PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA WARNS OF POTENTIAL FOR CIVIL WAR IN SOUTH AMERICAN DEMOCRACY December 2, 1999 The Nando Times reported: Venezuela's president on Tuesday warned civil war could break out if a proposed constitution is rejected in an upcoming national referendum. President Hugo Chavez said the Venezuelan people would crush opponents of the proposed constitution, including the country's main trade union, media owners and what he called a corrupt oligarchy. "Let the naysayers know we are just beginning our counteroffensive. We are going to unleash our forces at all flanks...Chavez's speeches in recent days in favor of the proposed constitution, which was drawn up by his backers, have been aimed at solidifying support among millions of poor people, many of whom see him as a savior. But his harsh attacks on opponents have provoked fear among many in the middle and upper classes who say the former paratrooper is taking Venezuela toward authoritarian rule. They say the proposed constitution would concentrate power in his hands, curb civilian control of the military, squelch free speech and lead to heavy state intervention in the economy. Some charge that he wants to imitate Fidel Castro's communist revolution in Cuba, which Chavez praised on a visit there this month..."

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), December 06, 1999

Answers

Political instability affects everything in a country. If you want to see some real political instability, wait until next February and you can see it right here in the U.S.

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), December 06, 1999.

Does political instability effect oil? Not as long as we're willing to send in troops to keep the oil flowing like we did in Kuwait...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), December 06, 1999.

Venezuela, having lived there, I remember stories my father used to tell...my dad was such a hard worker and if his worker's wouldn't work then he would tell them to go home (in his not so good spanish), but one time he fired the wrong guy because then the PTJ (petejota - a labor union I assumed) put a contract out on my dad's life, the bigger boss found out about it from one of the worker's who liked my dad and to remedy the situation he had to give them money and rehire the guy. These were very poor people that were laborers, there is a big difference between the rich and poor there. I don't imagine the rich have one cent of money left in that country right about now, I imagine it's in a bank in Miami or New Orleans. I also can't see the U.S. invading Venezuela for its oil, the oil is so spred out over that country, it's not really concentrated together in one place.

-- lurker 13 (lurker13@nowhere.here), December 06, 1999.

I lived in Venezuela for over a decade. First, the PTJ/petejota is not a labor union -- they are a division of the national police force! That they would put a hit on somebody is no surprise though. Venezuela has always been a den of corruption, lazyness and incompetence, propped up by oil prices. The previous president basically stole billions of dollars. The current one is a nutjob who will finish off the entire nation. Now, in a nation where public funds are routinely looted, and where nobody does their job unless forced to at gunpoint, how much Y2K remediation do you think has gotten done? Venezuela is a toilet bowl, and Y2K is the flush.

-- Anonymous (jclord96@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

Petejota (letters pe, te and jota - PTJ) is the acronym for Policia Tecnico Judicial - as stated in the previous post, a division of the national police force.

-- Darby (edarby@AOL.com), December 08, 1999.