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| quote: | Originally posted by George Smiley
All disputed by me, yet you fail to comment on that and instead regurgitate your government/media's line
There is no media censorship - a fact proven beyond all reasonable doubt owing to the fact the opposition controls most of the media!
That is one of many facts you are finding very hard to swallow - why?? |
George, you've yet to provide any evidence contrary to any arguments presented here other than to say the accusations are false because you say so.
I'll try a different approach. I'm tired of you.
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22H...1&start=30&sa=N
Source
| quote: | Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez: Castro's Mini-Me
by Peter Brookes (April 7, 2005)
'One darned thing after another': That's how former Secretary of State Dean Acheson once defined foreign policy. The latest "darned thing" for the United States is Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez.
For no apparent reason, the leftist strongman is arming Venezuela to the teeth. He's also supporting local narcoterrorists and other Latin revolutionaries.
Chavez idolizes Cuba's Fidel Castro, is chummy with Libya's Moammar Khadafy and was a Saddam Hussein pal. He's made nasty remarks about President Bush and "suggestive" public comments about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
According to Gerver Torres, a former Venezuelan government minister, Chavez's "main motivation now is to do everything he possibly can to negatively affect the United States, Bush in particular . . . trying to bring together all the enemies of the United States."
It's tempting to write off Chavez simply as Latin America's latest tin-pot dictator, but that would be a mistake. Venezuela's own "Fidelito" has the potential to cause real trouble for the United States � right in our own backyard.
Recognizing our economy's Achilles' heel, Chavez has threatened to cut off oil exports to the United States. Venezuela is our fourth-largest source of oil, providing 15 percent of U.S. oil needs (1.5 million barrels a day). This threat can't be ignored.
Curtailing exports would push already high American gas prices through the roof. Cognizant of this fact, Chavez recently proclaimed: "We have invaded the United States but with our oil."
Sure, it would be painful for Venezuela to cut off the 60 percent of its oil exports bound for the American market. But Venezuela is already looking to diversify its oil clientele beyond Uncle Sam.
Last December, Caracas struck a huge deal with Beijing for oil and gas sales and investment in Venezuela's energy sector.
Venezuela is stirring the security pot, too, sowing fear among its neighbors. From Russia, Chavez is buying 50 advanced MiG-29 fighters, 40 helicopter gunships and 100,000 AK-47 assault rifles. He's also bought arms from Spain and Brazil.
A cashiered former army colonel, Chavez also plans to increase the size of the army reserve as "an honorable answer to President Bush's intention of being the master of the world."
Gen. Bantz Craddock, commander in chief of the U.S. Southern Command, finds Venezuela's weapon extravaganza worrisome because Chavez's motives are unclear. "We're wondering just what the intent here is," the general told the Senate in recent testimony.
One of Washington's main concerns is the possibility of a conventional war between Venezuela and its neighbor Colombia, the U.S.'s main regional ally. At a minimum, Venezuela's oil-induced buying binge could set off a regional arms race.
There's also the possibility that some of el presidente's new "toys," especially the AK-47s and ammunition, could fall into the hands of Colombian FARC narcoterrorists.
The FARC is seeking to overthrow the government of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Bogota received some $3 billion in U.S. assistance over the last several years to support its fight against narcotraffickers and leftist rebel groups.
Chavez is rumored to be supporting the FARC, letting it use the Colombian-Venezuelan border area to recuperate and resupply.
Elsewhere, Chavez is mentoring Bolivian revolutionary Evo Morales, whose comrades recently tried to force President Carlos Mesa's resignation in an effort to take control of the National Assembly.
In Peru, it's been alleged that Chavez bankrolled the rogue army officer who tried to incite December's rebellion against President Alejandro Toledo. Chavez denies all of this, of course.
Many Americans will find it hard to take Chavez seriously, but his capacity for regional troublemaking shouldn't be discounted, especially as oil prices rocket.
