The expulsion of the U.S. ambassadors from Bolivia and Venezuela sadly reflects the increasing spiral of radicalism, paranoia and bad behavior that are the hallmarks of Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and his closest ally, Evo Morales. It is a rejection of models of civility and diplomatic cooperation and hemispheric solidarity once fostered by the statesmen of the Americas. A hunger for power, authority, and endless praise have become the hallmarks of these radical populist leaders. We agree with the Department of State statement of today that the expulsion of the ambassadors, …
Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez faces an election on November 23, and he’s wasting no time in further undermining civil society and consolidating his power. Jaime Daremblum of the Hudson Institute reports: On July 22, the Venezuelan president arrived in Moscow to finalize a number of bilateral energy and military agreements, including several arms deals that (according to a Russian newspaper) are reportedly worth around $2 billion. (His previous weapons acquisitions from Russia total some $4.5 billion.) On July 31, he announced plans to nationalize the Spanish-owned Bank of Venezuela, his …
More than 75% of the world’s oil reserves are controlled by national oil companies. Of the world’s top 20 oil-producing firms, 14 are state-run. Those areas where private companies have been able to drill have recently been shrinking, and remaining private companies are facing hostile governments that may try to nationalize them. Meanwhile, Congress, pandering to the least economically sound sentiments of the American public, recently tried to pass a bill to curb oil market speculation. This, lawmakers argued, was the way to get prices down. Speculation is just trading …
As we wrote about in today’s Morning Bell, Venezuela’s leftist leader Hugo Chavez poses an increasing threat to America. Heritage’s Ray Walser, a senior policy analyst for Latin America, explains in this new Heritage in Focus video. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsOA2GYRB-M[/youtube]
Venezuela’s leftist leader Hugo Chavez isn’t set to arrive until tomorrow to meet with Russian Prime Minister Vladimr Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev, but two Russian media outlets are already claiming that Chavez will buy $1 billion to $2 billion worth of subs, helicopters and airplanes while in Moscow. Since 2003, Chavez has bought more than $4.4 billion in arms from Russia. Last year Russia announced plans to build two Kalashinkov assault rifle factories in Venezuela. Unfortunately, arms sales are just a small part of the Russian-Venezuelan axis that is …
What is there in May air that brings out the combativeness in Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez? In less than two weeks, Venezuela’s strident, socialist leader has finished nationalizing his nation’s steel industry, given the green light for new purchases of Chinese and Russian-made arms, and denounced German Chancellor Angela Merkel as an heir of Hitler after she criticized Chávez’s oil-driven “socialism of the 21st century.” Furthermore, Chávez accused Colombia of plotting to start a war with Venezuela in order to draw the U.S. into intervening in his country. Last week Interpol’s …
