Echoes in Eternity

Hugo Chavez, the dictator of Venezuela and wannabe Communist extraordinaire (who kinda looks like Adam Sandler's retarded cousin), is beginning to show his true totalitarian colors. At the end of last year, he announced that he was shutting down the second largest TV station in Venezuela due to the anti-government slant in much of their broadcasts. Today, the station was shut down and thousands of citizens protested. So in reply, Chavez sent tanks and riot police to put down the protesters.


His political appeal in Venezuela - evidenced by his landslide electoral victories - stems partly from his ability to talk like he's one of the common folk, part of the underclass. And he has done a decent job of turning around their awful economy (50% inflation in 1997 to under 20% now). However, as usually is the case with dictators, he climbed to power primarily due to the extreme corruption and incompetence of previous administrations. And slowly, as he has gained more and more control over the government, his underlying beliefs and ambitions have come to light. He has suspended or rewritten parts of their constitution as benefited him, and he banned New Tribes Mission from the country in 2005 with the obviously bogus reasoning that they were American spies. Recently, he also mentioned that he is considering rewriting the constitution so that he can run again for president in 2012. So it appears that as Fidel Castro nears the unenviable meeting with his Maker, Chavez will be the next to carry the Communist mantle in Latin America.