Venezuela will Iran 20.000 Barrel Benzin pro Tag liefern
DIE PRESSE: Trotz reicher Erdölvorkommen mangelt es dem Iran an Raffinerien. Ab Oktober will Venezuela mit Benzin aushelfen. Damit könnte das Ajatollah-Regime drohende Sanktionen wegen seines Atomprogramms umgehen.

Venezuela will dem Iran künftig 20.000 Barrel Benzin täglich liefern. Das kündigte der venezolanische Staatschef Hugo Chavez am Sonntag bei einem Besuch im Iran an. Die Lieferungen im Wert von insgesamt 800 Millionen Dollar (560 Millionen Euro) würden im Oktober beginnen, sagte Chavez in der Stadt Mashhad im Nordosten des Landes lokalen Medien zufolge. Die Erlöse werde Venezuela nutzen, um im Gegenzug vom Iran Ausrüstung und Technologie zu kaufen. Über welche Dauer die Lieferungen erfolgen sollten, sagte Chavez nicht. Zu wenige Raffinerien im Iran >>> Ag. | Montag, 07. September 2009

Protests Fail to Halt Passage of Chavez's [sic] 'Socialist Indoctrination Law'
Scuffles broke out outside the National Assembly. Photo: TimesOnline
TIMES ONLINE: Police in riot gear used tear gas yesterday against Venezuelan demonstrators angry about a law that they believe could lead to the "socialist indoctrination" of the nation's schools.

Officers fired tear gas into crowds who were protesting in Caracas against President Chávez's plans to broaden state control over the education system.

Scuffles broke out as clouds of caustic, white gas wafted through the air outside the predominantly pro-Chávez National Assembly.

Inside, legislators began debating a Bill which would order schools to base the curriculum on "the Bolivarian Doctrine" - a reference to the ideals of the 19th-century independence hero Simon Bolivar.

After a marathon ten-hour session, the assembly — where Mr Chávez's party commands a majority — approved the Bill in the early hours of today.

But close to a dozen members sided with the opposition and walked out of the assembly in protest against the ruling party’s refusal to compromise on the Bill’s most contentious articles. >>> | Friday, August 14, 2009

Wrap Antilles, Tie with Bow and 
Give It to Chavez, Says Wilders
THE DAILY HERALD: THE HAGUE--Faction leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom PVV Geert Wilders has advised Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to gift-wrap and sell off the Netherlands Antilles to Venezuela.

“Just dial this number. Write along. You have a pen? 00-58-212-806-3111. Again: 00-58-212-806-3111. You got it? That is the number of the palace of President Chavez in Venezuela. He would love to have the Netherlands Antilles and we [would] love to get rid of [it]. I would make a good deal with him. Tie a nice bow around the islands and goodbye,” stated Wilders on Wednesday.

Wilders put this piece of advice for Balkenende on the Website of the opposition party after the PVV leader and the rest of his faction walked out of the session of the Second Chamber with the Prime Minister. >>> Copyright ©2008 The Daily Herald St. Maarten | Friday, March 27, 2009

Hugo Chavez Wins Right to Seek Re-election Indefinitely
THE TELEGRAPH: President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has won the right to stand for re-election indefinitely after a vote to scrap term limits on elected posts was passed.

Photo of Hugo Chávez courtesy of leJDD.fr
Chavez, a flamboyant Socialist and former paratrooper, celebrated victory with crowds of red-clad supporters and said he intended to stand for a third term in 2012.

Previously, the president was allowed only two consecutive terms, which would have forced Chavez to step down at the end of his second mandate in 2013.

Speaking to cheering supporters on Sunday from the balcony of his Miraflores palace, he said: "The doors of the future are wide open.

"In 2012 there will be presidential elections for the 2013-2019 period and, unless God has planned something else, unless the people have planned something else, this soldier is now a pre-candidate for the Republic's presidency."

Chavez - who is popular with the country's poor for his oil-funded health care and education programs - has ruled for 10 years.

He is blamed by a vocal opposition for rising crime, corruption and inflation and will now have to tackle the effects of the global downturn on Venezuela's oil-based economy. >>> | Monday, February 16, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – Free delivery >>>

Medvedev in Cuba to Improve Ties
BBC: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is in Cuba for the final stop in a tour of Latin America intended to strengthen Russian influence in the region.

