In recent months Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has silenced critics and tightened his grip on the nation. The socialist leader has also begun a massive military buildup and strengthened ties with his like-minded allies in the Middle East.
This week Iran and Venezuela launched construction of a joint petrochemical plant. The 700 million dollar facility is just part of a broader plan to boost cooperation and trade between the two countries. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is expected to sign at least 20 different agreements with Iran this week for similar joint projects.
Chavez is in the midst of a week-long trip to Russia, Belarus and Iran. In Russia and Belarus Chavez plans to discuss the purchase of anti-aircraft weapons and as many as nine submarines - worth more than 2 billion dollars. This announcement comes on the heels of another controversial arms deal - Venezuela recently completed a purchase of 3 billion dollars of military equipment from Russia, including Sukoi fighter planes, military and transport helicopters and a new series of Kalashnikov rifles.
Venezuela is one of the founding members of OPEC and is strongly aligned with the Islamic oil-producing nations of the Middle East. In recent years it has become a hub for terrorism in the Western Hemisphere. Middle Eastern terrorist groups are operating cells in Venezuela, including support cells for organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Thousands of Venezuelan identity documents are being distributed to foreigners from Middle Eastern nations, including Syria, Pakistan, Egypt, and Lebanon.
Oil-rich Venezuela was once a wealthy nation and one of South America's oldest democracies. However since Hugo Chavez came to power in 1998, he has transformed Venezuela from a free democracy to an oppressive regime. Chavez claims to be leading Venezuelans in a "Bolivarian Revolution." In order to achieve his goals, he has consolidated power, changed the constitution, and aggressively pushed for socialist reforms.
In the past eight years Hugo Chavez has put a chokehold on Venezuela's freedom of speech. Chavez has passed new laws regulating the media as well as a new penal code that criminalizes virtually any expression to which the government objects. The new laws state that "anyone who offends with his words or in writing or in any other way disrespects the President of the Republic" can be thrown into prison. The laws apply to comments made both publicly and privately. Journalists accused of receiving any type of foreign funding can be thrown into prison for up to 30 years and are not entitled to legal due process. Recently Chavez shut down RCTV, the nation's largest television station, and the only station left that was not government controlled.
In recent months Chavez has begun to nationalize many of Venezuela's key industries. Chavez has already imposed state control over the nation's largest telecommunications firm, electricity companies and the oil industry. The nation's steel industry and other "strategic" industries are expected to meet the same fate. On Tuesday Chavez announced plans to nationalize Venezuela's privately owned hospitals and clinics.
When the Berlin Wall fell, the Soviet Union collapsed, and China pursued broad economic reform, many foresaw the end of the threat once posed by the spread of communism. But while America has focused its attention elsewhere, socialism has taken root in South America.
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