Venezuela: Chavez begins nationalizing

[bobsponge]

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced plans Monday to nationalize Venezuela's electrical and telecommunications companies, pledging to create a socialist state in a bold move with echoes of Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution.

"We're moving toward a socialist republic of Venezuela, and that requires a deep reform of our national constitution," Chavez said in a televised address after swearing in his Cabinet. "We are in an existential moment of Venezuelan life. We're heading toward socialism, and nothing and no one can prevent it."

Chavez, who will be sworn in Wednesday to a third term that runs through 2013, also said he wanted a constitutional amendment to eliminate the autonomy of the Central Bank and would soon ask the National Assembly, solidly controlled by his allies, to give him greater powers to legislate by presidential decree.

The nationalization appeared likely to affect Electricidad de Caracas, owned by Arlington, Virginia-based AES Corp., and C.A. Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela, known as CANTV, the country's largest publicly traded company.

Full article at http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/01/...a.ap/index.html

[KendallJ]

Evo Morales in Bolivia is next, unfortunately.

[Galileo Blogs]

Several years ago when a broad-based group of Venezuelans rebelled against Chavez, the Bush administration turned its back on them. In fact, when the reinstalled Chavez accused the U.S. of siding with the "rebels" who opposed him, the Bush Administration took great pains to say that it in no way opposed Chavez.

Subsequent to the U.S. capitulation, Chavez held a sham-election that was anointed by no less than Jimmy Carter, despite the fact that there was much evidence of manipulation and no way to truly validate its result.

Now, the chickens come home to roost and Chavez explicitly declares himself a Marxist dictator.

The bottom line is: Bush is a democrat, and a Christian fundamentalist democrat at that. Given his twin premises -- democracy and fundamentalism -- how can he oppose democratically-elected Muslim fundamentalist Ahmadinejad of Iran?

Meanwhile, Iran makes rapid progress toward succesfully developing the nuclear bomb. Given that Bush has done nothing as Chavez consolidates his power, what are the odds that Bush will do something to stop Iran before that country develops the Bomb?

If you need an example of the power of philosophy, look no further than George Bush. Bush is a self-declared Christian, altruist and democrat. He has shown a high level of consistency in his application of those principles, especially in foreign policy.

[KendallJ]

Nice post Galileo. This one frosts me. I'm Bolivian.

AMericans are idiots for not opposing Chavez, and Morales. But then we should have liberated Cuba a long time ago.

[gags]

Isn't democracy lovely?

You know what really frosted me? When this thug came to New York and insulted our President in front of his criminal friends at the UN. Unfortunately, Bush hardly had the balls to even respond. Shameful, IMO.

[DarkWaters]

Venezuela's nationalization under Hugo Chavez certainly has not begun today. In fact, he has been trying to nationalize the Venezuelan oil industry ever since he ascended to the Presidency. Here is a profile on Hugo Chavez from 2002 detailing his promises on overarching socialist revolutions. Here is an article from April 2006 that describes his recent attempts at nationalizing oil.

Evo Morales of Bolivia has also already nationalized oil and natural gas fields.

For those of you who do not know, when you purchase gas from CITGO, you are doing business with a subsidiary owned entirely by the national oil company Venezuela.

[AMERICONORMAN]

At this point I recommend you watch The Good Sheppard. If the facts are true, I am so shocked, and feel that the world is hopeless. If the facts of the movie are not true, i.e., the climax, then wow, what a thrilling movie.

....Yes, I've been to Venezuela many years ago. It is such a beautiful country. It's a shame that Chavez will destroy it. I hope America one day finds reason to invade it.

Jose Gainza.

[mrocktor]

Nice post Galileo. This one frosts me. I'm Bolivian.

I'm Brazilian, and I'm afraid we are in line too.

[simonsays]

The way I see it, at least Chavez has balls. The guy is after raw power and he is getting it.

Anyway, his country is on the road to serfdom now, and while it would be nice if it would die quietly, I doubt it will do so. I think it is only a matter of time before it presents itself as a security threat towards America.

[gags]

There's a big front-page article on Chavez in today's Wall Street Journal. Of course, the fact that the communications and electricity companies are American doesn't mean anything to this government. If a democratic mob wants to threaten our interests, we rarely seem to muster up an appropriate response.

[DarkWaters]

The Venezuelan National Assembly has voted unanimously to give Hugo Chavez a broad range of new powers.

Some excerpts:

The law also allows Chavez to dictate unspecified measures to transform state institutions; reform banking, tax, insurance and financial regulations; decide on security and defense matters such as gun regulations and military organization; and "adapt" legislation to ensure "the equal distribution of wealth" as part of a new "social and economic model."

Chavez has said oil companies upgrading heavy oil in the Orinoco River basin -- British Petroleum PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., ConocoPhillips Co., Total SA and Statoil ASA -- must submit to state-controlled joint ventures, as companies already have done elsewhere in the country.

The law gives Chavez the authority to intervene and "regulate" the transition to joint ventures if companies do not adapt to the new framework within an unspecified "peremptory period."

Scary stuff although none of this is surprising.

[Strangelove]

At this point I recommend you watch The Good Sheppard. If the facts are true, I am so shocked, and feel that the world is hopeless. If the facts of the movie are not true, i.e., the climax, then wow, what a thrilling movie.

The Good Shepherd is an excellent movie but I don't believe that any of its main characters were explicitly based on any one person. Possibly composites. Of course the historical events involving the CIA and its operations are largely true.

Edited January 31, 2007 by Strangelove

[sixfootbrit]

Of course, Toohey (sorry Chomsky), is gloating.

http://www.chomsky.info/articles.htm

What a psychopath.

