Chavez ramps up rhetoric

More than two months ago, before he even took the oath of office, in his Univision interview, President Barack Obama mentioned that Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan dictator, is creating instability in the region and “exporting terrorism”. This weekend, in his weekly rant called “Hello, President”, Chavez decided to start taking shots at Obama;

While he was talking, it seems that his Army was busy taking over aerial and coastal ports according to the Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Chávez’s takeover of the air and sea ports, including one in Carabobo state that handles much of the nation’s non-oil trade, gives the federal government direct control over lucrative transportation hubs that were previously managed at the state level. The move also deals a blow to Mr. Chávez’s political opposition, as several of the key installations are in states controlled by opposition governors.

Mr. Chávez, a 54-year-old former army officer, is scrambling to recalibrate his decade-old presidency as oil-price declines threaten a key source of his power: giant subsidies for everything from food and health care to gasoline.

A Venezuelan soldier patrols a maritime port in Puerto Cabello, one of several key ports President Hugo Chavez ordered the military to take over on Saturday.

Mr. Chávez vowed to continue welfare spending even as the government’s oil revenue declines.

“This crisis is going to strengthen us,” Mr. Chávez said in televised remarks Saturday.

Sound like anyone else you know? Sure Obama isn’t taking over ports yet – but he plans on spending money that he doesn’t have on things that aren’t government’s job to pay for. His spending on populist vote-buying programs hasn’t changed despite his dwindling money supply.

So, add ports to this list of things that Chavez has nationalized – the oil industry, the banking industry, the milk industry, the rice industry and the electricity and phone industries. Um, what else is left to nationalize – oh, yeah the media.

Category: Politics