Hugo Chavez

[BradK]

Hi,

So, what do people think about Hugo Chavez? The Venzualean President who is VERY anti-Bush, VERY socialist, and is now forming a relationship with the Iranians to benefit each other economically.

And all this to squeeze out the Americans from Latin America.

He says he believes in 'fair trade' rather than 'free trade'.

Chavez has also given away oil to other Latin American companies in return for cows and software (Uraguay) and medical technology (Argentenia).

It seems to be working.

Also, there are claims that there attempts by the US to a) assassinate him, b) plan military strikes against him, c) generally make life difficult for him.

Yeah yeah, I know he sounds very Marxist and Lenninist, and I am CERTAINLY not going down that track. And on a shares forum of all places!!

Some stories:

http://ia300211.us.archive.org/1/items/bolivars_20060612/bolivars_20060612_256kb.mov

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2133889,00.html

Cheers
Brad

 

[Pommiegranite]

I think he's a wannabe Castro. However, I do have respect for him, from an outsider looking in, for standing upto OPEC. Not sure as to what the locals say think.

Maybe there's a Venuezlan forum out there somewhere where you might get an idea. Do you know Spanish?

 

[BradK]

No I dont know Spanish.

Reverend Pat Robertson called for a whack job on him in 2005, and in 2007 sorta back peddled an earlier apology.

I respect Chavez because he has a real alternative. Socialist or otherwise. But he says things that are, frankly, correct.

From 2005

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WlSYoJQziA

From 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4T7uCeh4Hs


Cheers
Brad

 

[Smurf1976]

I think he's a wannabe Castro. However, I do have respect for him, from an outsider looking in, for standing upto OPEC. Not sure as to what the locals say think.

I'm a little puzzled as to what you mean by standing up to OPEC? He's been pretty conformist IMO, certainly a lot more so than Venezuela was a few years ago as OPEC's most notorious quota buster.

IMO he's just about wrecked PDVSA (the state oil company) in an operational sense. They were miles ahead of the big oil majors not too long ago but not anymore.

I can follow most of his thinking though. Agree with some but not all.