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 ...
Yup.
“Hugo Chavez has anointed himself president for life”
No wonder he’s the hero of the American left — that’s exactly what they would do if given half a chance.
Thats right, see what happens when you boycott elections
I’m afaid you maybe right.
president for life = I predict less than 3 years
And the ironic thing is that Chavez is in actuality what they always delusionally claim Bush is—a tyrant and dictator. As Maria Conchita Alonso said last week after Sean Penn made an a$$ of himself in Venezuela, Bush will be gone in a year or so, but Chavez will cling to power as long as he can.
If the mexican government hadn’t dumped 12M chavez-type supporters on US there would be another chavez-type dictator in mexico city right now.
Actually, although they claim that Bush is a tyrant and that they hate them, I know they’re lying. They love tyrants, so Bush must be something else entirely.
Of course, logic is not a strong suit for any leftist.
I wonder if you had put “Facist Dictator and Bully Boy George Bush” your professor would have been OK with it?
I predict a Venezuelan version of George Washington will emerge sooner or later. Venezuelans aren't the type of folks who are going to cheerfully bend over for socialism.
I have a friend who just returned from Venezuela - he said everyone is just waiting for someone else to put the bullet in his brain.
And someone will...just a matter of time...all the wealthy VZ folks now reside in Miami....
Attn: Sheehan, Penn..
Another John Galt and a reference to the Mex govt confiscating a railroad.
Are you looking for “the real Venezuela” pics? You might try here for before-and-after pics, this page has links to them.
http://www.babalublog.com/archives/002575.html
Also google “real Venezuela.”
I hope he doesn’t live as long as Castro has.
I’m sure that’s what chavez thinks...he’ll be dead alot sooner than most realize.
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