The Chavez path to Venezuelan self destruction

William Ratliff:

On Dec. 2, Venezuelans will be asked to vote on a whopping 69 constitutional amendments that would greatly reduce the country's democratic governance, strip citizens of still more individual liberties and thus expand President Hugo Chavez's power even beyond what it is today. The sad reality is that voters will probably approve the amendments, as Chavez's opponents have been bumbling around, discredited, disorganized and intimidated.

The vote will be bad not only for Venezuela but for the rest of Latin America. Chavez-style demagogues -- Chavistas -- are taking control throughout the region, persuading frustrated voters to jettison their often unresponsive democratic governments for the promise of something better, even if that something is a populist dictatorship.

Chavez already has assumed some of the powers he wants legitimized in the upcoming referendum. Approving the changes will merely legalize what is already in place and further reduce the options and safeguards available to those who disagree with him and his vision of "21st century socialism."

One of the most disturbing ballot items would allow Chavez to run for president as often as he wishes and make it more difficult for voters to recall a president. He could become, in effect, president for life. Other ballot items would give Chavez greatly expanded control over the country's state and regional governments, its central bank and its international monetary reserves, and would extend his authority to expropriate private property.

Other ballot measures would increase presidential authority to declare and maintain a "state of emergency" for as long as the government deems necessary and significantly curtail the financial privileges of human rights groups, the media and other nongovernmental watchdog organizations. Still another dangerous ballot item would transform Venezuela's military from a conventional armed force intended to protect the people into a "patriotic and anti-imperialist" armed force intended to support the socialist revolution.

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There is one decisive difference between the democracy that opened the door to Chavez and the new system Chavez is building. While the former increasingly failed many or most in the country, its leaders could be -- and finally were -- voted out of power in reasonably honest, contested elections.

By the time Chavez's supporters realize they've been sold a bill of goods, they may find themselves living under a system that allows no more freedom to choose than Fidel Castro has allowed in Cuba over the last half-century.

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Anyone who supports socialism is ignorant of history and economics. Chavez will do his best to keep Venezuelans ignorant on both scores. Inflation is already a significant problem and it will be come worse in Venezuela. So will rationing as Chavez continues to restrict supplies of goods by capping the price. The one commodity that he will not cap the export price on is oil. He may be ignorant, but he is not crazy enough to put a cap on the price of his main revenue stream. That will come through decreasing productions because he has chased off the companies who find and build the infrastructure for production. In a few years his facilities will be as decrepit as Iran's.