Update: sources in Venezuela have just confirmed to me that the 31 US citizens are not in jail but have been ‘asked’ by the military to not leave the compound where they were.
Neither did you see the scandal behind Sequoia and Smartmatic, until more than one year after I exposed them; neither did you see the raid on a Caracas Jewish School; neither did you hear Hugo Chavez ordering the assassination of innocent people...
Very pertinent points. In this sense I can tell that Chavez, aided by Castro's inanity machinery, is simply rewriting history through the propagandistic e-conduits. The other day someone here in london told me "oh but Chavez nationalised Venezuela's oil industry and made education and healthcare free for everyone". Now this is simply a lie and can easily be demonstrated. However how many other lies are being spread? What sort of Western person, respectful of laws, institutions and authorities, ever questions the statements of a president of a country? Thus protected by the mantle of credibility provided by its investiture Chavez travels the planet talking nonsense and a lot of people fall for his crap. Worrying indeed and the US is at the receiving end of an extraordinarily powerful propaganda campaign of global scope.
Chavez is surrounded by thugs, there's no question about that. They are lining their pockets with all sort of scams while the 'great leader' is given assurances 24/7 that all is fine and dandy. He is kept in a bubble with heavy doses of Lithium; trusts no one; does not dare to walk among the people any longer... The USA should do well in revoking all tourist visas to notorious chavistas; their ill aqcquired properties in Florida and other places must be confiscated and bank accounts freezed. When that happens, they'll turn back and bite Chavez in the bollocks and, without a doubt, will kick him out of office for whatever they say, they just die to go spend their fortunes up north. The US can turn them against Chavez, quite simple if you ask me, alas policy towards Venezuela appears to be designated and implemented by Liberal idiots who love the prospect of propping up another Castro just for the sake of given the finger to the Republicans. Sheer stupidity and outright treason, that's what it is.
Nope! Far more powerful and dangerous.... Hugo has a lot more money (in the form of oil) and when people are poor, they look up to those that have the money. It's going to be a long hard struggle before Hugo is gotten rid of.
Your perception is very clear; Hugo is the most destabilizing thing that could have happened to the South American frail democracies, let alone to my country. Mind you a gullible and stupid resentful thug loaded with cash being adviced by his lifetime criminal hero, how much worse can it get? Get prepared to pay through the nose for gasoline...