In what can only be described as a public relations stunt, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez recently invited 25 homeless families to move into the presidential palace in Caracas with him. The 25 families became homeless — along with thousands of other families — as a result of a rash of flooding and mudslides in the country. While Chavez’s invite is a nice gesture, it is little more than just that — a gesture, meant to make him look good.

As the leader of the nation, Chavez should be seeking a viable course of action, which legitimately remedies the problems these thousands of displaced families are facing. Sure, by allowing 25 families to live with him he is making a show of good will and crafting an image of himself as a caring leader. But what about the thousands of other families affected? What are they supposed to do? Maybe they should sit tight and hope that their caring leader soon discovers more guest rooms within the palace.

Critics of Chavez often call attention to the fact that he has not done much in the way of providing new housing during his 11-year stint in office. If he had, this situation may not have been as much of a catastrophe as it is now. However, there is no use in dwelling on what Chavez could have done. The past is the past. Now is Chavez’s chance to move forward. It is his chance to correct his own mistakes and give the citizens of his country better lives.

Unsurprisingly, Chavez is not treating it as such. Instead, he is using it as an opportunity to focus first and foremost on his image. The irony of the situation is, if he would take real action and provide more housing, he would be at the same time cultivating an image of himself as a dedicated leader. It is almost humorous how far off the mark Chavez is with his response to his country’s needs.

Also, one cannot help but wonder about how life will be for the 25 families moving into the palace. Chavez has been decidedly tight-lipped with regard to the specifics. No one knows just how long the families will be allowed to stay — the official word is they will move in temporarily. Does temporarily mean a few days, a few months or a few years? Only Chavez knows, and that is more than a little disconcerting. The families will probably be under constant security surveillance. After all, who would be comfortable with letting 25 strange families roam freely around their palace without anybody keeping an eye on them?

What Chavez needs to do, then, is provide housing for these displaced families — for all of them, not just a very slim portion of the whole. While he’s at it, he should probably start fixing the slew of other problems plaguing his country. It couldn’t hurt.