Mr Medvedev and Cuban President Raul Castro are expected to sign deals on nickel mining and oil exploration.

The Russian leader arrived in Havana from Venezuela, where he and President Hugo Chavez signed a deal on promoting nuclear energy for civilian use.

Military co-operation also featured in Mr Medvedev's talks with Mr Chavez.

After meeting his Cuban counterpart, Mr Medvedev told reporters: "We have a systematic dialogue. Our relations have been generally good, but in the past six months they have become especially intense."

Russian and Venezuelan warships are scheduled to hold joint military exercises later this week.

Russia is already a major arms supplier to Venezuela, with contracts worth some $4.4bn (£2.39bn). >>> | November 28, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

The Prickly Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez at his prickly best! Photo courtesy of the BBC
BBC: A series of tit-for-tat expulsions has left the US without ambassadors in three Latin American countries.

Bolivia and Venezuela have expelled their US envoys, accusing Washington of trying to oust Bolivia's government.

Washington has responded by throwing out envoys from Bolivia and Venezuela and freezing the assets of three aides to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Meanwhile, Honduras has refused the credentials of a new US ambassador, postponing his appointment.

US officials said the actions of Venezuela and Bolivia showed their leaders' "weakness and desperation".

The BBC's Emilio San Pedro said relations between the US and Latin American opponents such as Mr Chavez had seemed to be on a holding pattern.

But the situation has changed in a matter of days, he says.

This week's arrival in Venezuela of two Russian bomber planes taking part in a military exercise is not thought to have helped the situation.

And with more joint military exercises in the pipeline, our correspondent says it could take a while for tensions to subside. Expulsions Stoke US-LatAm Dispute >>> | September 12, 2008

NZZ Online:
Auch Venezuela weist US-Botschafter aus: Chávez spricht von Solidarität mit Bolivien

Der venezolanische Präsident Chávez hat die Ausweisungen der Botschafter in Bolivien und den USA für einen eigenen Vorstoss genutzt. Venezuela hat ebenfalls den amerikanischen Botschafter ausgewiesen und beordert seinen Botschafter in den USA zurück. >>> | 12. September 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

Hugo Chávez greift Angela Merkel an, und vergleicht sie mit Hitler!
NZZ Online: Einmal mehr hat sich der venezolanische Präsident Hugo Chávez eine verbale Attacke gegen einen Politiker geleistet. In seiner wöchentlichen Ansprache machte er sich Bundeskanzlerin Merkel zur Zielscheibe.

(ap) Wenige Tage vor dem EU-Lateinamerika-Gipfel in Lima hat der venezolanische Präsident Hugo Chávez schwere Vorwürfe gegen Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel erhoben und ihr eine politische Nähe zu Adolf Hitler bescheinigt. Während seiner sonntäglichen Radio- und Fernsehsendung kritisierte Chávez Merkel dafür, die Christdemokraten zu vertreten. Diese konservative Partei gehöre zum rechten Lager, «derselben Rechten, die Hitler und den Faschismus unterstützt hat». Chávez attackiert Merkel: Venezolanischer Präsident leistet sich verbale Entgleisungen in Radioansprache >>> | 12. Mai 2008

WELT ONLINE:
Chávez unterstellt Merkel politische Nähe zu Hitler >>> | 12. Mai 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Taschenbuch)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Gebundene Ausgabe)

Chávez Gets His Wings Clipped
BBC: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has narrowly lost a referendum on controversial constitutional changes.

Voters rejected the raft of reforms by a margin of 51% to 49%, the chief of the National Electoral Council said.

Mr Chavez described the defeat as a "photo finish", and urged followers not to turn it into a point of conflict.

Correspondents say the opposition could barely hide their delight and that the victory will put a brake on Mr Chavez's self-styled "Socialist revolution".

Celebrations by the opposition began almost immediately in the capital, Caracas, with activists cheering, beeping car horns and waving flags.