Fortunately, the Bush administration recognizes this and is beginning to craft a new policy to deal with Chavez. The best approach will include working with other regional leaders to contain and isolate him, while not inflaming the dictator's popular support at home.
Chavez recently announced his intent to export his "Bolivarian revolution" (read: Cuban revolution). Considering his disastrous socialist economic and repressive political record at home, we'd better stop him before he gets started. |
Source--plenty of good links in this one Georgie
| quote: | 2003
01/05/2003 Political violence scars Venezuela
01/04/2003 Two shot dead in Venezuela clashes
01/04/2003 In pictures: Venezuela strike chaos
01/03/2003 Country profile: Venezuela
2002
12/24/2002 Venezuela strikers reject 'truce' offer
12/21/2002 Britons warned to leave Venezuela
12/16/2002 Violence flares in Venezuela protests
12/15/2002 Chavez opponents mass on streets
12/12/2002 Venezuelans living on the brink
12/11/2002 In pictures: Venezuela panic
12/11/2002 Venezuela crisis deepens
12/06/2002 Strikes threaten to cripple Venezuela
12/05/2002 In pictures: Venezuela on strike
11/30/2002 Venezuelan dissident generals sacked
11/19/2002 Troops disperse Venezuela protest
11/07/2002 Chavez fights referendum plans
11/05/2002 Dozens injured in Caracas clashes
10/23/2002 Army officers urge Venezuela rebellion
10/20/2002 Chavez 'foils assassination plot'
10/06/2002 Another Venezuela coup attempt 'foiled'
09/08/2002 Chavez pushes through oil for Cuba
08/19/2002 Chavez vows to fight opposition
08/03/2002 Street clashes engulf Venezuela's capital
07/10/2002 Carter's Venezuela bid fails
06/25/2002 Chavez warns against more coup plots
06/21/2002 Chavez defiant in face of protests
05/27/2002 Venezuelan coup leader given asylum
05/12/2002 Venezuelans march against Chavez
05/07/2002 Rift in Venezuelan society
05/06/2002 Venezuela president names new cabinet
05/03/2002 Venezuela minister warns of new coup
04/20/2002 New boss for Venezuela's oil giant
04/17/2002 Chavez opposition sceptical of change
04/15/2002 Currency plunges on Chavez return
04/14/2002 Analysis: After the would-be coup
04/14/2002 Analysis: Venezuela's crippled economy
04/14/2002 In pictures: Chavez defies opponents
04/14/2002 Chavez poised for comeback
04/14/2002 Venezuela interim president resigns
04/13/2002 Latin America ambivalent over ouster
04/12/2002 Venezuela press condemns 'autocrat' Chavez
04/12/2002 Venezuela's political disarray
04/12/2002 Analysis: Venezuela's crippled economy
04/12/2002 Venezuela president forced out
04/12/2002 Venezuela military challenge president
04/07/2002 Venezuela president sacks oil executives
03/21/2002 Clashes erupt on Venezuela streets
02/27/2002 Venezuela divided over Chavez
02/14/2002 Venezuela's currency in freefall
2001
12/16/2001 Chavez forces capitulation of banks.
12/10/2001 Venezuela's Chavez faces labour wrath
08/12/2001 Castro visits Venezuelan ally
08/11/2001 Castro visits Venezuela
05/25/2001 China urges stronger ties with Venezuela
04/17/2001 Venezuela backs China in US/China aircraft collision
04/16/2001 Venezuela supports China's human rights record
04/15/2001 Venezuela welcomes Chinese President Jiang
2000
12/05/2000 US looking into alleged Chavez mischief
10/26/2000 Castro arrives in Venezuela
10/15/2000 Army general named as head of Venezuelan federal oil company
09/29/2000 Iran-Iraq talks in Caracas
09/21/2000 Chavez seeks more power
09/03/2000 Chavez supports Bolivia against Chile
08/19/2000 Venezuela's Chavez sworn in again
08/13/2000 Chavez meets Gaddafi in Libya
08/10/2000 Chavez visits Iraq
07/31/2000 Cuba delighted at Chavez victory
07/15/2000 Chavez military critic arrested
03/01/2000 Retired Venezuelan military officers denounce Chavez' political use of military forces
02/02/2000 Chavez demands international respect for Venezuela as a sovereign country
01/14/2000 Venezuela rejects US military aid after disaster
1999
12/23/1999 In pictures: Venezuela's devastation
12/19/1999 In pictures: Venezuela's flood chaos
12/16/1999 Venezuela backs new constitution. - Opponents say authoritarianism on it's way.
