[Iberian]

Chavez has the playbook of 43 year dictator. Poor people in Venezuela stuck with that for a leader.

[Dog Gone]

The difference is that Venezuela is not comprised of only a rich elite and those in poverty. The differences between Cuba in 1959 and Venezuela in 2004 are pretty big.

The question today is whether a communist can use the democratic process to seize power, eliminate political foes, and rule for life while still plausibly operating under existing law.

Chavez is not a fool. He is an evil and cunning adversary. He's pulling off a successful hijacking as we watch.