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Hugo Chavez to make himself president for life
London Telegraph ^ | 8/17/2007 | Jeremy McDermott

Posted on 08/18/2007 11:31:36 AM PDT by Crazieman

The Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez has anointed himself president for life by proposing sweeping changes to the country's constitution.

Setting out his plans for completing his socialist revolution in the oil-rich Latin American nation, he proposing radical constitutional reform which has at its centre indefinite re-election for himself.

In a rambling televised speech reminiscent of his close ally and friend Fidel Castro, Mr Chavez told the national assembly of 33 changes he plans to make to the constitution he introduced in 1999 which will cement his grip on power.

"We have broken the chains of the old, exploitative capitalist system," said Mr Chavez. "The state now has the obligation to build the model of a socialist economy."

The proposals will be debated by the 167-seat assembly, which is unlikely to be particularly heated or drawn out as it is 100 per cent "Chavista" after the opposition boycotted the 2005 elections. Once the assembly has rubber stamped the proposals, they will be put to a referendum.

Mr Chavez is unlikely to struggle in is bid to win the referendum as he has spent millions of dollars in oil revenue in enlarging his power base by bolstering the ranks of state employees and introducing cheap imported goods into shops.

While the president was talking about "the death of capitalism" in Venezuela, the opposition were lamenting what they called the death of democracy.

"The president just tells lies," said Manuel Rosales, the opposition leader defeated in last year's presidential elections. "All he wants to do is turn himself into president for life."

In the new constitution Mr Chavez, 54, scraps the maximum presidential incumbency of two six-year terms, to instead permit seven-year terms with indefinite re-election.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chavez; citgo; communist; dictator; hugo; hugochavez; hugoland; latinamerica; venezuela
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Let me get this straight. Chavez=Good. Bush=Bad. The leftists tell me so.
1 posted on 08/18/2007 11:31:37 AM PDT by Crazieman
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To: Crazieman
How long will it be before he gets 98% of the vote in these “elections” and Jimmah declares them to be clean and valid.
2 posted on 08/18/2007 11:33:28 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (If martyrdom is so cool,why does Osama Obama go to such great lengths to avoid it?)
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To: Crazieman

This is what the dictator Mugabe did and look what happened to Zimbabwe.


3 posted on 08/18/2007 11:34:24 AM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: Crazieman

Here we go


4 posted on 08/18/2007 11:34:30 AM PDT by wastedyears (Alright, hold tight, I'm a highway staaaaaaaaaaaaarrr)
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To: Crazieman

When I was writing a term paper for a Latin American politics class, I correctly identified Chavez as a dictator, but my leftist professor at UC Riverside put a red line through the word dictator during my paper proposal.


5 posted on 08/18/2007 11:34:52 AM PDT by Munson
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To: Crazieman

I’m glad Jimmy Carter certified that his initial election was free and fair.


6 posted on 08/18/2007 11:35:28 AM PDT by kcar
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To: Crazieman

Will the MSM even report this? Will Dianne Sawyer fall deeper in love with Chavez? questions...questions.


7 posted on 08/18/2007 11:35:58 AM PDT by rbosque ("To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." - Teddy Roosevelt)
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To: Crazieman

Dont you all know the real enemy is the evilbushitler regime. There is nothing wrong with Mr. Chavez, glorious savior of the heroic proletariat of Venezuela/

I remember reading that when the British surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown, their military band played “The World Turned Upside Down.” Maybe we need a reprise of that song these days.


8 posted on 08/18/2007 11:37:15 AM PDT by DeusExMachina05 (I will not go into Dhimmitude quietly.)
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To: Crazieman
Entirely expected. The entertainment value is going to come in when his apologists on the left do intellectual backflips to justify it. I'll start if off - "It never would have been necessary if it weren't for the imperialist United States attacking Venezuela."

The nice thing about an old formal dance is that after the first couple of steps everybody knows how it's going to go.

9 posted on 08/18/2007 11:37:50 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: lilylangtree

Venezuela has gone just about as bad as Zimbabwe. There is a website that shows “Before Chavez” and “After Chavez” photos of many places in Venezuela. The differences are shocking, absolutely shocking................They need a Juan Galt..............


10 posted on 08/18/2007 11:38:29 AM PDT by Red Badger (ALL that CARBON in ALL that oil & coal was once in the atmospere. We're just putting it back!)
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To: Crazieman

Pat Robertson has been vindicated

11 posted on 08/18/2007 11:39:19 AM PDT by BigFinn (Islam= a caustic blend of paganism and twisted Bible stories.)
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To: Munson
"When I was writing a term paper for a Latin American politics class, I correctly identified Chavez as a dictator, but my leftist professor at UC Riverside put a red line through the word dictator during my paper proposal."

That's unfortunate but a poor choice by you. You should have just written on the topic: "BUSH-HITLER, THE WAR CRIMINAL" and gotten an A+. Libtards eat that stuff up!

12 posted on 08/18/2007 11:41:05 AM PDT by avacado
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bookmarked


13 posted on 08/18/2007 11:44:21 AM PDT by CounterCounterCulture
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To: Crazieman

chavez ain’t long for this world.


14 posted on 08/18/2007 11:45:00 AM PDT by shield (A wise man's heart is at his RIGHT hand;but a fool's heart at his LEFT. Ecc 10:2)
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To: Gay State Conservative

San Francisco City council passed a resolution praising Thugo Chavez as a guardian of democracy..............2001?....they have never rescinded it......nor will they.....


15 posted on 08/18/2007 11:45:07 AM PDT by Red Badger (ALL that CARBON in ALL that oil & coal was once in the atmospere. We're just putting it back!)
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To: Crazieman

Gee, who’da thunk it?


16 posted on 08/18/2007 11:45:20 AM PDT by ozzymandus
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To: Red Badger

Third Ayn Rand reference I’ve seen on FR today!


17 posted on 08/18/2007 11:46:24 AM PDT by ozzymandus
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To: Crazieman

Here’s hoping for a short term.


18 posted on 08/18/2007 11:46:31 AM PDT by SmithL (si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: AnnaZ

ping


19 posted on 08/18/2007 11:47:21 AM PDT by monkapotamus
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To: Munson

Send him a copy of the article and a big “I told you so!”


20 posted on 08/18/2007 11:47:38 AM PDT by ozzymandus
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