims he has personally uncovered an assassination attempt against him in New York
  

• February 23, 2005 - Chavez denounces CIA plans to kill him on his TV program Alo Presidente
  

• Uses supposed CIA assassination plot as part of excuse to close down RCTV in early 2007
  

• September 2006 - puts forth vague conspiracy that Chavez's speech at the UN calling Bush the devil would spur some Israeli-planned assassination that Bush has already signed off on
  

• September 13, 2008 - Chavez expels US Ambassador Patrick Duddy, claims he is behind plan to overthrow and murder him.

It is doubtful anyone really takes him seriously anymore, even among the hardcore chavistas. But who knows, maybe someday we will hear stories about plans to kill Chavez just like the stories about the CIA trying to give Castro exploding cigars or sending him hookers with syphilis...