| Internationally, Chavez has made much publicized | | | | most oil rich nation in South America. Get Chavez |
| alliances with other pariah states such as Iran, Syria, | | | | angry, and he could seize your Venezuelan assets, |
| North Korea and Libya, and more importantly, with | | | | stop importing your goods, or cut off your oil supply. |
| Russia. He's maintained an extremely close relationship | | | | He's already demonstrated how far he can go with |
| with Cuba, installing thousands of Fidel Castro's people | | | | Colombia, totally dismantling bilateral trade in the |
| in his own government, and maintained narrow ties | | | | shortest time span, seizing assets, and even convincing |
| with Manuel Ortega, Nicaragua's own leftist ruler. | | | | Ecuador to do the same for a while. |
| Chavez has exported his leftist Bolivarian Revolution to | | | | The US imports about 15 percent of its petroleum |
| Bolivia, where president Evo Morales seems to echo | | | | requirements from Venezuela,, an amount that could |
| his every word. Honduras' former president, Manuel | | | | not easily be replaced. If Washington put Venezuela on |
| Zelaya, was in the process of implementing Chavista | | | | its list of terrorist sponsoring states, as proposed by a |
| reforms, when he was ousted last year. Ecuador, | | | | bill now before congress, all trade with that country |
| formerly Chavez' strongest ally, has suddenly turned its | | | | would become illegal. That's not likely to happen., even |
| back on him. Despite these reversals, it's clear that | | | | though Venezuela deserves more than any other |
| Chavez doesn't intend to keep his ambitions to his own | | | | state to be put on that list. Another country that has |
| yard, and no doubt will continue to seek to expand his | | | | strong reasons to cut off ties and condemn |
| sphere of influence on a worldwide scale. | | | | Venezuela is Spain, especially after it was verified that |
| Much of his efforts seem aimed at irritating the United | | | | Chavez had aided and abetted the ETA, the |
| States, the "imperialists" whom he continuously | | | | separatist Basque rebel group. If Spain's response has |
| lambastes publicly. At the same time, he's engaged in a | | | | been rather timid, even apologetic at times, it can be |
| rapid build-up of his military, triggering a regional arms | | | | attributed to its dependence on Venezuelan oil as well |
| race. Additionally, he's relentlessly harassed and | | | | as fear for its large investments in that country. Some |
| threatened neighboring Colombia, a strong US ally, | | | | countries have benefited from Chavez' largesse, |
| covertly supporting armed rebel groups there. This is | | | | receiving oil contracts at well below market cost, |
| only a superficial sketch of a dictator dedicated to | | | | monetary aid or cheap financing amounting to several |
| generating controversy, and whose mad rhetoric | | | | billion dollars just in Latin America and the Caribbean. |
| should be a source of great alarm. Mysteriously, the | | | | Such gifts buy love! |
| world's leaders have mostly remained silent, refusing to | | | | Chavez' immunity is rooted in the availability of |
| criticize his affronts Latin America has been the most | | | | petrodollars and the world's dependency on oil. World |
| docile, Argentina offering vocal support, while Chile and | | | | leaders aren't seeing beyond their economic interests |
| Brazil have occasionally sided with Venezuela in | | | | and in so doing are allowing Chavez to buy time and |
| international disputes. Why is nobody calling the teapot | | | | thus increase his power base. If all the warning signs |
| black? | | | | continue to be ignored, these same politicians may find |
| It's easy to criticize and isolate a despot such as | | | | their reputations sullied by what will ensue, which could |
| Robert Mugabe, since Zimbabwe is an impoverished | | | | either be an ugly regional armed conflict or something |
| country with little direct foreign investment. There's | | | | akin to a new cold war. But then again, history does |
| much more to lose if you aggravate the leader of the | | | | tend to repeat itself, doesn't it? |