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MexPhot · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Mexico

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and the Venezuelan Congress, made up entirely of Chavez allies, is considering raising taxes and royalties on foreign companies operations in that country. Chavez is a left wing populist who favors greater state control of their economy. Most oil extraction projects in Venezuela are a co-operative between one or more corporations, and the state run oil company "Petroleos de Venezuela SA" or PdVSA.

I say more power to them, and maybe other countries, including the USA should take a lesson from this, and have more of the benefits of our county's natural resources going to the common man.

Mr. X · Joined: 04 Feb 2006 Posts: 28

And now Peru is getting ready for a presidential election. The more conservative candidate, Alan Garcia, was formerly president from 1985 - 1990, a time when Peru was going thru terrible inflation problems, and terrorism from the Shining Path group.

The more leftist candidate, Ollanta Humala, running at about 47% in polls, is more popular with the poorer and more rural voters, who tend to vote less often

This election will be a test of the continuing popularity of more leftist leaders in South America.

Juan S · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Mexico

Hey, just read that Alan Garcia won the vote in Peru, which is somewhat of a setback for Chavez, if he is indeed looking for more power in South America. I am still a bit confused on where he is coming from, or headed to. Is his goal to help the common man, as his title of populist tags him, or is he the new Castro, using populist rhetoric to gain dictatorial powers?

I don't have a clue, and can only guess. Does anyone else have specific info on what's going on?