Politically Incorrect

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez seems to be acting in a very antagonistic way in recent months not only to the United States but to his Latin American neighbors as well.  It seems obvious that Chavez is attempting to create Venezuela and himself into something Castro and Cuba never could be – an economic as well as ideological menace to the United States.  With oil at record prices, Chavez seems to think Venezuela’s chance to dominate the region is at hand.

He recently, in the fashion of Julius Caesar or Napoleon Bonaparte, sought to change the state’s constitution so that he could be reelected indefinitely, basically becoming a president for life.  He even boasted to supporters that he “will be the head of the government until 2050,” again trying to become a Castro-like figure and rule for life.  Concerned about U.S. interference to the point of paranoia, he claimed that if the American government attempted to support his opponents, he would cut off all oil exports to the United States.  Becoming further antagonistic, he stated that “Anyone who votes ‘No’ [on the referendum] is voting for George W. Bush.”

His personal hatred towards the American president (also exemplified in his “Devil” comments at the UN General Assembly) has caused him to almost become a pariah in the respected international community.  Most nations’ leaders, however they feel about President Bush, do not talk about him with rhetoric that is often saved for wartime enemies.   However, with the narrow, 2% defeat of his referendum, he has not cut off oil exports and seems to be willing to let his term end in 2012.

Closer to his home, Chavez recently severed most diplomatic ties (though not relations – yet) with Colombia, which shares a 1300 mile border with Venezuela.  This was in response to the Colombian President Uribe removing Chavz from his role as a mediator between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels.  The cause – Chavez violated peace talks by meeting directly with the head of the Colombian Army and, according to Uribe, fostering an “expansionist project.”  Chavez responded to this by not only recalling his ambassador but also by calling Uribe a liar and refusing to deal with him or his government.

It thus becomes increasingly evident that Chavez believes he has more clout than he actually has and he believes he can thumb his nose at world leaders he is angry towards.  It also appears as though Chavez, whose government may be clandestinely supporting the training of terrorist groups in South America or supplying of FARC rebels, may be trying to instigate a crisis in Colombia to expand Venezuela’s power (a la a the Sudetenland seizure).  Whatever the case may be, Chavez has become a petty dictator attempting to drastically increase Venezuela’s power at the expense of his neighbors and, especially, the US.  While the recent vote was a setback for him, never underestimate the ability of a tyrant to break promises and reassert his authority, especially on top of a barrel of oil.