To Cháv or Cháv Not Castro redux

NRO ^ | 12-08-2004 | Stephen Johnson

[RepCath]

Condoleezza Rice will inherit some intractable problems when she succeeds Colin Powell as secretary of State — and not all of them concern Asia or the Middle East. Take, for instance, Venezuela, where President Hugo Chávez is laboring mightly to mute American influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Padding electoral rolls and intimidating opponents helped Chávez win an August 15 referendum on his rule. Nevertheless, Powell suggested that the U.S. and Venezuela’s volatile president could “find ways to cooperate,” as he told reporters on a trip to Brazil earlier this fall.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

This should be interesting.

***...If Chávez manages to extend his reach beyond Venezuela’s borders, the exodus could become a flood. Economies once poised to deliver prosperity could become basket cases, and U.S. exports to the region might fall as oil prices climb. Fortunately, few Latin leaders seem inclined to follow Chávez.

Although Secretary Powell avoided fights with Venezuela’s polemical president, his successor won’t have an easy time cooperating. For one thing, President Chávez once called Condoleezza Rice “illiterate.” For another, she could have her hands full encouraging Venezuelan democrats to keep faith, urging international human-rights monitors to protect civil liberties, and diverting Chávez’s thoughts from destabilizing neighboring countries — all the while avoiding direct confrontation.

- Like Captain Ahab in Moby Dick, Hugo Chávez wants to conquer something big. In fact, his target is U.S. influence in the Americas. It’s up to Condoleezza Rice to ensure he doesn’t succeed. ...***