"Venezuela won today, democracy won today, and I am sure that this victory for the Venezuelan people will have a very important impact in the rest of Latin America," Leopoldo Lopez, opposition mayor of Caracas' Chaqua municipality, told the BBC. Chavez defeated over reform vote >>>

Mark Alexander

Chávez berief sich zweimal auf Jesus Christus vom dem saudischen König Abdullah
In Saudi-Arabien sind christliche Bekundungen in der Öffentlichkeit verboten. Doch Venezuelas Präsident Hugo Chavez liebt Provokationen. Seine neueste: Bei seiner Eröffnungsrede auf dem OPEC-Gipfel am Wochenende bekreuzigte er sich vor dem saudischen König Abdullah.

In Saudi-Arabien, wo der Islam Staatsreligion ist, sind nichtislamische religiöse Bekundungen in der Öffentlichkeit verboten. Der saudische König trägt auch den Titel "Diener der zwei heiligen Moscheen", weil in seinem Land die heiligen Stätten von Mekka und Medina liegen. 
In seiner Rede berief sich Chavez dann auch noch zweimal auf Jesus Christus. Tabubruch: Chavez bekreuzigt sich vor König Abdullah

Mark Alexander

King Juan Carlos’ “Shut Up” Comment to Chávez Becomes Ring Tone Hit
Photo courtesy of the BBC
BBC: The king of Spain's recent undiplomatic outburst at the Venezuelan president has become a ringtone hit across Spain.

An estimated 500,000 people have downloaded the insult featuring the words "Why don't you shut up?", generating a reported 1.5m euros ($2m).

King Juan Carlos asked Hugo Chavez to "shut up" at a summit in Chile last week after the president said Spain's ex-PM Jose Maria Aznar was a "fascist".

Branded mugs, t-shirts and websites featuring the row are also profitable.

In Venezuela, a group of students who oppose Mr Chavez's government have also been downloading the ringtone, a US newspaper reported.

"It's a form of protest," a 21-year-old student in Caracas told the Miami Herald. "It's something that a lot of people would like to tell the president."

Companies selling the ringtones have avoided legal problems concerning breach of the king's image rights by using an actor to voice the line. 'Shut up' Chavez is ringtone hit (more)

Mark Alexander

A Warning from Chávez
Photo of Chávez and Ahmadinejad courtesy of the BBC
BBC: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned oil prices could double if the US attacked Iran, as a key summit of oil exporters opened.

Mr Chavez told the summit of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) the price of crude could reach $150 or even $200 a barrel.

Oil has been hitting record peaks of well over $90 a barrel as markets believe Opec will not boost production.

The Opec summit in Saudi Arabia is only the organisation's third in 47 years.

Saudi moderation

Mr Chavez kicked off the summit with a blistering attack on the US.
"If the United States was mad enough to attack Iran or aggress Venezuela again the price of a barrel of oil could reach $150 or even $200," he said. Chavez warning opens Opec summit (more)

Mark Alexander

King Juan Carlos is Arrogant, Says Chávez
BBC: Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has accused Spain's King Juan Carlos of "arrogance" after he told Mr Chavez to shut up during a summit in Chile.

However, Mr Chavez said he did not want a political crisis with Spain following the clash - only that Venezuela's head of state be respected.

Later, however, he said political, diplomatic and economic ties with Spain were being closely reviewed. Spain king 'arrogant' says Chavez (more)

Mark Alexander

Hugo Chávez Digs In His Socialist Heels in Venezuela
BBC: Venezuelas [sic] parliament has given initial approval to reforms proposed by President Hugo Chavez, including an end to presidential term limits.

The proposals still require a final endorsement by parliament, which is dominated by Mr Chavez's supporters, and must then be put to a referendum.

The constitutional reforms would also increase presidential control over the central bank. Venezuela lawmakers back reforms (more)

Mark Alexander

Chávez the Perma-Ruler of Venezuela!
THE GUARDIAN: The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, has announced his intention to change the country's constitution, allowing him to rule indefinitely.

The socialist leader used his weekly television programme, Hello President, to confirm widely anticipated plans to scrap the limits on presidential terms.

Mr Chávez said the expected change - which must be agreed by parliament and approved by voters in a referendum - would enhance democracy.

However, critics of his leadership will see it as an attempt to tighten his grip on Venezuela and cement his self-styled "revolution", which has sharply divided opinion at home and abroad. Chávez seeks changes allowing indefinite rule (more)

Mark Alexander