Thread: Hugo Chavez: President for life?

Venezuelan students clash with police in constitution demonstration

Venezuelan students clashed with police Thursday during a demonstration demanding a two-month delay for a referendum on a new constitution that would expand the powers of President Hugo Chavez.

Police dispersed the crowd with tear gas and water cannons while the students pelted the officers with stones as thousands marched in Caracas to demand that the vote take place in February instead of December.

Police also stopped a group of students from chaining themselves to the railing of a stairwell in the headquarters of the National Electoral Council, which is charged with organizing the referendum.
The students had met with election officials before trying to chain themselves to the stairwell.

Before the meeting, Chavez supporters threw rocks and bottles at the students as they entered the building, said Vicent Diaz, an election official.

Another election official, German Yepez, said the council told the students that they did not have the authority to postpone the referendum.

The unicameral National Assembly, stacked with Chavez supporters, approved the constitutional reform in its third reading last week, paving the way for the referendum, which officials plan to hold on December 2. The students want the referendum to be delayed until February to provide more time for a nationwide debate on the constitution, which would abolish presidential term limits and increase the president's mandate to seven years from six.

Venezuelan students clash with police in constitution demo

April 3, 2007:

Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez is poised to launch a bid to transform the global politics of oil by seeking a deal with consumer countries which would lock in a price of $50 a barrel.

The new arrangements were not universally welcomed by the oil companies. Exxon Mobil and the Italian energy company Eni have refused to sign up to the new arrangements.

Chávez seeks to peg oil at $50 a barrel | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

Every now and then, you should turn around to see if you can recognize who is fucking you in the ass. It may not be the same person as yesterday, and it may not be who you think it is....

Originally Posted by Blueneck

April 3, 2007:
Chávez seeks to peg oil at $50 a barrel | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

Every now and then, you should turn around to see if you can recognize who is fucking you in the ass. It may not be the same person as yesterday, and it may not be who you think it is....

I'm sure that makes the people of Venezuela feel better as they see their liberties being eroded.

Originally Posted by conservative

I'm sure that makes the people of Venezuela feel better as they see their liberties being eroded.

HC's done well for them. Venezuela is out of debt for the first time in many years. If Hugo was the President of Mexico, we wouldn't have illegal immigrants because the poor wouldn't be that desperate. What do we care if they are a Socialist government or a dictatorship or whatever? Oil at 50 dollars a barrel??? We should have taken them up on it!

Originally Posted by Blueneck

HC's done well for them. Venezuela is out of debt for the first time in many years. If Hugo was the President of Mexico, we wouldn't have illegal immigrants because the poor wouldn't be that desperate. What do we care if they are a Socialist government or a dictatorship or whatever? Oil at 50 dollars a barrel??? We should have taken them up on it!

Why should Germans have cared that Hitler was mass-murdering Jews? They had jobs...the economy was good?

Originally Posted by conservative

I'm sure that makes the people of Venezuela feel better as they see their liberties being eroded.

They are increasing the term from 6 to 7 years - BFD.

No term limits - BFD - one still has to win an election

Giving more power to the president - BFD - its happening here and cons are cheering it.

Chavez is lunatic and he is consolidating power. the ABC's of a tyrant. Most likely his administration will implode from its own stupidity.

As for comparisons to hitler, I see no universal scapegoat as Hitler had. No threats to his neighbors. Not one attack on a neighboring countries. Unlike Hitler, Chavez's military is the the strongest in the world; not strongest in the hemisphere; not even the strongest on the continent.

Chavez is a little man who desperately wants to be a major player on the worldstage. Don't be a fool and give him a megaphone.

Venezuela Congress OKs ending Chavez term limits

Fri Nov 2, 2007 4:35pm EDT

CARACAS (Reuters) - Congress passed President Hugo Chavez's proposal to scrap presidential term limits on Friday in a package of constitutional changes that Venezuelans are likely to approve in a December referendum.

Polls show many Venezuelans reject the moves to centralize presidential power, but welcome sweeteners the socialist leader has included, such as reducing the work day to six hours and giving social security to unregistered taxi drivers.

The opposition, the Roman Catholic Church, university students and rights groups have denounced the scores of changes to the constitution as an authoritarian power grab and protests against the proposal have turned violent.

Venezuela Congress OKs ending Chavez term limits | Reuters

Con:

The man will continue to re-elect because he is giving the ignorant masses what they want. He is eliminating opposition voices. This is a very similar to the path that Hitler took. As I said his situation isn't totally similar to Hitler's, but it will be interesting to watch. Many people went along for the ride with Hitler, many ignored the warning signs, many did not want to see his regime for what it was...till it was too late.

Saudi Arabia is a monarchy that doesn't even allow women to show their faces in public. It is also where most of the 9/11 hijackers were from. But their ruler (appointed for life - not until the next election) likes Bush:



You could care less how the people are treated if the government is pro-business and pro-U.S. You're rooting for $100 a barrel oil prices. Why do you hate America?

Originally Posted by conservative

Venezuela Congress OKs ending Chavez term limits

Fri Nov 2, 2007 4:35pm EDT

CARACAS (Reuters) - Congress passed President Hugo Chavez's proposal to scrap presidential term limits on Friday in a package of constitutional changes that Venezuelans are likely to approve in a December referendum.

Polls show many Venezuelans reject the moves to centralize presidential power, but welcome sweeteners the socialist leader has included, such as reducing the work day to six hours and giving social security to unregistered taxi drivers.

The opposition, the Roman Catholic Church, university students and rights groups have denounced the scores of changes to the constitution as an authoritarian power grab and protests against the proposal have turned violent.

Venezuela Congress OKs ending Chavez term limits | Reuters

Con:

The man will continue to re-elect because he is giving the ignorant masses what they want. He is eliminating opposition voices. This is a very similar to the path that Hitler took. As I said his situation isn't totally similar to Hitler's, but it will be interesting to watch. Many people went along for the ride with Hitler, many ignored the warning signs, many did not want to see his regime for what it was...till it was too late.

Are you on drugs? The situation is not even close to hitler. Not remotely.

Scapegoats, power of the army, etc........ there is almost NO comparison. Please don't be a naive fool and make this little man out to be more then he is. You are exactly the type of sucker he wants to help propel him to a major world figure.

btw - The closest present day comparison i see to nazi germany is the conservative/republicans use of similar propaganda tactics (see Goebbels quote below) and Putin's consolidation of power. of course, we don't hear jack sh-t about someone with thousands of nukes. Instead we hear we are supposed to fear threats from religious wackos with box cutters.

Should not Venuzuela be allowed to tend to their business without our meddling? Or do we continue to support Teddy Roosevelt's morphed interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, mount up the calvary and take care of business? Just what is it you think our role is in their chosen form of government? While there are no bananas to protect, there is oil in them thar hills.