Hugo Chavez: Anti-Catholic, Narcissist, Leninist

When Hugo Chavez was sworn in as president of Venezuela in February 1997, he was hailed as the true successor to Latin American freedom fighter, Simon Bolivar. Notables including Sean Penn, Harry Belafonte, Oliver Stone, and Noam Chomsky shouted from rooftops that Chavez was a visionary who would restore prosperity and return power to the people. And they applauded his claim that the United States is “the most evil regime that has ever existed.”

These useful idiots have turned a blind eye to the fact that Chavez is a depraved Marxist totalitarian whose heroes are Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. They have also ignored that he supports global terrorism, has provided sanctuary to the Colombian terrorist group FARC, and has pledged, “that nothing will stop us” from acquiring nuclear power.

A misogynist, who claimed former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice found him irresistible, Chavez has been described by his long-term mistress and mother of his child as a “typical narcissist dictator.” “Ego” Chavez, as dissenters refer to him, has been called “Der Narziss von Caracas” by Die Zeit foreign correspondent Reiner Luyken and a “Narcissist-Leninist” by The Miami Herald columnist Andres Oppenheimer.

Since taking office Chavez has destroyed what was considered the most stable Latin American democratic country. A 300-page 2010 report issued by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission accused Chavez of massive violations of human rights, the destruction of democratic principles such as the separation of powers, judicial review of acts of state, and the rule of law over the will of the president. The report concluded that there are “persistent threats and violations of human rights involving political participation, freedom of thought and expression, right to life, personal security and personal integrity and liberty.”

During his tenure, national literacy has gone up only 1 percent and crime is rampant. Homicide rates have increased 90 percent between 1998 and 2005 and 91 percent of murders are never solved. At 57 murders per 100,000 people, Venezuela’s homicide rate is the world’s highest. Not included in these statistics are the thousands who are killed annually “resisting authority.”

The Index of Economic Freedom study of 157 countries places Venezuela in 148th place. Transparency International rates Venezuela as one of the world’s most corrupt nations.

Throughout his reign of terror, the major thorn in Chavez’s side has been the hierarchy of Venezuela’s Roman Catholic Church. Venezuela, a nation of 25 million, is 90 percent Catholic and recent polling indicates that 80 percent of the population is supportive of the Church and regards it as trustworthy.

The bishops have instructed their flocks that Chavez’s brand of socialism is not compatible with the social teachings of the Church. In October 2006, Archbishop Diego Rafael Padrón Sanchez of Cumana declared: “Chavez’s so-called twenty-first century socialism has already been polarizing the country for seven years. People are for him or against him, but nevertheless, they have remained poor.”

In 2007, the bishops opposed Chavez’s constitutional reform referendum that would have given him dictatorial powers. The proposals, they said, were undemocratic and a massive attack on civil rights particularly freedom of expression.

Venezuela’s seminarians also refused to stand on the sidelines. In an open letter to the bishop’s conference, they stated that the “reforms” were “morally unacceptable” and “irreconcilable with the Christian faith and its view of man and society.” As for Chavez’s plan to stifle dissent, the seminarians expressed support for those who act and speak “in accordance with their conscience” and condemned “as a threat to democracy when violent physical or verbal means are used against those who express their views openly.”

After the constitutional referendum was defeated, 51 percent to 49 percent, Chavez went ballistic and condemned the bishops, priests, and seminarians as fomenting rebellion and “talking nonsense.” He ordered them to read “Marx, Lenin, and the Sermon on the Mount to discover the true inspiration of socialism.”

To break the influence of the Church, Chavez designed a law that ended traditional government subsidies to Catholic schools and ended the right of children to receive religious education in government-run schools. Cardinal Jorge Urosa condemned the measures and warned that he would continue to vigorously oppose Chavez’s “socialism of the twenty-first century that was proving to be similar to old style communist regimes.”

The bishops have also opposed to Chavez’s fifteen-year plan to integrate Cuba, Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Ecuador under one socialist-government umbrella.

In July of this year, Chavez, in an address to the National Assembly, denounced Cardinal Urosa as a “troglodyte” who is “unworthy of calling himself Cardinal.” Looking directly at the papal nuncio, a guest in the audience, Chavez said: “Nuncio, please tell [His] Holiness that as long as we have these bishops we feel that we will be far away from the hierarchy of the church. . . .This battle is not over. . . .I feel sorrow when the Cardinal talks like a troglodyte and he tries to scare people about communism. We do not deserve such a Cardinal.”