[$$$]

"Long live the sovereign people! Long live President Hugo Chavez! Long live socialism!" said National Assembly President Cilia Flores as she proclaimed the law approved. "Fatherland, socialism or death! We will prevail!"

Chavez supporters wearing red — the color of Venezuela's ruling party — gathered in the plaza, waving signs reading "Socialism is democracy"

"Dictatorship is what there used to be," Rodriguez said. "We want to impose the dictatorship of a true democracy."

If I were a Spanish speaking company, I would have had head hunters in there years ago to get some good talent out.

Another thought...since Chavez subsidies gas prices to his people, is he to blame for global warming climate change?

[bobsponge]

Of course, Toohey (sorry Chomsky), is gloating.

http://www.chomsky.info/articles.htm

What a psychopath.

Which article is it?

[$$$]

Dozens of "Chavistas" danced behind a sound truck playing a hip-hop song that boomed: "We don't want Gringos here!"

"For now, and forever, the Fatherland has awaken."

ahh, the good old fatherland, now where have I heard this anti-imperialism,anti-capitalism, anti-west stuff before...

Fatherland, Socialism AND Death!

[$$$]

"On Wednesday, Mr. Chavez broke off diplomatic ties with neighbouring Colombia and accused CNN of instigating his assassination, while his foreign minister threatened to expel a U.S. embassy official."

It's only a matter of time until Chavez brings up some border dispute with Colombia and declares war. After his next few shipments of Russian made weapons perhaps.

[John McVey]

"And so it begins." - Satai Dukat

It's only a matter of time until Chavez brings up some border dispute with Colombia and declares war.

"How will this end?" - Emperor Durhan

"In fire." - Kosh

I really hope it doesn't come to that.

JJM

[softwareNerd]

Exxon has been fighting Venezuela by trying to get courts in the U.S. and U.K to seize the assets of Venezuela's government-owned oil-company. A court in the U.K. has issued an injunction freezing $12 billion in assets. Now, Chavez is threatening to cut off oil to the U.S.

It's good to see Exxon mount a fight.

(Here's a news-article.)

[LovesLife]

Exxon has been fighting Venezuela by trying to get courts in the U.S. and U.K to seize the assets of Venezuela's government-owned oil-company. A court in the U.K. has issued an injunction freezing $12 billion in assets. Now, Chavez is threatening to cut off oil to the U.S.

Based on casual conversations, a surprising number of Americans seem to support the move by Chavez against Exxon. It makes me wonder what's next in the US, as its financial situation continues to crumble and continue down the slippery slope of socialism and fascism. If the government did decide to seize assets, what would some of the early candidates be? Oil companies? Banks? Media? Transportation?

[gags]

Based on casual conversations, a surprising number of Americans seem to support the move by Chavez against Exxon. It makes me wonder what's next in the US, as its financial situation continues to crumble and continue down the slippery slope of socialism and fascism. If the government did decide to seize assets, what would some of the early candidates be? Oil companies? Banks? Media? Transportation?

Many Americans support Chavez because you have the usual gaggle of leftists in this country (including the likes of Joe Kennedy and other prominent names) who have been cleverly bought off by the Venezuelan program of giving heating oil to the "poor". Dupes like Kennedy are apparently happy to be used for propaganda purposes by that scumbag. I know it's an essentially meaningless gesture, but in response I refuse to ever buy gas from a Citgo station.

As far as the slippery slope in this country is concerned, Hillary and Barak are dumping Venezuelan-made grease on that slope with their healthcare plans. That will be the first major industry to fall, IMO.

Edited February 22, 2008 by gags

[Dr. Radiaki]

I would never support Chavez or the ideas he promotes, but at the same time, I can't muster up much sympathy for Exxon, either. Frankly, they remind me of James Taggert's Mexican trains. They really, REALLY should have seen this one coming.

[SBP2009]

If the Exxon execs had any balls at all they should have rigged their facilities with explosives and blasted them sky-high as soon as Chavez's thugs arrived.

A big final middle finger to socialism, in the spirit of Francisco d'Anconia. Scorched earth for tyrants!

If nationalization happens in the US as AceNZ asked, oil companies would surely be a likely candidate. But banks might be first, after all, and the nationalization might be a Trojan-horse-style takeover starting with, for example, the subprime bailouts.

[gags]

Now Chavez has nationalized the the largest Venezuelan steel manufacturer:

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday nationalized the country's biggest steelmaker Ternium-Sidor, which is majority owned by Argentina's Techint.Chavez signed the decree after announcing last month he would nationalize the company, which employs around 12,000 workers, following a breakdown in union contract talks.

"Today marks the beginning of a historic new era," Chavez told workers at the Ternium-Sidor steel mill in Ciudad Guyana, 500 kilometers (310 miles) southeast of Caracas.

"Here, beside these furnaces in the middle of Siderurgica del Orinoco (Sidor steel company), I have enacted the law by which we reclaim steel making," he told hundreds of company employees.

Chavez set a June 30 deadline for transfer of all Ternium-Sidor assets to the government.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5heT-kW...njr3-fWp6LvyZOA

[Mammon]

But banks might be first, after all, and the nationalization might be a Trojan-horse-style takeover starting with, for example, the subprime bailouts.

Ahhh, banks are pretty much already nationalized -- see: Federal Reserve.

Anyways, Chavez is an actual socialist. He put the means of production under the control of the government. Democrats don't do this, nor will they probably ever with the exception of some aspects of the medical system (but, they won't make it illegal to practive private medicine). A high tax rate is not socialism, regulations on certain items to make them "safer" is not socialism. Socialistic, but not socialism, and people who advocate those things aren't socialists.

Having government completely control the means of production or the "public" control the means of production instead of private individiuals, that's socialism.