I know this is probably not the popular conservative opinion, but I've done a ton of research on Chavez. Is he a dictator? Probably, but the only reason we have a problem with him is that he has taken the natural resourse wealth of his country, and after decades of prior leaders not caring if it benefited the people of Venezuala so long as it benefited them, he has taken a stand and said you know there is a lot of money here. There is enough for you, and enough for US, and not just US in the government, but the US as in the blacks and indians in the barrio's as well. What really pissed them off was that he started requiring a good portion of the loans to start going to small business and small farmers, which has resulted in a lot of people being lifted out of poverty. Has he practiced a style of socialism? Yes for sure, but it's much closer to a Nordic style socialism then it is to the communist/facist socialism he is often accused of championing. Brandon
Has he practiced a style of socialism? Yes for sure, but it's much closer to a Nordic style socialism...... And that's why it works so well for them.
Chavez is not a bad guy. People like Bush and his backers are just pissed Chavez wont let them control Venezuela's oil and other resources The US has Exxon,Shell,Chevron etc and 2.00 a gallon gas The Venezuela government controls their oil and the Venezuela people pay 12 cents a gallon for gas http://www.spanishdict.com/blog/2008/07/01/012-per-gallon-of-gas-in-venezuela/ $0.12 per Gallon of Gas in Venezuela! Tue, Jul 1, 2008 Muy Caliente American gas prices have never been so high and I, along with many other Americans, are stuck driving in a SUV with a twenty-some gallon tank that only takes premium gasoline. Yesterday, I spent $4.29 per gallon. Letâs do the math: $4.29 a gallon multiplied by a twenty-three gallon tank equals $98.67 per tank of gas. I drive around 275 miles a week for work so I have to refuel weekly: multiply $98.67 by four and I get a sum too large to fathom. Sadly, I am more of an average case rather than a special exception. Americans make up less than five percent of the worldâs population but own over one third of the automobiles. Thus, I have decided to move to Caracas, Venezuela-the worldâs fifth largest oil exporter-where gas is a mere $0.12 a gallon. Why So Low, Venezuela? Think about paying only $.13 per gallon of gas! Unthinkable to Americans but a reality to the very few Venezuelans who own cars (around 53% of Venezuelans are poverty-stricken). But this cheap gas comes with a different kind of price. Latin American countries have been privatizing their petroleum industry since the early 1900âsâthis is why the prices are so low. Through privatization, these countries hoped to attract much-needed investment capital, increase GDP and introduce free market economic reforms but much of the reforms have failed to live up to their promises. Many other Latin American countries that have a natural abundance of oil as well, including Ecuador and Bolivia. Together, these countries are affectionately referred to as âPetrocracies:â oil-rich countries inhabited by poor citizens. Country Price per gallon USD Spain $8.10 Peru $6.09 Uruguay $6.06 Chile $4.81 Columbia $4.05 Honduras $4.05 Brazil $3.12 Cuba $3.03 Nicaragua $2.61 Argentina $2.40 Mexico $2.35 Panama $2.19 Puerto Rico $1.74 Venezuela $0.12