Young socialist hardliner will lead Venezuela's economy

Associated Press ^ | Jan. 7, 2016 12:19 PM EST | Hannah Dreier

[Olog-hai]

President Nicolas Maduro is doubling down on his existing economic policies with the appointment of a young leftist hardliner to head the country's cratering economy, setting up a potential confrontation between the ruling socialist party and the newly powerful opposition.

Luis Salas, the new 39-year-old vice president for the economy, has scant administrative experience, but champions the same theories of price and currency controls that have defined Venezuela's leftist economic policy for 17 years.

Like Maduro, Salas says the country is suffering from the world's worst recession and triple-digit inflation because business interests are colluding with the U.S. to sabotage the economy.

He even goes further than Maduro in arguing that many of the country's problems are the result of being too capitalist. ...

[henkster]

What’s that definition of insanity again?

[Paladin2]

"business interests are colluding with the U.S. to sabotage the economy."

Wow! same as here........

[PGR88]

We actually need a socialist country like Venezuela destroying itself in real-time to continually prove to a world which never learns, the evils of socialism.

[KC_Lion]

Just.

Wow

[dfwgator]

“General Pinochet, White Courtesy Phone...”

[EagleUSA]

Fools. They have NEVER learned.

[SharpRightTurn]

“Luis Salas, the new 39-year-old vice president for the economy, has scant administrative experience, but champions the same theories of price and currency controls that have defined Venezuela’s leftist economic policy for 17 years.”

Well, if Madure fires him—and if Luis isn’t strung up to a lamp post first—he could join Bernie Sanders’s group of economic policy advisers.

[Jim W N]

Young socialist hardliner will lead RUIN Venezuela's economy

There, fixed it.

[VRWCarea51]

I think we have found the Ideal spot for Barry’s Library!

[dfwgator]

How can you ruin something that is already ruined?

[sphinx]

He also created a new urban agriculture ministry and announced that he and first lady Cilia Flores had taken up urban farming themselves. "Cilia and I keep 50 chickens at our home. It's time to start building a new culture of production," he said.

That'll work. 30 million Venezuelans will be asked to feed themselves with backyard gardens since there is nothing in the stores.

I wonder how long it will take Bernie to propose a similar step in the U.S. Maybe we could counterpropose a modest trial run, starting with the Food Stamp population, just to see how it works out.

[ClearCase_guy]

This is great news. They need to show the world the magic of full throttle Socialism.

[driftless2]

Says Salas:

"You know citizens, you might think things are bad now with you lining up for toilet paper. But when I get through with my plans, all toilets will be confiscated. Doing you business inside your house (we'll confiscate those eventually as well) is a bourgeois practice. We have to eliminate that. Get it....eliminate that practice. Who said communists don't have a sense of humor."

[TruthWillWin]

Hey Bernie, how’s socialism working in Argentina? Or will your policies work because you are a Communist and not a socialist?

[stephenjohnbanker]

Whew! For a moment there, I was afraid that the total economic destruction of Venezuela wasn’t actually going to happen.

[MarchonDC09122009]

This serves as a reminder to never underestimate the sheer power and long term destruction that masses of low information voters cause.

God help us.

[ETL]

"We are creating a new world, a balanced world. A new world order, a multipolar world," Chavez told reporters during a visit to Communist China, one of many. His "new world order" includes [RUSSIA], China, Iran,... and a significantly weakened United States, he explained.

Resurgent Communism in Latin America
by Alex Newman, March 16, 2010:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/south-america-mainmenu-37/3122-resurgent-communism-in-latin-america?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=
______________________________________________________________

From the Russian News and Information Agency:
July 27, 2006
"'I am determined to expand relations with Russia,' Chavez, known as an outspoken critic of what he calls the United States' unilateralism, told the Russian leader, adding that his determination stemmed from their shared vision of the global order.":
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060727/51913498.html

[ETL]

How Russia arms America's southern neighbors

Ioan Grillo
May 9, 2014

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Russia's push into Ukraine has put many on edge. But less known is that Russia is also strengthening its military links south of the Rio Grande and re-establishing itself as a power in the region.

Vladimir Putin has been strengthening military links here, and Russia is now the largest arms dealer to governments in Latin America, surpassing the United States.

Russia has even floated the possibility of building new military bases in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, and putting its warships permanently in the Caribbean.

In the midst of the Ukraine crisis, Russia's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov recently visited Cuba, Peru, Chile, and Nicaragua, where he announced that Russia would also pour money into the new Central American canal project. ..."

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/140508/russian-arms-military-trade-latin-america
_______________________________________________________________________

Russia Boosts Arms, Training for Leftist Latin Militaries

Moscow defense minister inks deals with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua for joint exercises

BY: Bill Gertz
February 20, 2015

Russia agreed to provide military training for three leftist regimes in Latin America and increase military visits and exercises following a visit last week to the region by Moscow's Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu, Pentagon officials said.

Shoygu met with defense and military leaders in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua and signed several agreements on warship visits and military training during the visit, which ran from Feb. 11 to 14. It is not clear whether any new arms deals were completed during the visit.

Defense officials said the Russian leader is seeking bases in the region for strategic bomber flights that Shoygu recently promised would include flights over the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/russia-boosts-arms-training-for-leftist-latin-militaries/

[ETL]

TRUMP: Vladimir Putin's praise is 'a great honor'

Business Insider ^ | December 17, 2015 | By Maxwell Tani

Republican US presidential front-runner Donald Trump is apparently "honored" that Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the real-estate magnate a "flamboyant" and "very talented" man.

"It is always a great honor to be so nicely complimented by a man so highly respected within his own country and beyond," Trump said in a statement, according to Politico.

He continued: "I have always felt that Russia and the United States should be able to work well with each other towards defeating terrorism and restoring world peace, not to mention trade and all of the other benefits derived from mutual respect."

(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...