12/13/1999 Venezuela Cardinal says Chavez is ''like Mussolini''
11/11/1999 Venezuela suspends scores of allegedly corrupt judges
11/05/1999 Venezuela votes to extend presidency
10/25/1999 Venezuela's Chavez defends his reforms. Critics say he is too powerful
08/27/1999 Venezuela's Congress vows defiance after being stripped of power
08/03/1999 Constitutional rewrite begins in Venezuela
07/12/1999 Cuban foreign minister visits Venezuela
02/05/1999 Venezuela's Chavez wants coup officers reinstated
1998
10/01/1998 Anti-Chavez alliance in Venezuela fails
06/17/1998 Venezuela jails are worst in world |
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| quote: | Biography
Early Life
Hugo Ch�vez was born on 28 July 1954 to an poor family near the eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains in the small town of Sabaneta in the state of Barinas, Venezuela. His father is Hugo de los Reyes Ch�vez, who was a primary school teacher; his mother is Elena Fr�as de Ch�vez; he also had several brothers. Hugo's childhood was not an easy one, and his mother cruelly beat him regularly to the extent that his grandmother Rosines would have to hide him in a cabinet to protect him from her wrath. Young Hugo earned money in his childhood by walking the streets of the town and selling homemade candy; the family stayed in Sabaneta, where both his primary and secondary schooling was completed. It is thought that Ch�vez's childhood had a large influence in shaping his political beliefs in the future, especially regarding his affinity to the impoverished and his hatred of the wealthy.
As a teenager Ch�vez entered the Venezuelan Military Academy, which typically offers the opportunity of higher quality education to poorer but more ambitious young men. A former friend of Ch�vez , Lt. Colonel Luis Pineda Castellanos, describes him during his cadet years as a very correct and obedient student, but with a propensity for lying and an extreme phobia of swimming. Ch�vez was also interested avidly in baseball, singing, poetry and oration, being a born showman.
Early Career and Rise to Prominence
Ch�vez graduated with a Degree in Military Sciences and Engineering from the Venezuelan Military on 05 July 1975 and later went on to study for another Master's degree in political science at the Sim�n Bol�var University, but this course of study was never completed. After graduation from the Military Academy, Ch�vez started his long military career as a second lieutenant, rising through the ranks steadily and holding various positions, but reportedly generally avoiding active and dangerous assignments.
In 1989, the then-president of Venezuela Carlos Andres Perez accepted a $4.5 billion IMF loan to Venezuela, but the austerity measures that were imposed due to the loan became increasingly unpopular among the population. Widespread protests ensued, which the government violently cracked down on, leaving hundreds dead. Amid charges of corruption and due to poor economic conditions in the country, sentiment against Perez began to worsen.
On 04 February, 1992, Ch�vez led a military coup against Perez which ultimately failed, resulting in Ch�vez' capture and incarceration for two years. Ch�vez was later released by President Rafael Caldera in 1994, and entered politics by founding the Movement for the Fifth Republic.
Chavez takes power
On 06 December 1998, running on a populist platform of anti-corruption and pro-welfare reform, Ch�vez won the election with a 56.2% electoral margin, which was notably one of the largest margins in decades in Venezuela. When Ch�vez took power on 02 February, 1999, more than 80% of the population was living in poverty, so it is not surprising that promises of a redistribution of wealth was popular with a large number of poor Venezuelans.
