Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Damn It Feels Good

Is it just me, or is Hugo Chavez reveling in acting the thug?
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday he had ordered the nationalization of at least some of the operations of the U.S.-based food giant Cargill and threatened to do the same with the Caracas-based food maker Polar.
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez accused Cargill of growing specialized rice to evade price controls.

"Begin the expropriation process with Cargill," he said in a nationally televised speech in which he accused the company of growing specialized forms of rice in an attempt to evade price controls.

The leftist president called the company's practices "a flagrant violation of everything that we have been doing."

"Everything that we have been doing", of course, is taken from the text of Article 2, Sec. 127 of the Venezuelan national code, which states that anyone who violates what the government does is subject to asset forfeiture (with additional penalties if the violation is "flagrant").

Meanwhile, regarding another potential nationalization target (Polar), Chavez had this to say:
About Polar, which is led by Lorenzo Mendoza, Chavez said, "We can expropriate all the plants of Polar. Mr. Mendoza, be alert. Because then you will go out and order your pricey lawyers and I don't know what to say that this is a violation of the constitution. Well, fine. If you want to fight with the government, brother, there you go. It's not with the government, it's with the law!"

And it's the law because "Hulk" Chavez say so. Brother.


Bob said...

Perhaps if you knew your history you would know what Chavez is doing is taking back what has been stolen not only from Venezuela but Latin America in general. Educate yourselves! Research Cargill, neo liberal economics, structural adjustment polices, School of the Americas and the IMF, after that you will quickly see the people actin a "thug" is companies like Cargill and Del Monte. Don't believe me? Just google people like Pinochett and Somoza, those are real dictators, butchering their own people and they were both installed using US military assets and tax payer money, all to funnel income into off shore corporations such as Cargill.

chingona said...

I do know my history, particularly my Latin American history. I consider myself a leftist. I've been supportive of many nationalization efforts and think appropriation of private property is acceptable and even correct and just in some situations.

And I still think Chavez is a thug and a petty autocrat.