Hugo Chavez: Poster Man for Castro
Continuing the Ideology and Instability of Southern Hemisphere
Hugo Chavez's actions in taking over properties, businesses, and oil companies in Venezuela show his agenda to undermine democracy, security, and freedom in this region
Hugo Chavez has managed to manipulate the free press as well as Americans who are too busy trying to make ends meet realizes how he could become another Castro in the Southern Hemisphere. Ever since President Bush ignored Venezuela back in 2002 as well as was thought to be involved in a failed coup against Chavez, U.S. relations with Chavez and Venezuela have dwindled. Chavez calls what he is doing in Venezuela “laying the foundations of a new republic.” However, his actions demonstrate that his political ideology is communism.
Chavez has been shrewd in gaining public support for his regime by selling heating oil at discount prices to low income Americans in many northeastern states. Having some of the largest oil reserves in the southern hemisphere, Chavez is able to manipulate favorable public opinion on his government. He also offered to send oil to Louisiana and Mississippi in 2005 post Hurricane Katrina to gain favorable public and world support. However, many of the elite and wealthy in Venezuela have lost their businesses as well as the ability to take out their money by order of the Chavez government. This is very similar to what happened in Cuba in 1959. The wealthy business owners were forced by Castro to not only stay in Cuba in order to keep the appearance and façade of a stable government , but also to steal the wealth of the successful business leaders and bankers in Cuba. So, obviously Chavez does not have a good agenda in mind.
Chavez close ties with Fidel Castro coupled with his taking over Venezuela by having improper elections are providing increasing problems for the U.S. government. By having his own agenda similar to Castro of taking over a country, Chavez has also allied himself with Iran. Iran which has increasingly communicated their intention of having nuclear arms and using them has provided an increased risk for the entire world especially the U.S. government. In essence, Chavez has undermined the stability of this hemisphere since 2002. This instability is increasing to a proportion that has many leaders calling Chavez a threat to the entire region.
Chavez has also taken over the petroleum ownership of many companies in Venezuela in exchange for giving those foreign companies a small profit in exchange for these companies not to lose millions by being forced out by his military forces as Castro did with many U.S. companies who lost their investments when Castro took control of Cuba. In short, Chavez’s anti-American agenda is large as well as anti-democratic. Chavez could become the worst security risk to our democratic way of life since Castro achieved that status ninety miles away from U.S. shores back in 1959.