In fact shortly after taking office, Ch�vez began profound reforms aimed at improving conditions for the poor, including instituting food and immunization programmes for children, as well as the symbolic move to turn part of the presidential palace into a high school for homeless children. Corporations that had once enjoyed large tax exemptions, were now compelled to pay taxes; populist Ch�vez styled himself as a Robin Hood figure to gain support with the impoverished.
In 1999, The constitution was re-written and a new Consitutional Assembly was created, with pro-Ch�vez representatives taking 120 of 131 seats, and giving him a clear majority. By Augusat of the same year a "judicial state of emergency" was declared, giving Ch�vez unchecked power to remove judges; later that month a "legislative state of emergency" was declared, leaving a seven man committee in charge of legislative functions; subsequently the Congress was barred from meeting.
In December of 1999 a nationwide referendum was approved to extend the term of the president to 6 years and impose a term limit of two terms on the president; the previous term limit had been one term. He was able to have legislation passed in November 2000 to allow him to rule by decree for one year, and ran for re-election in December 2000 and won; at the same time the new unicameral legislature was taken by 60% pro-Ch�vez representatives. During the election he attempted to centrallise the labour unions to one national union by referendum, but was unsuccessful.
Towards the end of Ch�vez's rule by decree in November 2001, he enacted a spate of new legislation. One of these "reforms" called for the expropriation of unused private lands with compensation for re-distribution to small farmers. Wealthy landowners felt themselves squeezed by the government and opposed this fiercely. The Chamber of Commerce of Venezuela also opposed these policies and attempted to organize general strikes in December 2001.
On 11 April 2002, chaos erupted in Venezuela, with huge protests of over half a million people organized demanding the immediate resignation Ch�vez. Ch�vez ordered the military to control the riots instead of the police "Plan Avila", possibly with orders to fire upon the protesters; the military refused to carry out Plan Avila, forcing Ch�vez to leave the capitol and resign, which was announced on 12 April 2002. A vacuum of power ensued and Pedro Carmona was placed in power; however due to missteps even in his first day of power, many who had supported the removal of Ch�vez now refused to back Carmona, forcing his resignation and the restoration of Ch�vez to power.
It is difficult to term what exactly happened in April of 2002, some call it a coup, some a rebellion, while the Supreme Court of Venezuela called it a power vacuum. About 100 people died during the April incident. Since these events, Ch�vez has rigorously accused the US of orchestrating the "coup" against him, but there is no evidence suggesting that this is true. The four military officers that orchestrated the coup were eventually absolved of blame by the Venezuelan Supreme Court, terming the sequence of events a rebellion and vacuum of power, due to the fact that the resignation of Ch�vez had been officially announced by former head of the army, General Lucas Rincon Romero on state media.
On 02 December 2002 a general strike at the Venezuelan Oil Company PDVSA was cracked down by Ch�vez, resulting in his dismissal of 18.000 employees, many who had not been involved in the strike but were simply not seen as loyal to Ch�vez; the lack of oils workers brought the country's oil production and export to a standstill until February 2003. Poor sentiment at the company had gradually increased due to the appointment of Rafael Ram�rez Carreno to president of the company, a man who was regarded by many to be a Marxist and an enemy of management. Ch�vez later admitted to having a hand in the crisis at PDVSA in order for him to gain more control over the company and consolidate his power. However the consolidation of control over PDVSA by Ch�vez did have a price, as even in May, 2005 the company had still not fully recovered to productivity before the strikes.
On 01 February, 2003, Opposition to Ch�vez moved to have him removed from office, gathering more than three million signatures of private citizens calling for a referendum on whether Ch�vez should remain in power. After much obstruction by the government, this move failed when the petition was ultimately declared invalid, because the signatures had been gathered prior to Ch�vez' mid-point in his term.
In August 2004, a second petition was organized, this time with 3,5 million signatures and a referendum was held but almost 60% of the voting population opposed to remove Ch�vez from office. However, results were later found to have irregularities, with more than 40% of the population not taking part in the vote, despite reports that voters had turned out in record numbers.
In May 2004 another coup plot was reported foiled by the Venezuelan government.
