"But he said he would permit foreign firms to hold minority stakes in energy deals." He still needs our investment money, but doesn't want to guarantee it won't be confiscated at some point. Communism has never worked. It won't this time, either. The only reason Russia survived as long as it did is that the West loaned the Soviets money, beginning in the 1920s and continuing through the Cold War. Chavez is headed for the kind of ending Mussolini got.
"Chavez is headed for the kind of ending Mussolini got." let's hope sooner than later.