Sticky Notes

Venezuelan consumers are increasingly facing periodic shortages of basic food products as the economy shows signs of overheating amid record revenues from an oil boom.

The shortages have increased skepticism of Chavez's economic policies and provided a political backdrop to campaigning this month for a referendum on a new constitution that he says is needed to make Venezuela a socialist state.  Businesses say price controls on staple foods are so low they discourage investment and force stores to sell at a loss. The government says the problem is caused by growing demand by poor citizens who benefit from social programs, exaggerated media hype and food hoarding by unscrupulous businesses. 

Warning. Warning. 

    "President Hugo Chavez threatened Wednesday to nationalize any privately owned supermarkets and food storage facilities caught hoarding inventories or violating price controls imposed on basic goods.

Accusing private companies of hoarding foods such as beef, Chavez warned supermarket owners and distributors that he would nationalize their facilities as soon as they gave him "an excuse" to seize such assets." (Reuters photo)    What a surprise!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Michael Ramirez 

And that's not all,  folks! He says  President Bush is planning his assasination. AND, that a sniper was waiting for him with a long range rifle.

 Alrighty then. 

A target in his own mind, it seems.

""The devil appears very sulphurous, and a few people say that he has given the order to kill me," Chavez said during a speech before scientists in western Venezuela."

More at Are We Lumberjacks? 

 

   I was curious about what's being said in Venezuela, now that Chavez did his Wednesday Live Skit. (Ha! Today on FOX, Schumer - believe it or not -  said Chavez is like a guy who drops his drawers in Times Square - lots of attention but you gotta' ignore him.) 

Anyway, I found a notable website - VCRISIS by Aleksander Boyd Arregui. And here's his blog as well.

  It's worth checking out. Lead article today: Venezuela's people are sick of Chavez

• "Whilst Hugo Chavez makes an ass of himself at the UN, his constituents back home, i.e. those who will decide whether he gets to enjoy that UN seat or not, aren't so enthusiastic about the idea, much less on the spending spree that has led to it.
  
•  More on the site: His election will be decided on local issues and the more I go around the greater the conviction that Chavez is in for a surprise. As Antonio said "este pueblo se canso de los abusos y la irresponsabilidad de Chavez." (In this town I get tired of the abuses and the irresponsibility of Chavez.)
• Mr. Hugo Chávez stated yesterday that he did not “recognize” Felipe Calderón as the legitimate president-elect of Mexico.  Well, there is no problem here. Because the only people whose business it is to recognize or not recognize the president-elect are the Mexicans themselves. And Mr. Hugo Chávez is not Mexican.

There's more and a lot that's worth reading.

 

   Hugo storms  out of  US leaving sulfuric debris. He's outta' here.

 

   Oh my....

•  " The Devil was here. The room still smells of sulpher."  He's speaking of President Bush.
• People were smiling - have no idea if laughing with him or at him...
• "fascist, genocidal, imperialist, shooing from the hip....."
• People of the world would tell Bush, if they had the chance...
• The UN system is worthless, good once a year to gather, but we have no power now
• Venezuela proposes to reestablish the UN
• expansion of permanent and non-permanent members
• methods to resolve world conflicts
• suppression of anti-democratic notionn of the veto
• immoral veto of US allowed Israel to destroy Lebanon
• strengthen role of Secr. General
• They are the extremists - we have support
• (He's now pitching for his seat on the Security Council - listing all the countries)
• I thank you on behalf of the truth
• need to define the future of the world, new and better world
• the US has already planned and financed a coup in Venezuela
• CIA killers and terrorists - assasinations
• biggest terrorist of this continent spent only a few years in prison and escaped with help of the CIA
• we have given these terrorists protection in the US
• I accuse the US of protecting the terrorists
• The Summit of the non-aligned - I have the resolutions... we have launched this group. Lend momentum to this group. Castro is presiding over the group. Please read this document.
  
• New era coming - world of peace with a renewed location.
• Maybe a new UN location in Venezuela
• Closed with the smell of the Devil
• lots of applause
  

 

"The U.S. government ordered Venezuela to close its military purchasing office in Miami after suspending arms sales to the South American country, American officials said Thursday." The AP/Yahoo article goes on to state that we have suspended future arms deals because of  Chavez's failure to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts.

So... if they don't get to purchase more arms, they don't need an office here. One more little tidbit as we keep an eye on Chavez. 

 

PHOTO: REUTERS/Jorge Silva (VENEZUELA) BEFORE I REUTERED IT