Dominica, Venezuela: The Motherland?

Following Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's visit to the island, Dominica Weekly says: “Many Dominicans have focused narrowly on the lavish developmental aid of Chavez than focusing on the fundamental issue at hand: do we support Chavez’s ideology and his vision of the motherhood of Latin American and the Caribbean.”

2 comments

  • Bob taylor

    The only venezuelans who vote for chavez are the criminals and the uneducated who dont know that chavez is a power mad communist dictator who cares nothing for venezuela,as you will watch venezuela slide into obscurity. No one is investing in venezuela any more and others are pulling out. The quicker chavez goes the better for venezuela !!!

  • Sam Timpano

    While one has to respect the emotions expressed here, one also has to pay close attention to realities, especially as it applies to Venezuela and Chavez in particular.

    Chavez is a master manipulator and learned even more of that particular trade at the knee of Fidel Castro.

    Neither of these men are mad or deranged and just as America and most of the rest of the world underestimated Castro from the 50´s until now, much of this same underestimation of Chavez is now the single biggest threat in the Latin American region.

    Another fact is most have also over estimated the Venezuelan population´s ability to rid themselves of this slippery snake.

    He has managed to usurp whatever portions of a true democratic constitution that Venezuela had and now can claim to be in full compliance under the constitution that he has managed to usurp and re-write.

    Looking just at how he managed to manipulate that would lead one to understand that he is not mad, rather, he is very crafty and intelligent.

    He does not have to rule as a military dictator (although he most certainly is) since the constitution makes him a democratically elected President (caudillo is a much better description) of the people.

    So, it is not to be expected to see him “go” any time soon.

    He has the political mechanisms of the country well in control to enable basically a lifetime rule over the Nation and his hand firmly on the trigger of the military should he find any real challenge to his remaining in the chair and on the airwaves that he cherishes.

    To make matters worse, there is a large segment of the population who identify with him and who have felt benefits from his rule. Not to any great extent that you and I might think justify his domination over the country but, to those who were convinced that they had no hope, no real voice and were at a level of poverty where even $100 was a step up for them, he is their champion and he enforces that each and every day.

    It would be good for everyone in the region to watch his actions very closely and most of all, nations within his orbit who have begun to be drawn in by this gravity of his.

    He is dangerous and is not a sun for people to orbit around, rather the gravitational force he exerts is like that of a black hole, where once in it´s pull it is difficult to escape and at some point that pull becomes destructive of everything so much so that even light cannot escape.

    That is what is happening to Bolivia as he drew Morales into his orbit. That country is now on a path to the same darkness as Venezuelas´democracy.

    He is exporting not only his destructive political ideals via the petrodollars he has but, he is ramping up his military establishment and has the potential to become a very serious threat to any of the neighbors in the Region.

    He has made pacts with rogue nations and their leaders like North Korea, Iran and has made major purchases of newer technology weapons from Russia and China.

    He is crafty enough to see the value of putting centrifuges to work and at some point, in my estimation, I could envision his starting along that path.

    Why not? Especially after he has been able to watch the ineptitude of most of the world to deal with and curtail North Korea and Iran.

    He has made a 90 year pact with China wherein he has a put and they have a call on any crude oil that he wants to make available to them or that he finds he can longer send to the United States and no one should make the mistake of not understanding the reasons for that nor the smart move that was as part of a future plan that would cause him to count out revenues from crude shipments to the US.

    For these and many other reasons I advise all to not treat him as a mad-man.

    He should be viewed for what he is and exposed along every path where he can be seen to be exporting and implementing his plans for dominance in the Region.

    I met him personally four times and when he tells you how he sees himself as a reincarnation of Simon Bolivar with a destiny to lead Latin America into a new age, after you geet over the cold chills and the hairs on your neck standing up, you really do come to the conclusion that he believes it fully in his heart and that while your first instinct is to say he is a mad man, you get quickly to the conclusion that he is a zealot with a mission and a plan.

    A mission and a plan that should be stopped.

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