Posted on 02/08/2010 2:24:02 PM PST by La Lydia
What little is left of Venezuela's democracy has taken a literal beating from President Hugo Chávez's uniformed goon squads -- again. Police used a variety of weapons, from water cannons to plastic bullets, last week to disperse hundreds of student protesters who refuse to knuckle under to an increasingly desperate and unpopular president determined to remain in power at all costs...the students were protesting the deterioration of their country...the frustration level inside the country is rising as Venezuela's political and economic situation goes from bad to worse. Rolling blackouts, currency devaluation and price inflation (the worst in Latin America), water shortages and scarce commodities -- this is what 11 years of a Chávez presidency have produced.
As if to underline the utter befuddlement of Chávez's inept government, an advisory team from Cuba, of all places, was brought in to improve the dismal energy program...
The problem with PDVSA, the oil company...is that Chávez turned it into a sinecure for political cronies, destroying its once admirable efficiency and productive value. Only by putting the experts back in charge can it hope to recover...The problems at PDVSA are emblematic of what's wrong with Venezuela and why his Bolivarian revolution is in trouble. Chávez has run the economy, and the country, into the ground, but that hasn't stopped him from making trouble wherever he can.
As the streets of Caracas were in turmoil, the U.S. director of national intelligence, former Admiral Dennis Blair, was giving Congress an unvarnished assessment of Mr. Chávez's presidency that underlines the danger he represents to the entire region.
He has cultivated friendships in all the wrong places, beginning with Iran, spent $6 billion to buy weapons from Russia, and provided covert support to the terrorist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)....
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
Chavista’s can win a majority in their Congress without a majority of the votes because they have just gerrymandered the districts. They have shut down a channel that didn’t kowtow to Chavez and guess who counts the vote?
As free and fair as an ACORN dream
In one of the largest energy producers in the world. Socialism in action.
A preview of things to come in America.
Let's hear it for "democracy."
This reminds me of Mugabe. He took a productive country and turned it into an authoritarian mess. Now the communist Chavez is doing the same thing. How long before they’re begging the US for help to survive while even more thousands of their citizens illegally flee to a better life in El Norte?
“Inept” seems to describe socialists the world over. And that’s putting it mildly.
I think any upper and middle Venezuelan who could get a visa has already relocated to Miami. He is driving out the productive classes and pretty soon, the only ones left will be his peasant supporters and his Cuban “advisors.” He is in the process of turning his country over to Fidel, and replicating the misery that is Cuba.
And don’t forget: Friend of Joe Kennedy.
Look at the bright side, in 2060 you will find parts for a 2010 Chevy, Toyota, Ford. et. al. there. Like Cuba’s 57 Chevy’s. OH wait, we have Obama, be prepared for a Bay of Pigs type invasion of Venezuela, one where we send it their freedom fighters with no support.
All the while he's attempting to spread the misery to other countries in the region. Honduras was fortunate to keep it from happening there.
Pig boy has been breathing oxygen too long.
Isn’t Chavez a favorite “man hug” target of POTUS?
Surprised to see that this is happening in Venezuela, he might be going to Havana sooner than he thinks.
Fight on Venezuela. Never give up.
I’m sure our Dear Leader will do all he can to save Chavez’s power and position. Lefties gotta stick together, ya know.
His silence on this thug is deafening.
all registered Democrats love Chavez.
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