The New York Times has quite an interesting article up about the latest crisis caused by Venezuela President Hugo Chavez. The Times argues that Chavez considers the democratically elected government of Colombia to be, basically, a proxy of the United States. Chavez even went so far as to call Colombia the “Israel of Latin America” recently. (more…)

My, my. It seems that the Savior of South America - Hugo Chavez - is in bed with terrorists. According to a CNN report Chavez “recently gave the FARC $300 million.” As if that’s not enough, “evidence in three seized computers also suggests FARC had given Chavez 100 million pesos when he was a jailed rebel leader.” (more…)

Earlier today, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered thousands of troops to the country’s border with Colombia. The reason? Colombia’s military killed “a top rebel leader.” The rebels in this case are, of course, the FARC; an incredibly ruthless organization. Aside from that, he also “ordered the Venezuelan Embassy in Colombia closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.” (more…)

Joe Gandelman links to this story in the Miami Herald which states that “Venezuelan Jews, long uneasy with the Chávez government’s alliances with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries that espouse anti-Israel views, are concerned that the government is sponsoring anti-Semitism in this hemisphere,” according to a “prominent journalist.”

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Captain Ed passes on the report that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’ magnanimity in defeat may have been a sham to cover up his unsuccessful attempt to steal the referendum.

Chavez’ acquiescence to electoral defeat came as a surprise to many observers in light of his clear attempts in advance of the referendum to intimidate and bully dissenters and thus lay the groundwork for not only stealing the election, but also for a follow-on crackdown. Nonetheless, not even calling dissenters “traitors” was enough to silence Chavez’ cheering section, many of whom cited his acceptance of defeat as proof of Chavez’ democratic bona fides and the superiority of his regime to that horrible dictatorship found in the United States. (more…)

Ed Morrissey says probably, yeah.

The New York Times reports that “President Hugo Chávez’s political movement, once considered largely above internal criticism here, is being consumed by recrimination and soul-searching after his proposal to transform Venezuela into a socialist state was rejected by voters over the weekend.”

Chavez himself already said that he’s “not finished” with his revolution and that he will “reintroduce proposed constitutional changes to augment his powers.” (more…)

Challenging accusations that he is a dictator-in-waiting and implicitly abandoning his earlier characterization of dissenters as “traitors”, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accepted defeat in a referendum that would have granted him president-for-life status and allowed him to revoke basic freedoms.

Other less prominent features in the referendum would have targeted Venezuela’s economy and local political institutions for massive change and increased personal control by Chavez:

The defeated reform package would have created new types of communal property, let Chavez handpick local leaders under a redrawn political map and suspended civil liberties during extended states of emergency. (more…)

Those looking for election fraud might finally have the real thing. (more…)

Having previously declared that all who oppose him are “traitors”, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced that if there are any accusations of fraud after the upcoming referendum on granting Chavez an unlimited grip on power, he will retaliate by cutting of oil supplies to the United States. (more…)

CNN reports that Venezuelan wannabe dictator Hugo Chavez “told a crowd gathered in the center of Caracas that if the referendum was approved and the result was questioned — ‘if the ‘yes’ vote wins on Sunday and the Venezuelan oligarchy, playing the [U.S.] empire’s game, comes with their little stories of fraud’ — then he would order oil shipments to the United States halted Monday.” (more…)