Freedom of the Press?
The Media in Venezuela is largely and overtly against Ch�vez, with very little mass media supporting him. However there are numerous reports of intimidation of the media by pro Ch�vez gangs that have been alleged to have issued violent threats against the media that does not support him. Ch�vez moved to start restrictions on the media with vaguely worded legislation that could allow him to suppress political content, although the initial scope of the law was restrictions on pornographic and violent content.
In mid-March of 2005 Ch�vez passed legislation further clamping down on the press, by broadening controls on how the press can report articles deemed "disrespectful" or "insulting" of the government. Sentencing for such transgressions ranges between 20 and 40 months incarceration, depending on the gravity of the offense. Moreover laws have been passed against the media, tightening controls on what would be considered slanderous, carrying sentences up to 30 months and what would amount to tens of thousands of US dollars in fines.
Numerous human rights organizations have expressed great concern over the incremental restrictions imposed by the Ch�vez regime on the Venezuelan media .
Supreme Count
To solidify his control over the Venezuelan Supreme Court, Ch�vez passed legislation in May 2003 to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices from 20 to 32 and appointing another 5 vacant posts, giving him a clear majority in the judicial branch of the government. He also allowed for the appointment of 32 reserve justices, all of which are loyal to him. It should also be noted that former justices were forced to resign after several "politically sensitive rulings". Many are very concerned that with the control of the courts, Chavez seems to have consolidated control over the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government.
The Statesman
Ch�vez as a statesman has interesting allies, having a very close personal friendship with Fidel Castro of Cuba, and Venezuela provides oil to Cuba in exchange for skilled workers and other services. Similar to Castro, Ch�vez is seen as a darling to the left wing, especially left wing media in the United States.
Ch�vez also had ties to Saddam Hussein of Iraq, and not only staunchly opposed the invasion of Iraq but also went on a state visit to Hussein. He has also allied himself with Qaddafi in Libya, receiving a human rights award from him in 2004 during a state visit.
Not surprisingly relations with the USA are extremely poor, with Ch�vez publicly attacking President George Bush, and accusing the United States of attempting further attempts on his life. In fact his paranoia and pre-occupation of removal from office has reached such proportions that Ch�vez's rationality has been called into question by some.
Ch�vez has also recently bought MiG's from Russia, and territorial disputes with Colombia and Guyana now call into question whether Ch�vez is looking to start looking to his military for purposes other than defending the country. He has granted asylum to Colombian opposition terrorists, which indicates that perhaps he might also attempt to move against Colombia in other ways than outward military force. Moreover, Ch�vez has been known to support numerous far-left terrorist groups in South America.
The Left-Wing Fascist (sic)?
The National Guard or state police force in Venezuela has been accused of intimidation and bullying tactics of opposition, reminiscent of the Mussolini brownshirts in the 1930's. It is also troubling that nationalism and xenophobia are seemingly fostered by the government, combined with a push to have the population loyal to Ch�vez and not to the country. He has created a cult of personality about himself, creating the illusion to the masses that he is infallible; as a speaker Ch�vez has a bombastic style, literally working his audience up into a frenzy.
Ch�vez seems also to aspire to unite much of South America's sentiment against foreigners, notably the United States. He speaks of a continental vision, but clearly not without much influence from himself.
Personal Life
Ch�vez has four children, Rosa Virginia, Mar�a Gabriela, Hugo Rafael, and Rosin�s, and has been married twice. He is currently separated from his second wife after cheating on her and being caught with a female government officer, Maripili Hernandez.
Ch�vez reportedly suffers from numerous health problems, such as colds, digestive disorders, asthma and kidney problems. He is very devoted to his family, which is evident that he has appointed numerous family members to key posts, including his father (Governor of State) and his brother Adan (Ambassador to Cuba and broker of many deals with Cuba).
