Chavez to farmers: Sell within Venezuela or it's 'treason'

cnn ^ | Jan 20, 2008 | AP

[RDTF]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- President Hugo Chavez threatened on Sunday to take over farms or milk plants if owners refuse to sell their milk for domestic consumption and instead seek higher profits abroad or from cheese-makers.

With the country recently facing milk shortages, Chavez said "it's treason" if farmers deny milk to Venezuelans while selling it across the border in Colombia or for gourmet cheeses.

"In that case the farm must be expropriated," Chavez said, adding that the government could also take over milk plants and properties of beef producers.

"I'm putting you on alert," Chavez said. "If there's a producer that refuses to sell the product ... and sells it at a higher price abroad ... ministers, find me the proof so it can be expropriated."

Addressing his Cabinet, he said: "If the army must be brought in, you bring in the army."

-snip-

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Chavez is a nut. Some of our nutty policies made it possible for him to assume power

I see, Chavez is Bush's fault! Of course.

[tflabo]

See what happens when Government interferes or controls the markets? The Dems like to raise minimum wage but it’s a drag on employers in hiring more workers. Govt. should stay out of the markets as much as possible.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Chavez is a nut. Some of our nutty policies made it possible for him to assume power
I see, Chavez is Bush’s fault! Of course.

---

Didnt say it was Bush’s fault. Liberal free trade nuttiness is why we got Chavez.....remember Ted Kennedy, the Clintons, and many other libs support free trade...

[kittycatonline.com]

With the country recently facing milk shortages, Chavez said "it's treason" if farmers deny milk to Venezuelans while selling it across the border in Colombia or for gourmet cheeses.

Somebody should send those farmers Joe Kennedy's 1-800 number. Joe seems to think Chavez has the answer to life's problems, maybe Joe can get those farmers hooked up with some cheap heating oil! They might not have any income, but at least they'll be able to stay warm, right?

[Cindy]

This article is a snapshot in time that indicates the start of the downfall of Venezuela.

[eclecticEel]

Milk shortages? Ain’t communism grand!

[VeniVidiVici]

President Hugo Chavez threatened on Sunday to take over farms or milk plants if owners refuse to sell their milk for domestic consumption and instead seek higher profits abroad or from cheese-makers.

Go ahead, Chubby. Call you buddy Mugabe and see how well it worked out for him.

[My Favorite Headache]

The amazing thing is the people of this once great country voted for everything he wanted over and over again.

I give you the new Cuba.

[burzum]

I’ll just bet that milk producers in Venezuela are just dying to invest more money in dairy cows and milk production facilities knowing that they’ll be able to sell even more of their product at a loss. Socialism at work. I just wish that at least one person in their administration took a 100 level microeconomics course.

[TexasRepublic]

If I was there, I’d sell my cows, buy an airplane ticket and take a ‘vacation’ to the United States.

[Niuhuru]

Perhaps something more among the line of Peron. I don’t think Chavez has any interest in developing gulags.

[TChris]

Hey, all the anti-free-trade buffs should think Hugo is just swell! He sure isn’t one of those nasty globalists. :-)

[TChris]

It’s a rerun of Joe Stalin, Venezuelan style.

Every Socialist thinks they have figured out how to make socialism work where others have failed.

It's like a horror version of Groundhog Day.