| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, December 17 2001 |
| |
| Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez began to sing a song in the middle of a speech marking his third year in office: "No soy monedita de oro ... pa'caerle bien a todos." The literal translation into English doesn't do the song justice, but it roughly translates as: "I couldn't care less if you don't like me." It's not necessarily his cynical remarks and defiant attitude that have turned so many people against this self-proclaimed revolutionary. It's his explosive rhetoric and authoritarian-like decisions that are turning Venezuela into a time bomb. Just ticking away. Waiting to explode.
In the three years he has been in office, Chavez has replaced members of Congress and the Supreme Court with his supporters. He amended the constitution to allow him to stay in office at least until the year 2013. He even changed the name of the country to the "Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela." But it was the passage of 49 new laws imposed by presidential decree that alienated both business and union leaders and led to a nationwide strike that virtually paralyzed the oil-rich country - one of the main suppliers of oil to the United States - on Dec. 10.
Some of those laws, his critics say, threaten private enterprise. The most controversial one would allow the government to expropriate any land over 5,000 acres if the government deems it is not being used productively. Chavez's response to the strike was to have military planes fly low over the capital in a show of force. And in his traditionally explosive style, he lashed out at the strike's organizers, vowing never to negotiate with the so-called oligarchy, and proclaiming that his revolution was on a road of no return.
The former paratrooper was elected president by an overwhelming majority in 1998, six years after he led two failed coup attempts. His charismatic style won over those who were tired of living under a corrupt political system. He promised to end corruption and lift Venezuela out of poverty. Instead, he has antagonized just about every sector of the population. He called the Catholic Church "Satan" and vowed to exorcize the devil out of the priests who oppose him. He accused the press of conspiring against him and threatened to impose his own journalistic code of ethics. His Robin Hood strategies of taking from the rich and giving to the poor have only led to rising poverty and unemployment. The rich are fleeing the country in record numbers and are taking with them an average of $1 billion a month.
Chavez has unconditional access to the media. Besides his own radio and TV shows, appropriately called "Aló Presidente," he has been known to interrupt Venezuelan TV programming at a moment's notice. Sometimes he'll ramble on for hours about his foreign trips, telling jokes, singing songs and reminiscing about his childhood. He has even gone on national television through satellite links from China, Moscow, London and Rome. But what worries many, both inside and outside of his country, are the friends he keeps. Chavez has praised Muammar Qaddafi as a model of democracy. He has expressed admiration for Saddam Hussein and Chinese leader Jiang Zemin. He idolizes Fidel Castro, saying Cuba and Venezuela are "swimming together in the same sea of happiness." He criticized the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, comparing it to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Amid rumors of a possible military coup, Chavez reportedly gave top military leaders big raises to assure their support, a sign that he will stop at nothing to hold on to power. This man of the people has managed to create more enemies as each day goes by, and he acts more like a dictator than a savior of the working class. As Venezuela sinks deeper into economic despair, and social chaos, it's now more evident than ever that Hugo Chavez is a time bomb waiting to explode. |