The Fascist Regime in the Caribbean- Gustavo Coronel http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/12/14/venezu9864.htm http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/03/24/venezu10368.htm http://www.nationalreview.com/comme...00412140820.asp http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/bio...Ch�vez_hugo.htm &prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhugo%2BCh�vez%2B biografia%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG http://www.biography.ms/Hugo_Ch%E1vez.html htpp://www.11abril.com/index/especiales/asi_paga_el_diablo.pdf "This is the way the Devil pays". Lt. Pineda Castellanos |
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| quote: | Hugo Chavez Becoming a Dictator
NewsMax.com Wires
Friday, Jan. 19, 2007
CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's National Assembly gave initial approval Thursday to a measure that would let President Hugo Chavez enact laws by decree for 1 1/2 years, a key step in what the leftist calls an accelerating march toward socialism.
The law is expected to easily win final approval next week by a legislature filled with Chavez allies. Among the laws planned by Chavez are moves to nationalize Venezuela's main telecommunications company and the electricity and natural gas sectors.
"This process is unstoppable," lawmaker Juan Montenegro Nunez told the National Assembly. "This process is a historic necessity."
Emboldened by landslide re-election last month, Chavez said Wednesday night that he was seeking special powers to approve "revolutionary laws" that would mean political, economic, social, national security and defense reforms.
The National Assembly has been entirely filled with Chavez's allies since opposition parties boycotted 2005 elections, citing concerns about fairness. Chavez has said his opponents pulled out of those elections because they knew they had little support.
Opposition politician Gerardo Blyde criticized the proposed law, saying "what is becoming evident is that all the powers are one single power in Venezuela � Hugo Chavez."
Separately, Chavez has formed a commission to recommend sweeping changes to the country's constitution. He said Venezuelans would decide whether to approve constitutional reforms in a referendum, and that the vote would likely be held by the end of this year. |
Source
| quote: | Hugo Chavez -- "dictator-in-training"
With the shut down and takeover of independent television broadcaster RCTV, Hugo Chavez appears to be about to take off the training wheels and convert himself into a "freely-elected socialist dictator". It appears that Mr. Chavez has sufficient support in Venezuela and Latin America and elsewhere for him to convert a Venezuela's struggling democracy into a proprietary dictatorship.
Castro is Chavez's role model. Once a pariah, Fidel Castro's PR has improved thanks to the Bush Administration's abuses in Iraq and Guant�namo, as well as the election of sympathetic Presidents in Bolivia, Argentina and Brasil. Even Castro's illness has helped; he hardly looks like a dangerous dictator anymore. Then again, neither did Franco nor Pinochet.
Michael Moore's recent appearance at Cannes, with his much acclaimed "Sicko", was also a boost for Castro. Moore counterpointed the "success" of Cuba's bare bones medical system with the horrifically expensive U.S. system that leaves 40 million Americans uninsured while it makes drug companies and doctors rich. At Cannes, no one seemed to worry that Moore does not see how badly Cuban medicine has deteriorated without Soviet subsidies. Just as in "Fahrenheit 9-11", he was right about the message of what a mess the U.S. is in, though Moore's tendency to take cheap shots stripped credibility from a story that needed to be told.
But as annoying as Castro is, China and the democratically-elected Latin American Presidents Chavez counts as allies will have a much more serious influence on Chavez's future.
Why China? China's growing power and status is a boon to dictatorships all over the world that claim that democracy is an obstacle to serving the people. No surprise then that corrupt governments, e.g., Sudan, are happy to deal with the Chinese who systematically turn a blind eye to human rights violations. We can expect strengthened relations between China and Venezuela, particularly in oil.
With the U.S. engaged in it own violations of rights in Iraq, we don't seem to have a good answer to China's policies. Our moral standing has been badly damaged. In the 1990's it seemed that we were making progress, however, with tougher laws and healthy pressure from NGOS and the press, but the war in Iraq has taken us several giant steps backwards.
That said, I have great hope for China. We should not forget that China's capitalist revolution is a permanent threat to a selectively repressive one-party State, China will change, but not soon enough to help Venezuela.