Cardinal Urosa reacted immediately stating that Chavez’s ultimate goal is “to impose a socialist-Marxist system in the country to control all sectors. . . . A dictatorship led by the [ruling] elite.”

Despite threats and violence against the Church, the bishops and priests have refused to back off. Cardinal Urosa continues to battle the regime even after a government gang, La Esquina Caliente, physically assaulted him. The people of Venezuela are fortunate that their fearless Church leaders have prevented Chavez’s bully-state from totally enslaving them. American Catholics – and everyone of goodwill – should support them in this all-too-familiar struggle.

George J. Marlin is an editor of The Quotable Fulton Sheen and the author of. The American Catholic Voter.

[...]

REFORM CONTROVERSY

2001 November - President Chavez appears on TV to hail 49 reform laws which his government has introduced, including land and oil industry reforms, under powers which did not require them to be approved by the National Assembly. (OBAMA)

2002 February - National currency, the bolivar, plummets 25% against the US dollar after the government scraps exchange rate controls. (OBAMA)

2002 25 February - Chavez appoints new board of directors to state oil monopoly Petroleos de Venezuela in move opposed by executives. (OBAMA)

2002 9 April - Trade unions and the Fedecamaras business association declare general strike to support Petroleos de Venezuela dissidents. (OBAMA)

CHAVEZ OUSTER

2002 11 April - Some 150,000 people rally in support of strike and oil protest. National Guard and pro-Chavez gunmen clash with protesters - more than 10 are killed and 110 injured. Military high command rebels and demands that Chavez resign.

February 2003: BBC’s Richard Forrest reports
2002 April 12 - Armed forces head announces Chavez has resigned, a claim later denied by Chavez. Chavez is taken into military custody. Military names Pedro Carmona, one of the strike organisers, as head of transitional government.

2002 April 14 - Chavez returns to office after the collapse of the interim government.

2002 December - Opposition strike cripples the oil industry. Organisers demand that Chavez resign. The nine-week stoppage leads to fuel shortages.

REFERENDUM PETITIONS:

2003 May - Government, opposition sign deal brokered by Organisation of American States (OAS) which sets out framework for referendum on Hugo Chavez’s rule.

Supporters hailed Chavez’s victory in a vote on his rule
President won 59% of the vote
Result confirmed by electoral authorities and international observers

2004 Analysis: Venezuela at a crossroads
2003 August-September - Opposition delivers petition with more than three million signatures demanding referendum on Chavez’s rule. Electoral body rejects petition saying it fails to meet technical requirements.

2003 December - Second petition demanding referendum on rule of Hugo Chavez is delivered. Opposition says it contains 3.4 million signatures.

2004 March - Several people are killed and many are injured in clashes between opponents and supporters of President Chavez.

2004 August - President Chavez wins referendum in which Venezuelans are asked whether he should serve out the remaining two-and-a-half years of his term.

LAND REFORM

2005 January - President Chavez signs decree on land reform which aims to eliminate Venezuela’s large estates. President says land redistribution will bring justice to rural poor; ranchers say move is an attack on private property.

Bitter dispute with Colombia over the capture of a Colombian rebel Farc leader on Venezuelan soil. The presidents of both nations resolve the affair at talks in Caracas in February.

2005 June - Venezuela and 13 Caribbean states launch a regional oil company at a summit in Caracas. Venezuela, a major producer, agrees to supply the nations with cheap fuel. Critics accuse President Chavez of using oil to increase diplomatic influence.

2005 December - Parties loyal to President Chavez make big gains in parliamentary elections. Opposition parties boycott the poll, leaving parliament entirely made up of supporters of the president.

2006 July - President Chavez signs a $3bn (£1.6bn) arms deal with Russia, including an agreement to buy fighter jets and helicopters.

2006 December - Hugo Chavez wins a third term in presidential elections with 63% of the vote.

NATIONALISATION DRIVE

2007 January - President Chavez announces that key energy and telecommunications companies will be nationalised. (OBAMA)

National Assembly grants President Chavez sweeping powers to rule by decree for the next eighteen months. (OBAMA)

2007 March - President Chavez says 16 large farms have been seized for redistribution under a land reform plan.

2007 May - Government takes control of oil projects in the Orinoco Delta as part of the nationalisation drive. (OBAMA)

Thousands gather in Caracas to mourn, or celebrate, the government’s closure of the RCTV channel which has been critical of President Chavez.

