Venezuelan troops crack down on border smuggling [National guard seizes 750 tons of food!]

whotv.com/Associated Press ^ | January 22, 2008

[grundle]

Venezuelan troops crack down on border smuggling

Associated Press - January 22, 2008 8:43 PM ET

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuelan troops are cracking down on the smuggling of food and gasoline along the border with Colombia.

An official says the National Guard has seized about 750 tons of food and 9,000 gallons of fuel since tightening security this weekend.

The National Guard has reassigned 1,200 troops to anti-smuggling work along the border. Most of them were already in the region carrying out other duties.

The Venezuelan and Colombian governments are in the middle of a bitter feud. Venezuela is also dealing with shortages of food staples such as milk, rice and meat and the highest inflation in Latin America.

This weekend, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez ordered the military to keep people from smuggling scarce items like milk across the border. He's also threatened to seize farms and milk plants that sell their milk abroad rather than domestically.

[TADSLOS]

He’s got the Castro fever!

[Kenny Bunk]

Like Castro, he is is facing food shortages unknown under the worst "authoritarian" regimes like Batista's. Both countries Cuba and Venezuela, have incredibly rich agriculture. I guess the operative word is now "had."

The fuel shortage highlights the fact that without foreign-owned and dedicated refineries, Venezuelan sludge cannot be refined in sufficient quantities at home. What is keeping Chávez on the planet?

[Chode]

Chavez: "You are a devil, you smell like sulfur, you are a drunk, you are the demon, you are a dictator, you are an assassin Mr. Devil, you are..."

Bush: "YEAH, Yeah, yeah, WHATever... just fill'er up MonkeyBoy!!!"

[Eric in the Ozarks]

And, the US oil companies who saw their holdings expropriated in Vz are now taking legal action to stop the sale of two Citgo asphalt refineries to Nustar.

[Billthedrill]

It takes a socialist to turn people into milk smugglers.

[Cindy]

OPINION:

Is Venezuela under Hugo Chavez’ leadership heading for a downfall like Zimbabwe under Mugabe’s leadership?

It sure seems that way.

I hope the people of Venezuela can turn this situation around real quick.