Which brings us back to RCTV and the immediate problem in Venezuela. The Chavez government depends on support from Bolivia, Brasil and Argentina for its legitimacy. The dependency is due largely to the failure of the Chavez government to make real progress meeting its citizens fundamental needs despite the influx of billions in oil money. As yet this has not undermined popular support for Mr. Chavez, who see their leader welcomed as part of a group of committed socially-oriented Latin American Presidents.
We should not underestimate Chavez's support in Venezuela. During decades the majority of Venezuelans suffered under corruption and incompetent governments. Chavez won election by giving voice to the formerly disenfranchised; in fact, Chavez was also supported by many middle-class and professional Venezuelans anxious for change. But Chavez was impatient with democracy from the start, and his authortarian bent and populist rhetoric divided the country. Sadly, the incompetent opposition, unable to defeat Chavez at the polls, supported a coup attempt. Chavez survived, and since has progressively moved to install his version of socialism. Increasingly he has maintained power by engaging in populists measures against the "oligarchy", encouraging squatters to expropriate land, nationalizing utilities, and has invented a broad array of Chavezist social programs and citizens groups with great fanfare. While it is difficult to gauge the real impact of the Chavezist social policies, the real data on crime and unemployment have worsened considerably and key infrastructure appears to be deteriorating.
As the situation inside Venezuela deteriorates, the Chavez government has become increasingly authoritarian. Finally, Chavez moved to take over RCTV, the television broadcaster in Venezuela not emitting hours and hours of Chavez talks and "educational" programming.
Which brings us to big question: Why haven't Latin America's other leftist democratic government condemned his actions? To begin with, Chavez provides financial support as well as trade agreements on highly favorable terms. Second, other leftist leaders are delighted that Chavez has the U.S. government so worried that they look like positive allies. Third, Chavez's expropriations and violations of legal agreements with multinationals gives them bargaining power at home.
The Presidents of Brasil, Bolivia and Argentina could do a great deal by coming out strongly against Chavez's takeover of RCTV. Brasil's Lula da Silva is probably the most important, but he has refused to comment: "It is a problem of Venezuelan legislation. A problem of the Venezuelan government... In the same way I don't want them to give opinions about what I do here, I don't want to comment on what they do."
And so Chavez will continue to disregard minority rights, separation of powers, and the rule of law. Recent violations include expropriating property without compensation, creating a private militia, assuming control of the judiciary and now the media. Without pressure from friendly governments, Chavez will move ahead to institutionalize control. With the pieces in place, Chavez will get the legislature to "vote" for dictatorship. Chavez's dictatorship will squash those foolish enough to express disagreement. They will be hounded, their civil rights abused, jailed and forced to leave the country. Or, as in the case of some stubborn landowners, simply murdered.
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| quote: | January 20, 2007
Venezuelan Democracy, RIP
The Venezuelan national assembly has followed in the footsteps of the German Reichstag in the 1930s in voting itself into irrelevancy. It gave President Hugo Chavez dictatorial powers, which he says he will use in the short term to nationalize vast swaths of the nation's industry and eliminate any term limits for his reign:
Venezuela's National Assembly has given initial approval to a bill granting the president the power to bypass congress and rule by decree for 18 months.
President Hugo Chavez says he wants "revolutionary laws" to enact sweeping political, economic and social changes. He has said he wants to nationalise key sectors of the economy and scrap limits on the terms a president can serve.
Mr Chavez began his third term in office last week after a landslide election victory in December.
The bill allowing him to enact laws by decree is expected to win final approval easily in the assembly on its second reading on Tuesday. Venezuela's political opposition has no representation in the National Assembly since it boycotted elections in 2005.
The transformation of Venezuela from democracy to banana republic is now complete. Chavez has reinvented the Fuerherprinzip, South America style, in having his rubber-stamp assembly grant him absolute power over the nation. No court, no legislature can overturn his decrees, at least not for the next eighteen months -- and one doesn't need a crystal ball to predict that Chavez will issue a decree negating that limitation as well, and probably sooner rather than later.
