[Cincinatus' Wife]

Venezuela Heads From Bad to Worse*** CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez's government is driving Venezuela toward economic crisis by year's end, economists and Wall Street analysts warn. "In the next six months, there will be a traumatic crisis," says Francisco Rodriguez, head of the oil-rich nation's congressional budget office. Venezuela, says the Harvard-trained economist, is suffering from a variety of ills: inflation, unemployment, growing poverty, a looming budget deficit, capital flight, high interest rates, a weakening currency and, on top of it all, a shrinking economy.

But the biggest problem, Mr. Rodriguez suggests, may lie with the leftist president himself. "A lot of investors are worried about Chavez," he says. "There are deep worries about the security of property rights in Venezuela and that things will get politically more difficult. The specter of political instability has hovered over the Venezuelan economy since January, beginning with a series of mass demonstrations, strikes and, finally, an unsuccessful military coup that ousted Mr. Chavez for 48 hours, before he was brought back by loyal troops. Since then, the country has been in a fiscal swoon, despite rising prices for oil, which accounts for 80% of exports and generates about half of government revenues.***

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

[Joe Boucher]

Dump Chavez, only this time shoot the socialist thug through what little brain he has and keep him from returning.

[Caipirabob]

Good luck Venezuela. This time make sure that they can't come back!

[piasa]

Vice President José Vicente Rangel, meanwhile, has denied rumors that 1,500 Cuban troops had landed recently at an airport near Caracas to help defend Chávez, a close ally of President Fidel Castro.

[livius]

Something's definitely got to give down there. Chavez appears to have nine lives, unfortunately. He just keeps popping up again, partly because Venezuelans are still civilized enough not to want to appear like blood thirsty members of a banana republic by killing him right off the bat. I think he's rapidly wearing away that civilization, though.

If he actually gets driven out of Venezuela alive, I look for him to pop up in Cuba as Castro's annointed heir.

[hchutch]

Please, please, please toss Mr. Chavez's butt out in a coup, Venezuela. Please...

[zerotule]

Attention Venezuelans, when your president calls upon his terrorist friend in Cuba to have some of his troops to help in your country, I think it is a clue that he thinks even his own troops may have ill feelings towards him. Should you take your country back before it is to late, you must get your selves involved in your own countries future. Chavez seems a wicked man but only a man and can be taken out of the position he claims is his, even when you suffer his suffering is none. I see he has done nothing to ease your poor and with your billions of dollars in oil, he does what? buys weapons, and gives donations to other countries and supports terrorists. Please take your country back and do good with the world.