2007 June - Two leading US oil companies, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhilips, refuse to hand over majority control of their operations in the Orinoco Belt to the Venezuelan government.

2007 December - Mr Chavez suffers his first defeat at the ballot box, when voters in a referendum narrowly reject proposals to extend his powers and accelerate his socialist revolution.

DIPLOMATIC CRISIS

2008 January, February - After President Chavez’s mediation with the Farc, the Colombian rebel group releases six hostages.

Relations with Colombia deteriorate after Colombian President Alvaro Uribe rejects Mr Chavez’s call for left-wing rebels to be treated as insurgents instead of terrorists.

CHAVEZ AND RUSSIA

Joint war games with Russia marked a move towards closer ties in 2008

2008 March - Diplomatic crisis after Colombian armed forces make cross-border raid into Ecuador, a Venezuelan ally, killing senior Farc rebel Raul Reyes. Mr Chavez mobilises troops along Venezuelan-Colombian border.

2008 July - Relations with Colombia begin to improve again in the wake of the freeing of Farc’s most high-profile hostage, Ingrid Betancourt. Mr Uribe visits Venezuela for talks with Mr Chavez.

2008 August - President Chavez announces plans to nationalise one of the country’s largest private banks, the Spanish-owned Bank of Venezuela. (OBAMA)

Mexican cement giant Cemex seeks World Bank arbitration over Venezuelan nationalisation of local subsidiary, which the company deems illegal.

Government lifts some price controls on staple foods in an attempt to avert shortages.

TIES WITH RUSSIA

2008 September - Government approves nationalisation of household fuel distributors and petrol stations.

Venezuela and Russia sign oil and gas cooperation accord. Russian warplanes visit Venezuela, with Russian warships heading there for November joint exercises - first return of Russian navy to Americas since Cold War.

Venezuela expels US ambassador in solidarity with similar Bolivian move. US reciprocates.

2008 October - First Venezuelan telecommunications satellite launched from China.

2008 November - Opposition makes gains in regional elections and wins Caracas mayoral poll. President Chavez’s allies retain control of 17 out of 22 governorships.

Russia and Venezuela sign accord on joint civilian nuclear cooperation.

2009 February - Voters in a referendum approve plans to abolish limits on the number of terms in office for elected officials; this would allow President Chavez to stand again when his current term expires in 2012.

TENSIONS WITH COLOMBIA

2009 July - Relations with Colombia begin to deteriorate again after plans are announced to allow US troops to use Colombian military bases as part of a drive to curb drug-trafficking.

2009 August - Tensions between the two neighbours increase still further after Bogota accuses Venezuela of supplying arms to Farc rebels, and Mr Chavez accuses Colombia of allowing its troops to stray over their common border.

2009 November - The diplomatic row escalates after the Colombian government and the US sign their long-trailed deal on the use of Colombia’s military bases. President Chavez orders 15,000 troops to the Colombian border, citing increased violence by Colombian paramilitary groups.

2010 January - President Chavez devalues the bolivar, by 17% against the US dollar for “priority” imports and by 50% for items considered non-essential, to boost revenue from oil exports.

Six TV channels taken off air for breaking rules on transmitting government material.

2010 March - Economy shrank by 5.8 % in last three months of 2009, according to the central bank. (OBAMA)

2010 July - Venezuela cuts diplomatic ties with Colombia after being accused of harbouring Farc rebels.

2010 August - Colombia and Venezuela restore diplomatic ties.

2010 September - Parliamentary elections. Opposition makes significant gains. The socialist party of Mr Chavez still controls congress, but with a reduced majority.

2010 October - Mr Chavez visits Iran, where he and the Iranian president promise to deepen their “strategic alliance” against US “imperialism”.

2010 December - Parliament grants Mr Chavez special powers to deal with the aftermath of devastating floods, which critics say will turn the country into a near-dictatorship.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1229348.stm

I just did a quick scan on this timeline and there are numerous similarities between Obama and Chavez - one can probably see more that I missed or that are imminent. See #4 - many of the Alinskyite Bishops are retiring, resigning, or sacked, and Pope Benedict is doing a great job in replacing them with Catholics.

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