Western investors in Venezuela will suffer the same fate as those invested in Cuba before the fall of Batiste, or in Mexico during their occasional efforts to nationalize industries. They will be lucky if they can sell off their assets to Chavez for pennies on the dollar before he can seize them outright. The window for those transactions will close very shortly.
More importantly, Chavez has condemned the people of Venezuela to oppression and further misery. When outside investors stop underwriting projects in the country, their economy will head straight down. Chavez will use what remains -- the oil production -- to make splashy festivals for the poor and open a few schools and hospitals. The vast majority of what profit he can take will go right back into the pockets of Chavez and his cronies.
The drop in oil prices means that he will have less in his pockets already. Venezuelan oil is not of the highest quality and costs more to produce. Their margins are much thinner than the Saudis, for instance, who just pledged to increase production. If prices drop below $40 per barrel, which seems a stretch but still possible, Chavez will have almost no profit from oil production, and the lack of investors to build other industries in the country will cause Venezuela's economy to grind to a halt.
It wasn't that long ago that Chavez claimed he smelled George Bush's aroma at the podium of the United Nations, calling him a devil and an oppressor. In this case, I think we can conclude that Chavez smelled the enemy of the Venezuelan people -- and it was himself.
UPDATE: Some Leftists may indeed swoon with joy over Chavez, but the sensible Michael Stickings isn't one of them:
Chavez talks up his Bolivarean revolution -- his efforts to transform his country and Latin America, in alliance with like-minded rogue states like Iran, into a grand anti-American bloc -- but what forms the core of his rule is not liberation but absolutism. In this case, the rule of "revolutionary" law -- in effect, the arbitrary rule of a single unchecked man -- is nothing but tyranny, authoritarianism, the oppression of the people. Arbitrary rule always is. Which is why the rule of law, as opposed to the rule of man, is so central to democracy. And which is why, in our advanced democracies, we must safeguard the rule of law vigilantly and diligently, protecting it from the trespasses of those who would weaken it, scrap it, in the name of executive authority.
Well put. After that, he takes a cheap shot at Bush, but that's more habit than thought. |
Source
| quote: | Dictator Hugo Chavez to give up to $32 million/year to Livingstone
By Alek Boyd
London 20.02.07 | It finally came to be: the oil for propaganda agreement between dictator Hugo Chavez and Red Ken has been signed. In spite of all the criticism, in spite of the fact that London's poor are high net worth individuals next to the Maigualidas of Venezuela, in spite of Venezuela being a country with an alarmingly high proportion of undernourished children, in spite of having most of its 54% of poor scrapping by on less than $2/day, comrade Livingstone gladly accepted the oil subsidy that Chavez was offering. It was meant to be, to have expected otherwise was foolish for neither of the parties involved care one bit about the disenfranchised, they're just political cannon fodder or as Chavez's Minister of Planning Jorge Giordani said recently "the revolution can not survive without the poor."
Chavez is to give up to $32 million/year to Europe's richest city. In exchange he will get advice on transport, urban planning, traffic control, etc. [pls do not miss clauses 6.4 and 6.5]. Some may wonder why would dictator Chavez need to go this far, mind you what does he stand to gain politically from it, and the answer is propaganda. Ken Livingstone is the elected Mayor of London but he is also the [appointed?] director of the Venezuela Information Centre, a propaganda outfit operated by civil servants from City Hall's offices. In today's world there's no such thing as a free lunch. Unfortunately the UK does not have an equivalent to the US' Foreign Agent Registration Unit. For that reason interested parties will never be able to determine exactly how much does the propaganda joint in London has cost to Venezuelan taxpayers, as I have been able to do with the one operating in Washington DC. However the recently signed agreement provides an interesting starting point for future calculations: up to $32 million/year -equivalent to the yearly income of roughly 10,600 Venezuelan families. Not bad. Good old Joe Kennedy on the other side of the pond isn't getting as much, but then again this is one of the world's most expensive cities, hence the premium. |
Go on George, you're killing it.
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